MMagis
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The local co-op had one of those hay huts sitting around for YEARS. Not even horse people would buy it. It’s extremely flimsy, there’s no way it would last a week with cattle. Don’t worry about the rain, they’ll eat it.
Feeding round bales
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tungularafishcamp
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I like the looks of that Andy! We even have a bunch of scrap tin around the place. Why did you run the steel diagonally instead of square?
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tungularafishcamp
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I was wondering how sturdy they were or weren't!
Our place is a family place steeped in tradition
Popular ritual is to feed small bales a couple times a day to have fresh dry offerings for the critters as they "won't eat wet hay" and as it is getting to be my turn at least for a few months every winter, I am looking for more time/effort/money efficient ways of keeping the cows/family happy.MMagis
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The slats should be diagonal to discourage smaller animals from climbing in. It won’t stop them, but makes it harder. You can buy feeding panels just like that, but welding them up is more fun. A couple precautions if you decide you want to make something like that. One, it needs to be very durable for cattle. They can tear up an anvil. Two, one single feeding station for twenty some cattle isn’t enough. Three, if you feed in the same spot and have a lot of rain, you’re going to have a horrible mud hole. To the point animals could get stuck. The hut should be movable.
I saw something that appeared to be a domed tarp -like cover that fit over a round bale ring in someone’s pasture once. That’s really the only thing I can see being worth the time and money. Cattle will eat wet hay, so there’s no real reason to worry about it getting wet. You just need to keep them from crapping in it.
I saw something that appeared to be a domed tarp -like cover that fit over a round bale ring in someone’s pasture once. That’s really the only thing I can see being worth the time and money. Cattle will eat wet hay, so there’s no real reason to worry about it getting wet. You just need to keep them from crapping in it.
TnAndy
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"They can tear up an anvil."
AMEN ! So far, this feeder has outlasted several ring type, hence my name on it.
"Two, one single feeding station for twenty some cattle isn’t enough. "
I'd agree....I only have 3-6 cattle at any one time, and usually about 3-4. I also have a hay barn for square bales on a sloped hillside, with couple open stalls under neath and a feeder between I can chuck hay down in from above where the hay is stored. When the weather is going to turn really crappy....rain or snow or really cold, I keep it filled and they hang out there more.
For 20 cows, I'd build at least 2 of these, maybe 3, or make them to hold couple bales each. I built what I needed for my situation.
"Three, if you feed in the same spot and have a lot of rain, you’re going to have a horrible mud hole. To the point animals could get stuck. The hut should be movable."
My pasture is all on a slope, so we get fairly good drainage, but even so, they do make a mess of the same place....that's why I put it on 6x6 skids with the ends cut at a 45....I throw a chain around one end when the area gets too messy, and move it to another location.
As for the slanted bars, I just saw most other feeders did that, so I did too....no real reason I guess. It's just sq tubing with a few hours of cut/welding. One side I welded the female gate hinges to, and screwed the male pin ends into the 6x6 post.
AMEN ! So far, this feeder has outlasted several ring type, hence my name on it.
"Two, one single feeding station for twenty some cattle isn’t enough. "
I'd agree....I only have 3-6 cattle at any one time, and usually about 3-4. I also have a hay barn for square bales on a sloped hillside, with couple open stalls under neath and a feeder between I can chuck hay down in from above where the hay is stored. When the weather is going to turn really crappy....rain or snow or really cold, I keep it filled and they hang out there more.
For 20 cows, I'd build at least 2 of these, maybe 3, or make them to hold couple bales each. I built what I needed for my situation.
"Three, if you feed in the same spot and have a lot of rain, you’re going to have a horrible mud hole. To the point animals could get stuck. The hut should be movable."
My pasture is all on a slope, so we get fairly good drainage, but even so, they do make a mess of the same place....that's why I put it on 6x6 skids with the ends cut at a 45....I throw a chain around one end when the area gets too messy, and move it to another location.
As for the slanted bars, I just saw most other feeders did that, so I did too....no real reason I guess. It's just sq tubing with a few hours of cut/welding. One side I welded the female gate hinges to, and screwed the male pin ends into the 6x6 post.
TnAndy
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Yeah....my thought as well....look pretty flimsy. As MMagis....cows can tear up an anvil. Overbuild anything that has anything to do with them.
stuckmotor
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Jerry/MT,
I sometimes unroll a bale and there seems to be lots wasted. Is there less waste with a spinner and if so, why?
Stuck
I sometimes unroll a bale and there seems to be lots wasted. Is there less waste with a spinner and if so, why?
Stuck
sweettractors
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These unrollers are handy on our farm for a couple other reasons other than just feeding cattle. By changing rotating feeding areas with the unroller, we do not have the massive mud bog associated with stationery rings/feeders. In addition, we have seen tremendous new growth of legumes and some grass in the spring where have unrolled and fed hay. It seems that seed falls out of the hay and the cattle incorporate them into the soil. How about that for a easy and cheap reseeding method? Ken Sweet
MMagis
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He's talking about the same concept, unrolling a bale. The key is to only unroll enough for them to eat in a day. If they're laying in it the next morning, unroll less.
sweettractors
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Another major advantage to feeding roll hay with a unroller is this method allows younger/smaller or older animals have access to the feed without having to compete with the dominant cows in the feeding group. Ken Sweet