Hay Ring advice needed

[bunyip]

Never seen a poly feeder, might price out the materials and see what I can do as our place is very boggy at the moment and rust will be a problem with the conventional feeders.

 

[aczlan]

Never seen a poly feeder, might price out the materials and see what I can do as our place is very boggy at the moment and rust will be a problem with the conventional feeders.

A guy we sold hay to had a couple of the cattle ones for sale. They were reportedly 10+ years old and still looked new.

Aaron Z

 

[Birdhunter1]

Eddie if I remember right you have several horses. You might want to read this study on hay feeders out of the University of Minnesota. They test several feeders and the 'Hay Hut' ranks pretty high on payback and less waste.
Feeding horses with a round-bale feeder | UMN Extension


I can attest to the less waste. I know people with them and one of them I place the round bales for them, I thought she had been cleaning the hut out before I came over but she said no the horses are eating it (it was top quality hay with very little storage rot). I am very impressed with it.

 

[Xfaxman]

Never seen a poly feeder, might price out the materials and see what I can do as our place is very boggy at the moment and rust will be a problem with the conventional feeders.

Took some measurements, the legs are 3-1/2 outside diameter, 3/8 wall thickness and 33 inches long. They are notched for the rings to fit into:

The 8' diameter Polyethylene pipe rings are heat fused together:

Here is the link to the company that built ours: Century Livestock Feeders | Shidler, OK

.

 

[bunyip]

Thanks, will look at materials but found an interstate place that sells poly feeders for a reasonable price but freight could be a killer so those specs could be worthwhile.

 

[aczlan]

Took some measurements, the legs are 3-1/2 outside diameter, 3/8 wall thickness and 33 inches long. They are notched for the rings to fit into:

View attachment 569349 View attachment 569350


The 8' diameter Polyethylene pipe rings are heat fused together:

View attachment 569351

Here is the link to the company that built ours: Century Livestock Feeders | Shidler, OK

.

The one I saw had larger (5"?) uprights and 2" (or so) rings that went through holes in the uprights.

Aaron Z

 

[farmer2009]

Go Bob Pipe and Steel Sales is a place to look they make things like you are looking for if memory serves me correctly

Hay Bale Feeders at GoBob Pipe and Steel - Square Hay Feeders - Hay Conserver Bale Feeders

This was going to be my recommendation. Don’t know how close you are but they have a 7 or 10 year rust out guarantee. They ain’t cheap.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've been to about ten different feed stores looking at hay rings, and the one thing they all had in common was a lot of rust. The poly ones are also very common, but nobody recommended them for horses due to their height. Cows are able to get under them easily to eat, but it would be more work for a horse to do that. I also found plenty of one inch square tubing hay rings for $110 to $125 that where too tall, but probably easy to modify for horses. It seems the most people get hay rings for cattle.

Today I went out to Mineola and found this. It's made by Tarter and cost $339. Comparing it to everything else I saw, this looked pretty good.

Galvanized Cradle Bale Feeder — Tarter Farm and Ranch Equipment | American Made Quality Since 1945