Hay Ring advice needed

[EddieWalker]

Three years ago I bought a Priefert Tombstone feeder for around $240 that I really liked. It worked perfectly and I thought at the time I bought it, that it was a good one. It was the most expensive one that they had.

Tombstone Feeder

Last year it started falling apart. I used the smallest welding rod that I had and sort of put it back together. Now it's so rusted out that there is no hope for fixing it. After just three years, I'm a bit surprised at how quickly if failed. The tubing is very thin wall, and the paint is probably the bare minimum. So that was a waste of money that I will not repeat.

I have horses and I like the design so they can get to the hay, but it keeps them from walking all over it.

I need to find something else, but in just looking online at the different stores in my area, they all sell basically the same thing. I haven't gone in person to look yet, but will this weekend. My next option is to drive around to different feed stores and see if they have anything there that might be heavy duty. There is also an ad on Craigslist for a guy that builds them, but they look kind of flimsy from the pictures posted. I might go look at them in person to be sure.

Who has a really good, heavy duty round bale hay ring for horses and where did you get it?

Can you post a picture or a link to what a really good hay ring for horses looks like?

Thanks!!!

 

[Diggin It]

My neighbor has three that have been out in the field with cattle for years, but I have no idea where he got them. Maybe TSC?

He also has a poly trough feeder with metal legs that have completely rusted out to dust.

 

[jaxs]

If they offer more than one model and that is their best,I'm surprised to hear it failed. Could it be that being light weight and easy to move account's for price? The rings we use for cattle are so heavy they can't be easily dragged so we tilt and roll to move. I would talk to Priefert to see if their cheaper model is heavier. I've known the family for years and believe they will do what's required to help you get what you need. If they don't have thicker or solid tube,maybe they will use tube you furnish to construct your ring. You might also ask if you pick up heavier tube or solid bar at Greenville Steel if they will bend it so that you can fabricate one yourself. If all that fail's,ask Greenville Steel to recommend a fabricator or just buy material and build it yourself. I can't remember his name but there's a first class young man from Celeste that opened a welding shop in Sulphur Springs 2 or 3 years ago.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I don't think you will find any of them of heavy gauge material. Hay rings made from lightest gauge metal made and laying around in cow poop and urine are going to rust out very quickly. If I wanted one that would last, I would get a fab shop to bend some angle iron to the required diameter and build it out of that. OR you could just build it in an octagon shape or even square if you are going to always more it with your tractor.

I would elect to use an octagon shape to avoid the sharp corners and avoid the cost of having the metal bent.

 

[M5farms]

The poly ones they sell for cattle are supposed to be the very best with some folks saying they are 5 + yrs old and still look like the day they bought them. If the horse is not smart enough to figure out how to eat out of one I would say sell the horse.

 

[Xfaxman]

Don't use the poly cattle style for horses, they will rub off a lot of their mane on the top rail.

Cattle style:

This is the poly horse bale ring that we have used for over 7 years:

A better view of the 8 foot diameter horse style poly bale ring:

 

[Jstpssng]

As clever as you are Eddie, with a little thought you could come up with something better than anything on the market. The toughest part could be finding the time to do it.

 

[jaxs]

As clever as you are Eddie, with a little thought you could come up with something better than anything on the market. The toughest part could be finding the time to do it.

Exactly what I was thinking. :stirthepot:

 

[Buppies]

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

 

[eddie48]

Try J&L haysaver feeders in PA (814) 893-5086. They make very heavy feeders. I have one for cattle but they also make one for horses.

 

[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