Waste reducing feeders?

[kozzy]

Fact of life here: I gotta bale feed for about half the year...unless it's nasty hot and dry like this year in which case the wallet gets emptied in the summer too.
Fact 2: My tractor will only lift about 700 lbs which eliminates the option of gigantic rounds and big squares...leaving the only option the small squares around here.

Last year I had a lot of waste. I tub fed but they love to do all they can to spread it around--shove their heads to the bottom and kick it out, only to trample large amounts. It's gettin' old.

Anyone have waste-reducing feeders, ideas or suggestions? Something that works well for you which you can post a photo of?

We're only talking a bull, cow and calf but you'd think by the mess they can make that a hay truck exploded.


I have an idea regarding a feeding wagon which can use an existing farm trailer I have. Also have a friend willing to give me an older ring for the large rounds which I can either use or modify---as well as access to some free (large with bars close together) horse corner feeders..or I can roll anything of my own. I was just hoping for some better ideas rather than experimenting with what I *think* might work.


Thanks for any input


Koz

[arlen]

I fed 4 heifers all winter using a feeder designed for large squares. It's really heavy built, and I would just throw one or 2 bales up in it, then cut the strings.
I would say that there was very little waste.

[triplec]

If I was going to build something I would go with something like this www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/B40EB480-7A69-4CFB-92DF-C58745C15E16/12362/2209CalfHayFeeder1.pdf
. This site has alot of good project ideas.

www.lsuagcenter.com/en/our_offices/departments/Biological_Ag_Engineering/Features/Extension/Building_Plans/

[dexterfarm]

use a round bale feeder and just dont though much in it at once.
depending on where you are and the prices of hay. Here in Iowa with the price difference from squares to rounds. You would be money ahead to buy a tractor capable of moving rounds. Yes you still have waste waste with the rounds but you pay a whole lot less per ton.

[kozzy]

Thanks for the answers. I sure like the look of the feeder shown in the plans--and I like the idea of a cheap tractor solely for lifting the big rounds. Will run some numbers and see how they work out.

[RedRidge]

We usually feed large bales but have two of these we use when we have a confined single or small group. We love em. They are technically for smaller livestock, but we've found they work perfect for dexters.
www.lazyjvranch.com/goat_sheep_equipment1.html

[legendrockranch]

I love those feeders Sheri, we have about 8 of them that we use in stalls or weaning areas for a smaller number of cattle.
They are actually made here in Texas, I ordered mine and had them shipped directly from the manufacturer Northeast Gate,
netxgates.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/catalog.pdf
www.northeastgatecompany.com/contactinformationandaboutthenortheastgatecompany.htm
They work great with Dexters but are actually made for goats.

Barb

[RedRidge]

Yep, we used them in the sheep dairy for years. They have a distributor in KY also, we drove up there about 12 years ago to pick up a truckload full of their handling equipment also. Very lightweight and easy to rearrange.