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KY | Let's talk hay rings. I have always used different quality typical round bale rings found at most co-ops. Mine generally fail due to rust, seems the pricier, heavier ones last a year or two longer than the cheapest. I handle them (gently as possible) with front bale spike, and turn them up on end at the outer edge of the pastures every spring until I have to feed again in the winter. Currently using 14 or 15 of them. Have heard mention of the poly rings, noone carries those around here so I've never seen them. My local supplier CAN get them however. Also, they have one GoBob hay monster double round bale feeder, I think it's right in the neighborhood of $900. GoBob claims 7 year warranty, and 30% less hay use. Who has used the poly or GoBob products and compared to $140 "regular" rings, am I going to save money by replacing (over a time as the old ones wear out) with $250 poly or $450 (per bale fed) GoBob feeders? |
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northwest tennessee | This is the reason I am glad I unroll hay now. Less waste and hay rings have gotten crazy high. I realize it wont work for everyone but sure works for me. If you get to thinking about all the costs involved with hay it is just crazy. I think in the future everyone with cattle is going to have to learn to make do on less of it. That includes me too. |
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central Iowa | I've got 5 or 6 from the Kentucky gate man, Jackie Pendleton. Heavy-he makes them put an extra ring in the bottom. $250 last year. Calves can't get in them either. Where
is it...Liberty, KY ? Probably cheaper without the freight to Iowa. |
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KY | Only two hours from me.. may have to look into him. |
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KY | What's the answer? You're not too far from me and grass and soil relatively similar I'm sure. There just was no grass last year with the drought. I will get by this winter but only because the temps stayed up until last week. I only had to feed a few rolls of hay in august and then it finally rained and the grass came back somewhat. I would like to cut my hay use by a fourth (without reducing cattle) and put a little old crop ground that I had to make hay out of a few years back back into crop production. I have lost 100 acres of row crop lease to a sale that was beyond my comfort zone (had to buy 500 acres of good-for-nearly-nothing to get the 100 of creek bottom.) and would like to recover 25 or 30 of that back to ground I use to row crop. Feeding them more ground feed is not an answer for me, it just won't pay. Right now feeding a dozen calves 1/3 ration of corn, soyhulls and corn gluten is running around $100 a week with my corn. |
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northwest tennessee | I know about the dry weather and I fed alot of hay this past summer just to keep cows. I have never done that before but never been through a drought like that one either. The one place I am going to get alot better at is flying rye grass into row crop ground. That alone will cut out alot of hay for me. It is not without costs but as high as hay has gotten and I am talking even if you grow your own, it will pay off. I just get to thinking about all the total costs of hay from seed, fertilizer fuel, equipment feeders etc. It has gotten crazy. |
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| I think I have 9 of the poly pipe feeders puchased over the last 7-8 years. You can't tell the oldest one from the newest, they don't freeze to the ground, and very easy to move. One time I carried a brand new feeder out to the field with the bale spike, wasn't paying attention, and the top bar on the feeder was caught between the big spike and one of the little spikes and put a big curve in the polypipe. I was so disgusted, but the pipe returned to its former shape. Pretty impressive. These feeders were 250-275 dollars. They make a fancier one for aroumd7-800 dollars. Good luck, Ron |
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Southwest OK | Split a truckload of poly rings with a neighbor about ten years ago. They are basically indestructible. I backed completely over one with a combine, it is still in use three years later and I don't think I could pick it out if it wasn't on the same place. The bolts holding the ones I have together are stainless. I do have one that the "weld" on one ring has popped. Doesn't seem to effect it so I haven't tried to fix it. Hay waste is no better or worse than any other ring I have used. |
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Eastern Iowa | I make my own. Dad built me a tubing bender out of a hydraulic cylinder and scrap iron about ten years ago and I build them out of 3/16 square tubing. They are a little smaller than commercially built ones in order to use the tubing efficiently (24' circumference vs. a little over 25 for commercial ones) but I've not replaced a one of them yet. Commercial ones (farm store type) always seemed to need welding on them after the second season. Way too light, low grade iron. Mine we can hardly tip up.
Last time I made some I think I had a little over $100 in materials in them. Of course, that doesn't include labor or other overhead, but I feed cattle so you know I pretty much work for free most of the time as it is anyway. |
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near dyersville iowa | Do they look like the ones from NVmetalworks? I have one of these.. http://www.nvmetalworks.com/bale-feeders-2 the round ones down the page a bit. 7 or 8 years old and still look good. |
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NW Missouri | I have thought about building a bender as well. Any pictures? |
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Seaford, Delaware | Can someone post a link or picture of these poly pipe feeders. I've never seen one. Most folks around here use J&L Haysavers out of Pennsylvania.
Alan
http://jlhaysavers.com/
Edited by Delmarva Ag 12/28/2012 19:29
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KY | www.centurylivestockfeeders.com iPhone not letting me make a link. |
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Casey IL. ( I -70 ) then south on rt.49 | http://wilessales.com/product-distributor-century.php
I think this will get you there |
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| We've got a few of the poly rings. Not sure a brand name but they are notched and bolted to the uprights. Should last forever really.
As far as hay waste , the last ones we got had 2 extra bars in the top openings between the full length uprights. A lot less hay waste it appears with the extra pieces.
I noticed in that century feeder link they had an option of extra uprights. My opinion would be that they are worth it.
Unless I was going to get out of business in the next 3 years I would definantly get the poly. |
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KY | My only worry with poly is handling them with FEL's in below freezing temps, I was worried the poly would become brittle when cold. I gather that's not an issue? |
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SwMo on Ks line | Have some century poly bull feeders with extra slash bars,helps save some hay....cold weather don't seem to bother them even moving with loaders....Using some Bextra hay saver feeders and can really see the difference in wasted hay...Cost was 550.00 with 5 year warranty.seemed high but saving lots of hay.Okla State did study that showed some actual numbers in savings...... No GoBob on my place and will keep it that way. |
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| feelnrite - 12/28/2012 15:10
This is the reason I am glad I unroll hay now. Less waste and hay rings have gotten crazy high.
I've been unrolling (some to most) of my round bales for about 5 years or so. I'm not convinced it saves any more hay than using the rings. If it's good hay, you bet they clean it up well, but they seem to clean up that variety of hay in the rings too. If it's crappy hay, they leave a lot of it, no matter if I feed it in a ring or unroll it. The first year I started using the unroller I made the mistake of unrolling my worst marsh hay in a field and it seemed like they were eating it up, but then when the snow melted I saw the result (not good). I had to dig out my old flail chopper and a silage box to clean up that mess. If it's good hay it SEEMS like there's less waste when you unroll, but I think that might just be because the waste is spread out over a wider area. For something like oat hay, they waste a lot in rings, but then if I unroll it, it's much worse.; They just eat all the grain and leaves off and leave a huge amount of "straw". Also, if there's alfalfa in the hay most of the leaves tend to get turned into dust if you unroll it. For the past couple of years, I've only been unrolling sudangrass bales, good-quality grassy bales, and bedding. I feed the alfalfa, oat hay, and poor hay in rings and I think they waste a lot less of it that way. For me the main benefit of unrolling is to spread out the manure and eliminate "ring damage" on pasture.
That's just my experience, though. I might be doing it wrong.
Edited by tjdub 12/28/2012 22:20
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NW MINN | I've got one poly feeder, red hoops and black uprights and you couldn't give me another. The openings are too large so a lot of hay gets pulled out and wasted and in subzero weather the hoops break just from the cattle pushing against them. |
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Southwest OK | First is of the waste left after feeding. In the second the wrap is left on the bale because the hay is three years old and the bottom is rotten. The bales were exploding when I removed the wrap so I started leaving it. Wrap was pulled out if the pile in the first pic.
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KY | Pictures worth a thousand words, i'm gonna try a pair next week anyhow. |
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| ihmanky - 12/28/2012 20:57
My only worry with poly is handling them with FEL's in below freezing temps, I was worried the poly would become brittle when cold. I gather that's not an issue?
It hasn't been an issue here yet. I haven't noticed it being brittle and we move them with the loader. I've worked with water line in cold weather which I think is the same type material and it doesn't break......gets stiffer but not brittle. |
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Southern Minnesota | We have about 10 of these poly rings in use with the oldest being about 12 years old. Only damage to one is when I stuck the pallet fork through the skirt. The skirt height is 24" and the top rail is 58". We may break a connecting sleeve every couple of years but they are easy to replace.
I have seen the century feeders around but never had experience with them. I would think a 4x5 bale would work best rather than a 5x6 or you may have more waste. Also I find if the cows can eat the bale in about 24 hours you have much less waste than a full bale to 6-7 cows.
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northwest tennessee | It is a big hay saver for me. I have noticed you have to pay more attention to what you are doing though. Like dont unroll a good roll of hay today then tomorrow go to lesser hay. Cows are like kids if they know there is better they are not going to eat much of the bad. Get on a type of hay and stay there until you feed it up. Also I dont let them to more than they will eat in about 2 hours and then they stay in that spot until I turn them to more in about 6 or 8 hours. I also find them being picky when they come out of rye grass so the first 8 hours out of the grass they just get enough hay to keep them interested as the empty. Then they will start eating and cleaning up after that. Not only do I save hay I feed the same amount of cows on less hay. So I guess I am saving hay in two ways. What I do takes time and I know it wont work everywhere. I unroll every 2 to 2.5 days and turn to it. Rain does not bother them but snow is a problem. They will nose through it but waste will increase with snow. I find though that as they come back through that area the next time if the snow is gone they go back and clean up. This hay deal has gotten out of hand and I am determined to cut my useage in half if I can. Folks talk about demand destruction in grains by them being high and the same thing can happen with hay. |
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northwest tennessee | <p>If I were buying rings I would buy those. A friend I help that buys cattle and runs feeders has these and has had them for over 10 years and nothing is wrong with them. He can tear an anvil up with a toothpick. They seem to be indestructible. He also buys alot of longhorns at times and they can tear anything up and the worst in the world at wasting hay.</p>
Edited by feelnrite 12/29/2012 09:19
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NCMO | I like the look of the skirt. Mine doesnt have one i think it would help save hay. |
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northwest tennessee | Yes me too and the problem with skirts on metal feeders is they catch and hold alot of manure and dont last. That would not be a problem with this one. What does a feeder like that cost? |
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swMN | I've got two of the poly ones like above posts state. nearly indestructible, move em with bale spear, drop em, push em , had one fly off the hay rack on the way home, bounced off the black top into the ditch never hurt it, and i bought mine used from a neighbor 8 years ago. |
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Eastern Iowa | Here's a picture of it. It isn't anything fancy. Fit a length of 1 1/4" square tubing between the two rollers on the left end and use a tractor hydraulic cylinder pinned on the right side to push the curved ram into the tubing. It takes a little practice to get the curve "just right" on the four pieces you need to build a bale ring section, but it works.
Edited by GangGreen 12/30/2012 08:20
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North Carolina | SWSCT, What brand is that feeder. I like the looks of that one. |
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Eastern Iowa | Mine would be a lot heavier than that, I think, and are bolted rigid rather than with a hinged door. Bolting them up tight contributes to longevity as far as I am concerned. The hook and loop Franklin feeders we used to buy rarely lasted more than a couple years before parts started breaking off. I think it was because they were pegged together loosely.
We can typically dump bales in over the top of these or use hooks I made for the front end loader fork to lift the feeders and set them over the bale. Because they are really heavy and their diameter is a touch smaller than standard, tipping them onto the bale manually is a little tougher.
Bale feeder. They don't waste much, but I always figured it was more dependent on HOW you feed them, than what you feed them with, anyway.
I made these simple hooks for the fork on my front end loader so we wouldn't have to lift and roll the rings around any longer.
Just drive up to the bale ring and lift it. We move the bales around a lot when the cows are out in the cornfields just to spread things around. This comes very much in handy!
Edited by GangGreen 12/30/2012 11:29
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Southern IA | mobeefguy, Why don't you want any GoBob feeders on your place? |
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Eastern Iowa | Those look pretty bad ass. Bet they don't give them away! |
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Eastern Kansas | We have the ones from the kentucky gate guy, i think they have salesman that travel everywhere. they was 215 delivered to here in kansas. They have a solid ring around the bottom which really seems to keep the hay in. we have some with bars every 12" or so on the bottom and we like these better. we use these mainly for feeding cornstalks in the ring just cause they keep more in. but the stalks will still fall out some, but we wish we had all of the green ones.
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northwest tennessee | The hooks you have on the loader look good and will help the rings last longer too. Alot of rings are torn up with the front end loader and just using the spear puts alot of pressure in places that over time will break. Especially when you get mud and frozen ground. |
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Hay rings, same old rings, poly, GoBob pipe??
