Fortunately, new and improved hay feeder and bunk designs are going a long way toward maximizing on-hand stocks of hay so they can last through the winter.

This includes the recent availability of square hay bale feeders (previous options were limited to smaller round bales) designed to conserve up to 33 percent of existing hay resources, new heavy steel feedbunks that are an economical alternative to plastic and concrete and even new shipping techniques designed to drive down freight costs, which are passed on to the farmer.

Saving on feed spillage
Using conventional hay feeding rings, cattle ranchers can lose thousands of dollars per year in avoidable feed loss.

With traditional feeding rings, cattle stand outside the feeder, tear the hay out and let the excess fall from their mouths.

When cattle bite off too much, which they are inclined to do, the hay falls to the ground and gets trampled and otherwise damaged – and will not be eaten.

“Conserver” hay feeders, on the other hand, force cattle to place their heads through metal bars to get at the hay. Any feed the cows drop falls right back into the feeder, where it can be eaten later.

The success of the hay-conserving bale feeder has led to the recent development and release of new options that accommodate the large square bales..

“Until recently, there have been no hay-conserver feeders available on the market that accommodated the large square bales,” says Bob Studebaker, president of GoBob Pipe and Steel, the supplier that first introduced “Hay Conserver” feeders about six years ago and has subsequently shipped over 9,000 feeders.

“The square feeders are based on the same principles, so a farmer can save roughly a third of his existing hay resources as well as the time, trouble and cost of locating and transporting additional hay.”

According to Studebaker, hay feeder suppliers are increasingly searching for ways to reduce the overall cost through creative solutions to reduce freight costs.

One option is to have feeders shipped partially assembled and unpainted in kits, rather than fully assembled. Strategically located fabricators throughout the country would then handle the final assembly and painting.

Customers and dealers can even elect to finish the assembly and painting themselves at a further discount.

“Shipping is a substantial cost that affects the overall cost of the product,” explains Studebaker. “Instead of shipping 25 completed feeders on a semi, we can ship about four times that many in kit form.

This significantly reduces shipping costs, so they can be passed on to the customer.”

Feedbunks
The other option for feeding cattle is feedbunks. Like the hay feeder, there are important considerations that go into the selection of bunk, its construction and how to avoid unnecessary feed waste.

A typical feedbunk from a feed store or farm supply center is eight to 10 feet long, has a light tubular frame and a plastic trough. Plastic bunks are relatively inexpensive at $110 to $150.

Unfortunately, because they weigh about 50 pounds, cattle can push plastic bunks around the yard. If livestock inadvertently step into the trough, they can punch a hole right through the plastic.

The cost of replacing damaged bunks over time eliminates much of the savings from the initial purchase price.

The alternative to plastic is concrete. However, concrete bunks require substantial, regular maintenance. Because concrete is porous, it must be sealed on a periodic basis.

If not, concrete will spall or chip. Concrete bunks have the additional disadvantage of being so heavy and cumbersome that it is very difficult to move them when necessary.

“Concrete bunks usually weigh a couple of tons and require a tractor to move them,” Studebaker explains. “Plus, if you move them in the winter they can crack, which will allow moisture to get in and freeze.If the bunk ruptures, then it requires repair or replacement.”

A highly efficient and practical alternative to plastic and concrete pasture bunks is the “half pipe” metal feeding bunk.

Constructed of a 20-foot metal pipe split in half, these feedbunks are plated to seal the ends, with metal legs welded underneath to provide highly durable legs.The product is also available by the foot for constructing long, fenceline bunk systems.

These metal bunks feature a trough that is 5/16 – 3/8 of an inch thick, making them virtually indestructible. At a little over 450 kilograms, they are too heavy for cattle to move but easy enough for the farmer.

Although heavy steel bunks cost about 30 percent more than plastic, cattlemen never have to replace them.

In addition to standard metal bunks, there are high-volume “super bunk” models designed for those that feed cattle ground hay, silage or other high-volume forage.

2EZ Bale Mover with new Hydraulic Bumper Pull

GoBob Pipe and Steel's 2EZ Bale Mover is a "never get out of your vehicle" trailer capable of loading, hauling and dumping bales up to 2,500 pounds up to six at a time with only a truck or tractor.

Now the 2EZ Bale Mover is available with a hydraulic bumper pull that works interchangeably with tractor or pickup to speed loading and improve ground clearance over previously available attachment options.

The 2EZ Hay Hauler features two rails that descend under precise control to ground level.

Simply back up with a tractor or truck to slide the rails under bales one at a time or several at once.

The system uses a "power up, gravity down" design, with massive hydraulic cylinders to lift the rails to traveling height.

When needed, the rails drop back down using only the force of gravity. An ingenious "lockout" system prevents the possibility of dropping hay before you're ready.

For more information on GoBob Pipe and Steel's 2EZ Hay Hauler, call (866) 532-9123 or visit www.gobobpipe.com

 

Cattle Ranchers cut back on Hay Costs during Winter Feeding

Freddie Davis, a rancher-farmer in Royse City, Texas, faced a problem common to many. "I wasn't going to have enough hay to make it through the winter. I was going to have to buy about $6,000 worth of hay to make up the shortfall."

Like many ranchers that have found themselves squeezed in recent years by outside forces — from drought and a weak economy to rising oil and grain prices – Davis, who owns 75 head of mixed-breed cattle, wanted better control of his input costs, especially the hay his cows wasted eating from traditional hay rings each winter. The problem with a hay ring is that cattle stand outside the feeder, tear the hay out, and let the excess fall from their mouths. When cattle bite off too much, as they are inclined to do, the waste falls to the ground, gets trampled and otherwise damaged – and will not be eaten. Davis found a solution in a new type of square hay bale feeder, designed to keep cows from tearing out the hay and wasting it.

"A square hay bale feeder has metal bars that cows must stick their heads through to get to the hay bale inside," explains Bob Studebaker, owner of GoBob Pipe and Steel, an innovative farm supplier that first introduced its original Hay Conserver square hay bale feeder to market about six years ago. "With the hay bale inside, cows have to commit their heads inside and stay there while they eat. They won't go in, get a bite, and back out. They stay in the feeder, so anything that drops out of their mouths stays in the feeder, which they eat later."

"When I called Bob of GoBob, I bought his Hay Conserver with a 30-day guarantee that I'd use at least 25% less hay," says Davis. "It worked, so I bought a few more. When they made my hay last that first winter, they quickly paid for themselves. Since then, I've cut my hay consumption by a third each winter."

Since Davis's cows waste so much less hay in winter, he finds himself making fewer trips to the barn and pasture to put out hay bales. "I'm saving a couple hours a week each winter putting out less hay because the cows waste less," says Davis. "It lets me get to everything else that needs to be done that much faster."

About five years after buying his square hay bale feeders, Davis says, "They're still holding up well and have years of life left in them."

John Rummel and his wife, who run a 250-acre ranch with 70 registered Limousin cows in Ash Grove, Missouri, were also tired of the hay wasted by traditional hay rings. In fact, they even had difficulty getting their big 5'x6' bales to fit in their hay rings, which typically left "at least two feet of bale sticking out of the top." The cows would eat out under the hay bale, and big chunks of bale would fall out of the ring and get trampled, making a mess, according to Rummel.

"When my wife found what looked like half a hay bale lying on the ground, she got so upset she said, 'We've got to do something,'" says Rummel. "What made it worse is that our cows were wasting about a third of the clean barn-kept hay we gave them."

While there's an ample supply of square hay bale feeders on the market today, not all are created equal. Rummel says some of the square hay bale feeders he's looked at would be hard to fit his big 5'x6' bales in. "If the feeder is too small, the cows may not be able to fit their heads inside," says Rummel. "If it's too tight, they'd pull their heads out along with the hay, and drop it outside where it'd go to waste."

Some square hay bale feeders, in fact, are as small as 6'x6' at the top, which would be a tight squeeze for a big bale. Others use thinner gauge pipe, which may not be built to withstand years of hungry, pushy cows or harsh, winter weather. Some however, like GoBob's newest feeders guarantee that animals won't tear them up, are tested to hold over 15,000 lbs., have up to a 10-year warranty, and even guarantee up to 30% hay savings.

At the time, however, Rummel was more than pleased when he bought several square hay bale feeders from GoBob. "When my cows reach their heads in to feed, their heads stay in and they clean up all the hay," says Rummel. They just don't waste hay, so I can put out about 30 to 35% less." While Rummel typically put out bales in his hay ring every day with his tractor, he finds he can now put them out about every other day in his square hay bale feeders. "I'm saving time, money, and gas because I don't have to restock the bales so often," he says. "I can stay warm in the house on cold winter days, and in bad weather. It makes things easier when I don't have to feed them so much."

Since the cows are nottearing out and trampling his clean, barn-kept hay, it stays nice and fresh where they can get at it whenever they want. "The cows just go to the square bale Hay Conservers. They work so well I got rid of my hay rings." As market uncertainty leads many ranchers, dairy farmers, and even farm equipment dealers to control input costs, the growing popularity of square hay bale feeders has proven there's a market for conserving hay. But as circumstances change, the market and design of square hay bale feeders cannot stand still.

Studebaker explains, "We were one of the first to offer a hay conserving feeder and the first to offer a square-shaped feeder for round bales. We were the first to offer a 25% hay savings guarantee. But that's not enough. Like the ranchers, dairy farmers, and others we serve, we have to innovate and keep improving the tools they use."

With an improved design, GoBob now guarantees 30% hay savings on its latest square bale Hay Conservers. The company also offers double bale, along with larger, stronger versions for bulls and horned cattle. New skid corners also allow them to be dragged almost anywhere. For more info, call 1-877-851-2365 or visit www.gobobpipe.com