opinions on hay rack

[ugabulldog]

I'd like to get something to hold hay in to keep off ground and animals from walking in and messing up/spreading around. We will eventually have 2 goats and one The round hay rings would be overkill, do you think this 4 foot goat hay rack would hold a days supply for the three animals mentioned? Thanks

http://www.tartergate.com/switch.php...te=bgg&emp=bgg

[topside1]

Bulldog, if you have the extra money and enjoy new stuff go for it....Me on the other hand use the simplest ideas that work. It's so simple, just keep all you hay in a dry pen with all the bales elavated on pallets or something similar. Let just say you are going to feed round bales. Simply roll a round bale to the opposite side of the pens basic welded tube gate. Keep the pen gate locked and let the gang eat. To feed adult size cattle simply cut out one of the gates crossbar tubes to accomadate the larger adult head. I'd recommend buying 4x5 bales or 3x5 bales for mobility reasons. No tractor needed. I turn all my round bales on end so the bale remains very round and the strings remain strong for years. Time to feed, knock it over on it's side, roll bale to the gate and smile. Hay remains dry, small percentage of waste, and a 4x5 should last them a month or more......How to I know this works, well I have 17 goats and several head of cattle..No waste at this farm, costs to much....Good luck, will send photos it needed. Just ask...Topside

[ksfarmer]

It's hard to tell from the sketch but it looks like it would work for goats and small calves. I'm not sure it would work well for a 500 lb calf or bigger. You are best not to use the large round cattle feeders because goats will climb through and camp out on the hay. (Don't ask how I know that).

[topside1]

KSfarmer is right, the round feeder idea is not a good idea. Plus if the round feeder and bale are exposed to the weather the hay bale will rot long before your three animals can eat even half of it....wasteful at it's best.

[ugabulldog]

topside, your idea sounds good but I'm looking for a way to feed hay outside so I have less poop to clean up inside barn. The product I mentioned breaks down and is light enough I can move inside/ outside barn depending on weather etc.

ksfarmer, I am thinking the cow could eat over the top of the feeder, how does this sound and do you think the 4' would be big enough or should I get
8' if this is the route I take. p.s. I know what you mean about the goats...

thanks, and comments welcome as this is pretty high dollar and I only want to buy once.

[genebo]

I keep goats with my Dexter cattle. They won't eat together, but will eat from the same hay source.

I feed hay in a round bale feeder, in racks like in your link, in barn racks and on the ground. It all gets eaten.

On the ground is the most wasteful and promotes worm infestation. I only do that when snow makes it the only way.

In the round bale feeder is the second most wasteful. Hay that gets pulled through the bars and stepped on will not be eaten.

The racks suit the goats the best. They'd rather eat with their heads up. The cattle don't mind a bit, though.

Do you have pasture or will you be feeding everything they eat? Hay is a lot cheaper when bought by the round bale than by the square bale.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

[sammyd]

I think a cow would wreck that thing pretty quick.

[topside1]

Well let us tell it like it is then....Sugar coating gone, a half grown steer, heifer, whatever will flip that rig in no time. In fact if it's not tied to a barn wall most full grown goats will flip the feeder too. Lastly a feeder size bovine (400 pounds and up) will eat out of the top all right, and throw flakes of hay all over the barnyard, when they grab hay they will be grabbing a good portion of a compressed square bale each time tossing the excess wherever....whether you like the sugar coated advice or not that hay feeder must be expensive....hope you know how to weld...Topside

[ugabulldog]

Originally Posted by topside1

Well let us tell it like it is then....Sugar coating gone, a half grown steer, heifer, whatever will flip that rig in no time. In fact if it's not tied to a barn wall most full grown goats will flip the feeder too. Lastly a feeder size bovine (400 pounds and up) will eat out of the top all right, and throw flakes of hay all over the barnyard, when they grab hay they will be grabbing a good portion of a compressed square bale each time tossing the excess wherever....whether you like the sugar coated advice or not that hay feeder must be expensive....hope you know how to weld...Topside

I wasn't asking for sugar coating, I appreciate advice from those with experience and am already looking at other options based on response. Don't know how to weld, that's why I ask questions and research. Thanks again, ugabulldog

[sammyd]

prolly lightweight galvanized...wouldn't want to weld on that.

For my 2 steers I made about a 4' square box out of 2x12 and did the bottom with tounge and groove. Built up a holder about 18" deep by the 4' wide and 3' tall. Sides and back are covered in tongue and groove, the front is 2x4s spaced for access to the hay and off the bottom of the feeder by 6" or so.
I made legs out of 2x12 to put the bottom of the box about 2 foot up. Slanted the legs a little and added gussets for strength.
I can put a slab or two of stuff from a big square in there or half a small square. Not an all day feeder but it could be expanded. By using tounge and groove for the bottomI can also feed grain in it.
But by keeping the main parts under 4' I was able to get them all out of the bargain bin at Menards for a fraction of the cost of buying regular lumber. If it gets messed up I can patch it up with some more scrap lumber and a few screws. When it's totally worn out I can replace it without a big fuss either.

[topside1]

bulldog, I was kidding with Sammyd about sugarcoating, he always tells it like it is....Honestly, with livestock if it can be broken they will figure out how....love um though....I see far to many welds that will eventually crack and break...I bet that rig is expensive....Topside

[cowkeeper]

Hi ugabulldog, that one looks much too light, and 'folding/portable' is not what you need for everyday use. You need 'sturdy'. Here is a link to one you can build:
www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/plans/5083.pdf

[ugabulldog]

thanks sammy d and cowkeeper for taking the time to respond, I will consider building myself, also here is another option I am looking at:
http://www.barnworld.com/sa/p/Horses...ng_20_High.htm

I know it's expensive but I plan on it being a one time forever (my lifetime) purchase.

Sturdy enough, for one steer?

[cowkeeper]

There is no such things as a 'one time, lifetime purchase' when it comes to livestock equipment! It would depend on your conditions, climate, placement of rack (will it be on solid footing and moved regularly, will it be frozen into mud, or will it be inside in a dry pen that is cleaned daily). Even nice painted steel gets rusted and bent. The cost of shipping could be a lot, altho the initial price seems quite reasonable.
Will you be feeding twice a day, or do you need enough capacity for the convenience of filling with a weeks' feed? Cover from the rain?
The do-it-yourself plan would work for goats and larger animals. The shelf will hold the small leafy stuff from the hay, and could also be used for a grain shelf. Also, with wood, you dont need to worry about flesh freezing to steel in the extreme cold, when they are licking up the small stuff. A closed unit, as well as being weatherproof, will prevent the goats getting inside. They love to find their way into hayracks and will cr*p and p** on more hay than gets eaten.
If you are feeding any species, and especially with large and smaller stock, you need extra space so everyone gets the chance to eat without being bullied by others.ck

[sammyd]

The build it yourself looks OK but I'd figure out how to hinge the roof to put slabs from a big square in it or for forking in chunks from a big round, trying to squeeze it through a 2' door doesn't look like fun.
Look at that second store bought one though.....pretty easy to knock something together from scrap lumber that will be similar and hold up OK.
250 plus shipping...not way out of line but I'd look around and see if any farm type stores existed in the area that might carry something similar or would be able to order something in.

[frazzlehead]

We built a sheep feeder from the Canada Plans site (the one that looks sorta like a baby crib). The silly sheep kept getting their heads stuck, and they were getting way too much hay in their wool.

So, we took a skillsaw and cut down one side, and the 2 dexters eat out of it quite happily (they are taller than the sheep so they just reach over the side that we cut down and eat from it like it is a trough). It gets filled once or twice a day (we feed that often anyway) with a pitchfork, and they are happy. They drop some on the ground, but it doesn't seem too terrible.

We now feed our sheep in a 'feed pen' where we pile the hay on the ground. We can lock everyone out of the pen, pile hay around the perimiter (where they don't walk on it/poop in it so much), then let everyone in to eat. In fact, we normally fill it at 4 pm then leave everyone locked out overnight, in the morning when it's dark and cold, we just go out and open the pen and everyone rushes in to eat. The cows are in the barn overnight, so when they are let out, they go to their feeder and munch. Works for us, so far.

One key advantage is that we have a spot for a round bale that is accessible to both the feed pen and the cow feeder - we can move a bale in there and then feed everyone off that bale for a week (10-12 sheep and 2 cows, 1 round bale per week ... ish).

There are a number of plans on the Canada Plans site, maybe something there will look good to you. There were some neat octagonal ones that looked interesting to me..

[Cotton Picker]

Hi once again Ugabulldog,

I would recommend this type of feeder as it allows you to feed both hay and concentrates in one feeder. That and it's on skids, so you can drag it around to scatter the concentration of manure and mud.

http://www.priefert.com/products/FEE...EDERSMS/GFWHR/

It will also catch the fine hay that drops through the rack allowing the critters to get better feed value from it rather than picking it up off of the ground. The mention of parasite infestation from feeding on the ground should not be taken lightly.

You'll notice that the price tag is $ 231.00. For that kind of money I would build one out of either an existing bunk or a split 55gal drum using re-bar for the rack. If you don't already have a welder, this would be a good excuse to get one. The savings on the DIY rack would pay for the welder.

I would also put a hinged grid across the top. Cattle are bad to get a big mouthful of hay, drag it out of the bunk and waste half of it.

David

[ugabulldog]

Thanks again for everones help. I decided to go with topside's idea and put a gate across an open area in barn and let them eat from a round bale on other side. It is close to door so I can just hose manure out easy enough.