Round Bale and Round Bale Feeder Questions

[knightrider]

For those of you who feed round bales, do you think it saves you any money? Or is just easier on you time wise? Also do you use a round bale feeder? If so, what kind? Have you had any issues with your horses getting hurt from the feeders?

I’m going to get my first round bale at home this weekend…I’m thinking I should get a round bale feeder, but I’m worried that if they don’t eat the round bales, I’ll have a feeder for no reason… so am debating on getting my round bale and seeing how it goes.

If they eat it all, then I’ll buy the feeder? Just confused which one to buy. I don’t have a ton of money to spend and I think my options are the feeders that are solid on the bottom vs the pipe feeders… or my friend used a bale buddy, but that worries me a bit…

Any suggestions appreciated!

[gypsymare]

I get 3 days out of a round bale with no feeder (the poop on half of it and churn it into the mud) and 6 days with one in a basic tombstone type feeder (3 horses, 24/7 access). I have this one:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/countylinereg%3B-galvanized-horse-bale-feeder

They don’t waste one single wisp of hay. It has paid for itself in 8 weeks. Don’t get the type with slanted upper bars, those are for cattle.

Despite rain and snow, I haven’t seen or smelled any mold, and the horses don’t hesitate to eat the bale that has been in there 6 days so I don’t think a hut or any sort of covering is really necessary. I have a front end loader and hay spear so moving and refilling is easy.

It saves me work and money. I go through a $35, ~800# round bale in 6 days. Otherwise I’d be throwing out 2 50# bales a day at $6/bale so $72 in 6 days and my horses would be getting less hay and not have it 24/7.

On the downside, even though my round bales are very good quality, I can’t find any alfalfa mix round bales or really high octane type quality like I can find in small squares.

Also, I’m buying my hay by the bale from my neighbor who is a dealer so it is pricier. Last year I had a HUGE tarp and lots of pallets so I bought by the truckload and was able to get some very nice bales for $21 each. I’m pregnant this year though and that tarp was a total pain in the rear to move when it had snow and ice on it so the extra cost is worth the convenience for now.

[ChocoMare]

Over the past six years, I’ve upgraded how I use round bales.

From one on the ground, where up to 40 - 60% of it was wasted and damaged the ground.

To one in a Hay Chix (used to be Cinch Chix…same company, new name) small-hole net on the ground. Only 10% waste. But still same weather & trampling issues.

To one in a the Hay Chix Net inside a Red River Arenas’ Hay Cradle. 1 - 2% waste. Still had weather to content with, but nothing trampled. NOTE: this cradle does not require a tractor to put a bale into. You tip the cradle and rock the bale in. I’ve put 375 pound rounds into it by myself, with a bit of grunting.

To this year where the Round is in a Net, inside the Cradle under a Hay Hut.

No waste.

Saves me time, cuz I’m not out there dropping flakes over 15 acres every night.

Saves me money, because a 700 pound round bale lasts 2 drafts and 1 QH 8 - 12 weeks (depending on how cold it is) with no waste.

[URL=“https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t35.0-12/10756385_10203907072412188_1009823418_o.jpg?oh=41b5dbec66f2200d9df113667f323538&oe=5494D1D0&__gda__=1419097793_19af85788b4306e88c1d40adc0a9a386”]They eat out of the Hut easily, without any fighting.

[trubandloki]

[QUOTE=ChocoMare;7915240]

Hay Chix (used to be Cinch Chix…same company, new name) [/QUOTE]
Thank you for the heads up on the name change.

I started with a round bale on the ground and This is what it looked like shortly after I put the bale out there. A ton of hay waste and a horrible mess to clean up. I admit it does look like a comfy place to nap though.

So I switched to my home made hay hut with a Hay Chix small hole hay net and This is what it looks like when they chow down on a round bale now.

[knightrider]

hmmm…really like the hayhut but think its too expensive. And the metal one from Tractor supply is what I’m considering. There is a plastic one at Southern States that is $100 more and looks nice…wondering if its lighter.

trubandloki - how high are your sides? And does the hay hut have a bottom to it? Was it expensive to build?

[trubandloki]

[QUOTE=knightrider;7915275]

trubandloki - how high are your sides? And does the hay hut have a bottom to it? Was it expensive to build?[/QUOTE]
There is a bottom in my hay feeder hut, yes. There is drainage along the edges, there is a gap between the side walls and the floor.

I am not very good at estimating distances, I will check on the height of the side walls tonight. Part of the thought process in our case was we have one mare that works hard to get herself in difficult situations. We knew no matter what we did she would climb into the hay feeder at some point. The sides are high enough to discourage this but low enough that they can easily clean the floor and lower the risk to the horse when she did finally climb inside. Good sturdy floor too.
One of the side walls comes off for easier bale loading.

It was not cheap to build but in the grand scheme of horse things not expensive considering how great it has worked. When not feeding round bales in it I hang small hole hay nets inside it for easy and safe feeding.
I am sure it can be built more cheaply than Mr. Trub built this model. He likes his lumber to be just right, which added to the expense. No second hand pallet lumber allowed.

ETA - I was looking at these feeders this summer at a farm show. If I did not already have my little hay feeder I would probably look into one of these. They also have a feeder designed for tossing small squares or flakes.

[IPEsq]

[QUOTE=trubandloki;7915287]

ETA - I was looking at these feeders this summer at a farm show. If I did not already have my little hay feeder I would probably look into one of these. They also have a feeder designed for tossing small squares or flakes.[/QUOTE]

I see this kind tipped over all the time. Too top heavy maybe?

[trubandloki]

[QUOTE=IPEsq;7915376]
I see this kind tipped over all the time. Too top heavy maybe?[/QUOTE]
No idea. I have never seen any knocked over.
I stood at the display and played with it for quite some time. Seemed pretty darn sturdy.

[gypsymare]

@ChocoMare;7915240

Saves me money, because a 700 pound round bale lasts 2 drafts and 1 QH 8 - 12 weeks (depending on how cold it is) with no waste.

Did you mean days? not weeks? I can’t imagine your horses are only eating 4 lbs of hay a day each.

[NoSuchPerson]

I feed round bales for convenience, because I like to have hay in front of the equines all the time in the winter, and because it is more economical.

But, it’s only more economical if you have a feeder of some sort to keep them from wasting it. I’ve used the traditional hay ring type and like it fine. Cuts down on waste.

I’ve tried a cinch chix and like it just fine. It really cuts down on waste. But, for me it has two big drawbacks. One is that it limits consumption, which I don’t want to do. The other is that it doesn’t really confine the hay. The round bale turns into a big blob on the ground and if it gets rained on, it all gets wet and kind of yuck. I think if I had more horses eating on it (I only have two, as my third is pastured separately right now) it would disappear faster and the blobbey stage wouldn’t last as long and I would like it better.

Right now, I’m using a Big Bale Buddy. I haven’t had it very long - I had never heard of them until someone posted a link here - but so far, I love it. It does not limit consumption and it keeps the round bale all bundled up, nice and tidy. It has not yet received a good, long, drenching rainstorm, so I can’t yet speak to how that might affect my opinion.

Of the three types, I’ve had the least waste with the Big Bale Buddy.

[IPEsq]

Oops, didn’t realize I quoted both links… I meant the ones for small bales/squares are often just laid out in the field. One place where I currently ride has a large dirt lot with a bunch of these feeders. Not that they often actually feed in them, but horses use them for scratching and cribbing stations and then they get knocked over.

[GoodTimes]

We’ve got 2-3 horses at home who share a roundbale. We’ve got one of the regular galvanized steel feeders from TSC. It’s light enough that two people can move it if you don’t have a tractor or loader.
We usually throw a tarp over it if they’re calling for a heavy rain or snow. Some of the stuff sitting on the ground gets gross and wasted but overall it’s worth it. I’ve never had trouble with mouldy bales, but we store them in a shed. I used to be at a barn that just set them on the ground and threw a tarp overtop, some bales could be up to 25% ruined.

[Kodidog763]

For those of you who feed round bales, do you think it saves you any money? Or is just easier on you time wise? Also do you use a round bale feeder? If so, what kind? Have you had any issues with your horses getting hurt from the feeders?

We feed round (or large squares, i.e. the 3’x3’x8’) bales in the winter and small squares in the spring/summer/fall. Large bales are much easier from a labor and time perspective. Large bales here are typically cheaper per pound than small square bales, so yes, for us, it does save money to feed large bales.

We have a home-made feeder (similar to Trubandloki’s), and use a cinch chix net. The feeder/net combo works for both large bales and small bales. I can get 8 or 9 bales into my large hay net in the feeder, or 1 large bale. I have not had any issues with them getting hurt on the feeder.

[FatCatFarm]

The hayhuts are totally worth the money. I was dubious myself at first but at urging from others on here, gave them a go and became a convert. I’m sure mine, I wound up buying two, have paid for themselves by way of waste prevention. I also have a plastic pallet in each hut, which we put the round bales on to keep them off the ground. And I’ve recently added a Cinch Chix net to one hay hut/round bale set up, and that has really made the waste factor disappear all together. I am already planning on getting another net. Adds a bit more work to putting a bale out, but getting close to two weeks out of a 700-800 lb round bale per 3 horses makes it worth it. My horses are out 24/7 but the grass is now kaput. They do get grained twice a day. But one bale had been lasting the 3 big (16.3 - 17hd) geldings abt 8 days, maybe 9. Today is day 8 and they’ve still got about half left.

[ChocoMare]

[QUOTE=gypsymare;7915431]
Did you mean days? not weeks? I can’t imagine your horses are only eating 4 lbs of hay a day each.[/QUOTE]

They still have pasture to nibble on. I know that once it’s gone, they’ll chow down This is my first year being able to get 700 pound rounds.

350-375 pound ones lasted 7 - 9 days uncovered.

[NancyM]

We make our own round bales.

When feeding large numbers of horses, (my “herd” in the winter, all turned out together), I just take one out with the tractor, and unroll it on the snow (we don’t have mud here). They eat it in 24 hours, there is no waste. Other than some leaf that gets trodden into the snow. We make the bales suitable to how many horses will be in the herd each winter. The bales we have this year are about 600 lbs, therefore do 20 horse-days at 30 lbs for each horse. No need for any feeders, because yes, there is an injury risk with many of these structures.

For fewer horses, one, two or three living together in a paddock, or for stall use, just unroll as much as you need, load it into a wheelbarrow, and deliver at the appropriate times of day.

[trubandloki]

[QUOTE=NancyM;7916486]
We make our own round bales.

When feeding large numbers of horses, (my “herd” in the winter, all turned out together), I just take one out with the tractor, and unroll it on the snow (we don’t have mud here). They eat it in 24 hours, there is no waste. Other than some leaf that gets trodden into the snow. We make the bales suitable to how many horses will be in the herd each winter. The bales we have this year are about 600 lbs, therefore do 20 horse-days at 30 lbs for each horse. No need for any feeders, because yes, there is an injury risk with many of these structures.

For fewer horses, one, two or three living together in a paddock, or for stall use, just unroll as much as you need, load it into a wheelbarrow, and deliver at the appropriate times of day.[/QUOTE]

I am jealous of your horses who simply eat their hay and do not manure and pee on it and then decide it is not edible. Wow.

Part of the reason I like round bales in a feeder is I know my horses have something to eat all day while I am at work. If the weather gets bad I know there is plenty of hay to munch on and keep them warm while I am not able to get there and move them into their private paddocks with stalls.
If I was home all day and able to deliver at appropriate times of the day I guess I would not need round bales.

[Romany]

We’ve used the plastic hay huts for 10+ years with no issue. I like them because there’s virtually no waste, especially once the ground is frozen and covered with snow, and they’re easy to move around with the bale spikes on the tractor, which you’ll need anyway if you’re using large round bales.

The horses’ manes do get rubbed a bit, but to me that’s a small price to pay for safety and frugality.

[FatCatFarm]

I’ve had no mane rubbing issues with the hay huts personally.

[buck22]

I love good quality round bales for the cost savings, easily half the cost of small squares. I store rounds in my hay barn and peel off laps and serve daily. Absolutely zero waste and I can control the intake for my two air ferns.