Tom De Clerck, Pana, Ill., says his cattle do a lot better since he built a covered round bale feeder that looks like an unfinished building with 3 open sides.

"In the past, a big round bale would last about four days. Now with the cover it'll last about a week. There's a 4-in. high raised floor under the feeder that helps keep the hay dry underneath," says De Clerck.

The bale feeder measures 7 ft. sq. and sets on a concrete floor in De Clerck's cattle pen. The cover over the feeder is built from sheet metal and has a pitched roof, with gutters directing rainwater outside the pen. The cover hangs 7 ft. over two sides of the feeder, and 3 ft. in the middle. The fourth side of the cover is a sheet metal wall that forms part of the pen's fence. A rolling, hand-operated fiberglass garage door in the wall is opened to load bales into the feeder.

"It keeps the hay dry as well as the animals," says De Clerck. "It really cuts down on hay waste because the hay doesn't get wet like it would sitting out in the open. I built it from used lumber that I already had, and from new sheet metal.

"If I could do it over I'd lengthen the 3-ft. hangover to provide even more protection. I attached a big sheet of yard fabric above that side of the feeder, which also helps keep out rain and snow."

Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Tom De Clerck, 462 N. 2300 E. Rd., Pana, Ill. 62557 (ph 217 825-7127).