Round Bale Feeder Saves Hay

Round Bale Feeder Saves Hay HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Bale Handling (5) 12-5-7 Building a wood bunk around a round bale feeder saves hay, says Albert Soucy, Leoville, Sask. Soucy built a 16 by 5 ft. "X"-shaped metal feeder surrounded by a rectangular wood bunk 2-ft. off the ground. The bunk can be used to feed minerals, ground grain or silage, says Soucy. But its main purpose is to save dropped feed. "The cows reach for the hay, and whatever they drop, including alfalfa leaves, falls on the bunk where they clean it up. You don't lose nearly as much feed on the ground as with conventional round bale feeders." The welded-together frame is formed from 2 7/8 in. tubing, including two parallel tubes which form the base. Feeder bars, spaced 16-in. apart, are made from 1 by 1 in. tubing. The wood bunk, made from 2 by 6-in. boards, is bolted together and supported by a framework made of 2 7/8 in. tubing. Soucy moves the entire unit with a front-end loader. The feeder holds two round bales, but Soucy says he plans to make a 30-ft. long feeder that will hold six round bales - enough to feed 40 cows at a time. Soucy spent about $500 to build the unit. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Sous' Welding & Muffler, Box 171, Leoville, Saskatchewan, Canada SOJ INO (ph 306 984-2077).

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