Round Bale Feeder Loads Itself

Round Bale Feeder Loads Itself LIVESTOCK Feeding Equipment 33-3-30 Five years ago Kim Smith had a few horses and an old tractor on his Minnesota spread. With the old tractor he could pick up a large round bale of hay to feed his horses but couldn't steer it very well. Not wanting to spend money on a newer tractor, but having metal bending skills and equipment, Kim came up with what he calls the Hay Sleigh. The feeder "loads itself" with a bale and then is towed with a tractor, ATV, or pickup to the livestock. The feeder, which weighs about 100 lbs., is tipped over on top of an 800 to 1,200-lb. round bale. Pull-straps are positioned to hold the bale in place, and then the feeder is gently pulled upright. No tractor loader is required and the feeder slides smoothly across pastures or feedlot. The bale rests above the ground for better hay access and less wasted feed. The welded tubular construction requires no assembly, has no sharp corners, cleans easily and stacks for storage and/or shipping. Kim asked his horse-owning friends to field test the Hay Sleigh. "They just plain work. No problems," he says. With 20 years in the iron working business, a provisional patent, and a price set at $425 (plus tax and shipping), Smith is ready to take orders for the Hay Sleigh. Additional information is available on his web site, SmithIronWorksMN.com. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup: Smith Iron Works, Inc., 3936 Stark Drive . P.O. Box 219, St. Francis, Minn. 55070 (ph 763 753-2938; SmithIronWorks@msn .com).

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