Self-Feeding Gate For Round Bales

1988 - Volume #12, Issue #2, Page #16

[ Sample Stories From This Issue | List of All Stories In This Issue | Print this story | Read this issue]

New from SLS Mfg. is a round bale self-feeding gate on wheels that lets cattle feed themselves without wasting hay.
Seventeen openings across the face of the 24 ft. gate allow about 12 mature animals to eat at one time. They eat their way into hay stacked 4 bales wide, and in as long a stack as you want to make. "We recommend that straw bales be placed along both sides of the stack to help guide the feeding gate as cattle move it along," says Steve Lashta, inventor-manufacturer. He notes that you can self feed stacks two bales high but you have to watch so partially eaten top bales don't come crashing down to possibly injure smaller animals.
The "in" side of the gate is equipped with a steel arm or stop at each end which adjusts for length -18 to 30 in. These stops pre-vent cattle from pushing the gate tight up against the bales.
"Because of the stops, cattle always have to reach about 2 ft. to bite into the bales, forcing them to eat on the inside with very little waste. Without the stops, they'd pull hay through the openings and eat it on the outside where much of it would be tramped on and wasted," notes Lashta. "If there's better quality hay on the right side of the feeder than on the left, the right end stop can be fully extended and the left stop shortened, forcing cattle to eat the poorer hay before they can move the feeder forward enough to reach the good hay."
As the feeder is moved along, 12 in. long curved teeth welded to the bottom rake and salvage loose hay. The entire feeder is adjustable for height from about 1 to 6 in.
All four wheels on the feeder (two on each end) castor. For endwise down-theroad travel, the two wheels on one end are removed and a tow hitch installed. The two wheels on the opposite end are then moved manually into the transport position and the "wheeled" end of the rake raised about 3 ft. off the ground.
"The gate will tow down the highway behind a car or pickup at regular road speed," says Lashta.
Made primarily of 2 in. dia pipe, the feeding gate sells for $1,800 (Canadian).
For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup; SLS Mfg.; Box 262; Yorkton, Sask. S3N 2V7 (ph 306 783-5604, or 8952).

Click here to download page story appeared in.

Click here to read entire issue

Self-Feeding Gate for Round Bales HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Bale Handling (5) 12-2-16 New from SLS Mfg. is a round bale self-feeding gate on wheels that lets cattle feed themselves without wasting hay. Seventeen openings across the face of the 24 ft. gate allow about 12 mature animals to eat at one time. They eat their way into hay stacked 4 bales wide, and in as long a stack as you want to make. "We recommend that straw bales be placed along both sides of the stack to help guide the feeding gate as cattle move it along," says Steve Lashta, inventor-manufacturer. He notes that you can self feed stacks two bales high but you have to watch so partially eaten top bales don't come crashing down to possibly injure smaller animals. The "in" side of the gate is equipped with a steel arm or stop at each end which adjusts for length -18 to 30 in. These stops pre-vent cattle from pushing the gate tight up against the bales. "Because of the stops, cattle always have to reach about 2 ft. to bite into the bales, forcing them to eat on the inside with very little waste. Without the stops, they'd pull hay through the openings and eat it on the outside where much of it would be tramped on and wasted," notes Lashta. "If there's better quality hay on the right side of the feeder than on the left, the right end stop can be fully extended and the left stop shortened, forcing cattle to eat the poorer hay before they can move the feeder forward enough to reach the good hay." As the feeder is moved along, 12 in. long curved teeth welded to the bottom rake and salvage loose hay. The entire feeder is adjustable for height from about 1 to 6 in. All four wheels on the feeder (two on each end) castor. For endwise down-theroad travel, the two wheels on one end are removed and a tow hitch installed. The two wheels on the opposite end are then moved manually into the transport position and the "wheeled" end of the rake raised about 3 ft. off the ground. "The gate will tow down the highway behind a car or pickup at regular road speed," says Lashta. Made primarily of 2 in. dia pipe, the feeding gate sells for $1,800 (Canadian). For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup; SLS Mfg.; Box 262; Yorkton, Sask. S3N 2V7 (ph 306 783-5604, or 8952).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.

SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW NOW