A Dutch company's "walking freestalls" make it possible to feed whole big round bales to cattle inside barns.

Inventor J.M.W. Weelink says his new powered stalls are the first practical way to feed big bales to sheltered cattle. The stalls mount on drivewheels that move long lengths of freestalls outward to create enough room fora tractor to enter with big bales and then the wheels move the stalls back in to let animals eat up the bales. As the bales get eaten up, the stalls can be moved in further.

Each length of 12 stalls has 7 rubber-tired wheels on a single driveshaft that's chain-driven by a centrally-mounted electric motor. The motor is operated by a single switch that the farmer activates manually as needed. The wheels are covered by a triangular metal housing that keeps out dirt and manure.