feed ring wastage.

[trewern]

If you use 3 sections, you can take one out and close it up when they've eaten the outside. If I'm feeding bales out with ring feeders (which I don't often) then I use 2x 3 section rings, so that the 2 'spare' sections can be pinned together when I take them out.

Seams like a good idea never tried it my self do you find it hard to close it up with hay all over the ground around the feeders? after putting a few bales in them in the same spot I seam to lose the bottom of the ring feeder in 6 inches of rejected feed and find my self pulling it up which can get very difficult if there is rejected and spoiled feed left at the bottom of the feeder

 

[neilo]

Seams like a good idea never tried it my self do you find it hard to close it up with hay all over the ground around the feeders? after putting a few bales in them in the same spot I seam to lose the bottom of the ring feeder in 6 inches of rejected feed and find my self pulling it up which can get very difficult if there is rejected and spoiled feed left at the bottom of the feeder

If it's rejected feed, I'll put the ring on top of it. The idea is that there's less rejected though, if they're not pulling as much out in the mud.

 

[trewern]

I do move the feeders about a little but not all round the feild I've got a high spot where we feed and its covers in wasted hay i Think I've just got used to the fact that feed is wasted there not going to eat it all and there not much I can do about it but what is and acceptable level of wastage ? 10% 5% hard to work out but if say out of evey 10 bales that are fed 1 ends up wasted so I'm losing about 10% waste add that up over 150bales a year 15 bales on the floor not a cheep hobby wasting feed

 

[Dealer]

Balejail. Co.uk.

 

[Jameshenry]

Anyone use the rectangle feeders from IAE ?

 

[Jameshenry]

Anyone use the rectangle feeders from IAE ?

 

[Bullring]

Out of all the ring feeders I've used, this one beats them hands down for minimum wastage, I've got 3 of them, the only trouble is they are a pig to move, can't be tipped up as they fall over and they don't make them anymore.

 

[Jason Brora]

You should Google hay feeder wastage/losses. A US college did a survey on different feeder types.
I'm working on a prototype using a suspended internal cone basket that keeps the bale away from the outer ring and off the floor.
They have to reach in and can only pull a mouthful out due to the basket (hake). It's worked well but now needs strengthening as the basket wasn't designed for cows. Don't know what it was originally for. I've loaded it with long silage as well as hay and it reduces losses a lot. I have it in a 20 section feed ring.

Hi, we're looking into this at the moment and have come to the same conclusion. How did your prototype go?? I was thinking of asking one of the ag engineering firms to make or price one. Lots of options in the USA with the thinking being that although expensive they pay for themselves in a year. Not sure why we just accept poor design here? John L Watson welding (on facebook) makes a low waste trailer that someone we know had commissioned and he swears by it.

 

[Farmer_Joe]

i use ring feeder with 2 straight sections to create these, for sheep, very little waste this year and ive got fairly wet silage this time as it was second cut.

i squashed the ring sections slightly with jcb so they can nearly get it all even from centre.

i hope you like my cad drawing ha ha

 

[manhill]

Hi, we're looking into this at the moment and have come to the same conclusion. How did your prototype go?? I was thinking of asking one of the ag engineering firms to make or price one. Lots of options in the USA with the thinking being that although expensive they pay for themselves in a year. Not sure why we just accept poor design here? John L Watson welding (on facebook) makes a low waste trailer that someone we know had commissioned and he swears by it.

No further on I'm afraid, a lot of welding/bending needed and time constraints as usual. Now thinking of trying an inner made of scaffolding that can be adjusted fairly easily just to see before making something more permanent.

 

[Woolless]

Hi, we're looking into this at the moment and have come to the same conclusion. How did your prototype go?? I was thinking of asking one of the ag engineering firms to make or price one. Lots of options in the USA with the thinking being that although expensive they pay for themselves in a year. Not sure why we just accept poor design here? John L Watson welding (on facebook) makes a low waste trailer that someone we know had commissioned and he swears by it.

This would be the year to bring out a fodder saving ring feeder. It breaks your heart to see any waste with the price of hay etc at current levels

 

[michael N123]

Turn 3 ring feeders into 2 3sided feeders then gripe it up and tighten it down to a 2 sided feeder for the last bit

 

[manhill]

One thing to consider with a cone feeder is stopping them pulling it off the top so it has to be a bit higher as the bale also sits a bit higher.

 

[jellybean]

Get tombstone feeders
Use chopped bales
Put less in them

2 out of 3 I agree with but have never tried tombstone feeders. I use diagonal bars and chopped bales. One bale gets blown into 4 or 5 rings so not coming higher than the sheeted bottom bit. Ok you might have to feed more often but zero waste and rings get moved every time the y get filled so no mess around them either.

 

[Dry Rot]

Forking hay out of a trailer here. Virtually zero wastage. Any left over and they get less next time!

 

[ShooTa]

1stly stop thinking of it as wasted - as long as your on a field its all feeding the soil.
as per several suggestions the addition of hudles to the sides helps immensily.

 

[neilo]

Should also bear in mind that there's a fine line between reducing wastage and limiting intakes.

 

[Al R]

Should also bear in mind that there's a fine line between reducing wastage and limiting intakes.

Same goes for paddock grazing/strip grazing, it can also be called “controlled starvation”

 

[neilo]

Same goes for paddock grazing/strip grazing, it can also be called “controlled starvation”

If you get it wrong, yes.

 

[C.J]

In my opinion a 7' diameter ring is just not big enough for hay or haylage from a modern baler.We were all using 7' ring feeders 30+ years ago and todays bales must be at least 50% heavier , maybe double.