# Metal Round Bale Feeder?



## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

Can anyone recommend a metal feeder for the large, unwrapped round bales? 

I finally found good hay that the goats love, but they are wasting so much. I am looking for something they can stick their heads through. I can't seem to find anything online. They all say for cattle, but I figure the goats could probably climb right through the head holes. This is starting to cost me a fortune with all the waste.

Thanks!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

A simple round bale feeder is to get a pallet, get the bale up off the ground and onto the pallet, take a 16 foot galvanized stock panel and encircle the bale, you may need to cut excess length from the panel to begin with, leave it only as long as is needed to encircle a full bale.Use 2 ratcheting tie down straps to hold it in place, cover it with a scrap piece of plywood secured so it doesn't blow off. As the goats eat and the bale gets smaller, ratchet the tie downs tighter to bring the panel closer against the bale.


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## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

Liz, I did read about doing it that way and I am going to try it, but my only issue is doing this in the dead of winter. It would me much easier for me to take my front end loader and just lift a round bale into a metal feeder, but I am not seeing them for goats!


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

That would be a great invention! I use round bales when I am forced to, but I just peel it off the bale, stuff it in a wheel barrow and take it to their hay feeder. ( It looks like a giant baby crib with a lid)
But, I am all inside, no room for a tractor, thus the wheelbarrow.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I have the same problem, but have the giant square bales instead. Trying to figure out how to build a feeder so I can take a loader and set it over the fence and into a big feeder. They make feeders that would work for large livestock, but none that i've found that would work for the nigerians or even large goats. I think we're going to have to build our own. :sigh:


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Sounds like our problem. We want a covered area so they can eat in any weather condition, but also need something to use around the round bales.
We don't have a tractor or anything to lift round bales.
We are planning to make one of these:
http://thefreerangelife.com/tag/pallet-shelters/

It'll be somewhat different since we want to minimize drafts/blowing rain/snow. We want to put a round bale in the middle, not sure yet what we'll use to surround it to minimize waste, probably pallets.

I saw this on line, and if you could find a way to make something like this, it could possibly be very nice.
http://www.barnworld.com/cattle-guards/round-bale-cattle-hay-feeder-also-a-buffalo-hay-feeder/

I think you really need something they can put their heads through if they are hornless, but something wide enough that it doesn't sit against the round bale, so if they drop hay, it fall on the ground by the round bale and they can still reach it when sticking their head through.


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## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

It's tough since we need to put the bale in the 20 x 13 foot enclosure we have them in, but once they see me coming with a bale being pushed by my tractor they freak out. I won't be able to wrap the bale or put it on a pallet once I get it in the enclosure because they will already be on top of it eating it. I need to put it on something and wrap it before I push it down, or find a way to lock them up somewhere else while I prepare the wrapped bale.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Buy some goat halters the cheap ones from Jeffers.com <they are for sheep and have snaps on the ends, they are like $3.50 each>, then you can clip them to the fence posts lol. Sorry that's all I got. That's what we do, but our goats are used to it since that's what I do when I trim feet, etc.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

HoosierShadow said:


> Buy some goat halters the cheap ones from Jeffers.com <they are for sheep and have snaps on the ends, they are like $3.50 each>, then you can clip them to the fence posts lol. Sorry that's all I got. That's what we do, but our goats are used to it since that's what I do when I trim feet, etc.


I clip my goats' collars to the fence with bucket straps too when it's graining time, lol. Hectic the first time or two, but they figure it out.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

LegendsCreekFarm said:


> Can anyone recommend a metal feeder for the large, unwrapped round bales?
> 
> I finally found good hay that the goats love, but they are wasting so much. I am looking for something they can stick their heads through. I can't seem to find anything online. They all say for cattle, but I figure the goats could probably climb right through the head holes. This is starting to cost me a fortune with all the waste.
> 
> Thanks!


http://www.wrc-livestock-equipment-and-feeders.com/Goat-Round-Bale-Feeders.html

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...a=X&ei=UhloUtzvHqqF2AWIp4GgCw&ved=0CEYQ9QEwAA

http://www.northstargoats.com/northstar.htm Bale feeder is about 2/3's of the way down the page.

http://www.hillsideboergoats.com/for-sale/equipment-for-sale

http://www.elkcreekwelding.com/Page 2_round_bale_feeders.htm


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## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

I have contacted all of them. Unfortunately, none of them deliver! Still waiting to hear from one of them.


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## kramsay (Mar 7, 2013)

I have been looking for ways to feed round bales, but always find my self saying it needs to be covered? I feed my horses and cattle round bales in their field with out shelter, why am I saying the goats need a roof over their hay. 
So do you guys find that they have to have a roof,? Our winters aren't bad, and we are kidding in march.  Thanks


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## LegendsCreekFarm (Dec 27, 2011)

It absolutely needs to be covered otherwise when it gets wet, the water will go to the center and it will get filled with bacteria and mold and start to compost just like a compost pile. I keep mine in the ShelterLogic Shelter I am using to house the goats for the winter. It's 13 x 20 and works great for my 21 and a llama. It's not so much that you should worry about Winter, it's more so about rain. Even a small tent would work if you could keep it from blowing away!!!


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