Cattle at hay feeder

Hay Feeder Design Can Reduce Hay Waste and Cost

  Estimated read time: minutes

When drought depletes our pastures, the cost of hay can sky-rocket and making full use of your hay becomes increasingly important. In these times, one factor to consider is the type of hay feeder you use.

In 2013, Oklahoma State University concluded a study that compared four common hay feeder designs:

  1. Modified cone (CONE)
  2. Open-bottomed steel ring (RING)
  3. Polyethylene pipe (POLY)
  4. Sheeted-bottom steel ring (SHEET).

Cattle were fed one bale in the assigned feeder prior to data collection to allow for an adjustment period. Hay waste data was collected at 24-hour intervals starting on day four of the second bale of hay fed and continued until day seven. The percentage of hay wasted was determined by weighing the amount of hay outside of the hay ring on each collection day.

Hay waste was the lowest for the CONE feeder, while the POLY feeder and the RING feeder had the highest percentage of waste (5.3 percent versus 21 percent and 20.5 percent, respectively). The SHEET ring feeder had intermediate wastage at 13 percent (see table).

Here is a practical example of how you can apply this research to your ranch operation:

The value of hay wasted was calculated using the following assumptions: A producer with 30 cows will feed 180 bales of hay that weigh 1,200 pounds each during a six-month period. Hay was valued at $70 per bale. Annually, the modified cone ring feeder will waste $667.80 worth of hay while the SHEET, RING and POLY feeders will waste $1,638; $2,583; and $2,646 worth of hay, respectively. In this example, the decrease in wasted hay will more than pay for the cost of the hay feeders.

Consideration must be given to the additional equipment requirements necessary for the modified cone ring feeder. This style of feeder will require the use of a tractor with a front-end loader to set the bale into the feeder. The sheeted steel ring, open-bottomed steel ring and polyethylene pipe ring feeders can all be placed over the hay bales by hand.

Contact your local county agent for assistance in determining hay needs for your herd and the cost of using the various types of hay feeders available in your area.

Robert Wells

Robert Wells, Ph.D. former Noble Research Institute senior regenerative ranching advisor

David Lalman

David Lalman, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University extension beef cattle specialist


Article Reprint

For article reprint information, please visit our Media Page.


Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

4 comments on “Hay Feeder Design Can Reduce Hay Waste and Cost

  1. Where can you buy a cone feeder in Oklahoma? I have searched the internet and found nothing. James Stepp Hinton, OK

  2. I am the managing partner of Kreger Ranch, LLC at Tonkawa, OK. I am very interested in the idea of reducing hay waste. We think we do some good here, but want to do better.

    Does OSU or Noble have specific design images or manufacturer recommendations for the “modified cone” style feeder?