Sheep round bale feeders

razor8

Has anyone any opinions on which is the best feeders. I'm grant aided for 2 feeders and trying to decide which will suit the best

How would the cradle feeders work with chopped silage, will it just fall to the ground?

This are the ones I was thinking of, anyone using these?

AntrimGlens

Razor,
I use the cradle like one of the pics and the sheep can't really eat right to the centre of the bale, and if using chopped silage then it will fall through too easily. I ended up welding 4 inch mesh to the inside of mine to try and prevent silage falling through, the problem with it is that its not raised high enough for them to get under the bale to eat the centre. I used it when i was feeding the early lambers and the lambs were climbing into the ring and square feeders and making shyte of the silage. The silage does stay a lot drier and cleaner than the square feeders which I have as the rain obviously falls to the ground rather than into the bottom four inches of the bale, wouldn't heat up this way either.
Pic is taken before I welded mesh into it.

razor8

AntrimGlens wrote: »

Razor,
I use the cradle like one of the pics and the sheep can't really eat right to the centre of the bale, and if using chopped silage then it will fall through too easily. I ended up welding 4 inch mesh to the inside of mine to try and prevent silage falling through, the problem with it is that its not raised high enough for them to get under the bale to eat the centre. I used it when i was feeding the early lambers and the lambs were climbing into the ring and square feeders and making shyte of the silage. The silage does stay a lot drier and cleaner than the square feeders which I have as the rain obviously falls to the ground rather than into the bottom four inches of the bale, wouldn't heat up this way either.
Pic is taken before I welded mesh into it.

Thanks Antrim, that would be my concern, my thinking was I could tighten up ewes and lambs if grass wasn't plentiful like at the moment. Have still 20 in shed and lambs are ruining silage.

Pity they are not made with the mesh as it should be a better job

Sheep to long in shed isn't a good idea, few ewes getting sore teats from lambs sucking all the time

gazahayes

razor8 wrote: »

Thanks Antrim, that would be my concern, my thinking was I could tighten up ewes and lambs if grass wasn't plentiful like at the moment. Have still 20 in shed and lambs are ruining silage.

Pity they are not made with the mesh as it should be a better job

Sheep to long in shed isn't a good idea, few ewes getting sore teats from lambs sucking all the time

I used round feeders this year but think I'd in for something like this for next year

rangler1

razor8 wrote: »

Thanks Antrim, that would be my concern, my thinking was I could tighten up ewes and lambs if grass wasn't plentiful like at the moment. Have still 20 in shed and lambs are ruining silage.

Pity they are not made with the mesh as it should be a better job

Sheep to long in shed isn't a good idea, few ewes getting sore teats from lambs sucking all the time

You don't realise how valuable grass is until you try to get ewes to produce milk on meal and forage indoors

rangler1

gazahayes wrote: »

I used round feeders this year but think I'd in for something like this for next year

Portequip makes good stuff, but expensive

Nekarsulm

Rangler, I made two to the design of your first photo. It's a toss up as to which is better, photo1 or 2.
A lot depends what you are lifting the bales in with. And how high you can lift it. A chopped bale is a dangerous enough thing, as once the net is cut, it can collapse into the feeder as you are trying to get the net and plastic all off. Also I was surprised in the way a five foot square feeder is hardly wide enough for the bale. I made them 18 inches off the ground at the lowest point, but silage soon builds up and reduces clearance.
Materials only, cost was about 90 euro per feeder. Obviously not galvanised. About two and a half hours making on each.
also, bar spacing is a compromise between having wide enough that ewe Dosent get her head stuck, and narrow enough that they font pull out silage and waste it. A few extra bars and keep the gap smaller would be the best, I think.

Green farmer

I've the basic galvanised ring feeders. Not great for store lambs etc as they're small enough to climb in through bars. However no issues with mature ewes. I put a pallet on ground and then silage bale, before putting feeder around it. The ewes will eat it down to nothing. The pallet keeps bale dry. Not as fancy as cradle feeders but only cost about €130 new from cormac.