Round bale hay feeder diy

Since we got a tractor and can actually move a round bale without use of PVC pipe as rollers and only the strength of Chuck's back, he has been experimenting with making hay feeders. He's made some pretty good feeders for grass hay by the flake, and a commercial horse feeder works fine for the lespedeza because the large openings between the bars work fine with the tightly packed lespedeza stems. The round bales were a challenge, though. How to make a feeder the goats could get the hay out…

Well, if you read the DIY Square Bale Slow Feeder article, you know that our horses’ paddock was set up for square bales, not round. Round bales are a whole ‘nother ball game.

Round bales are economical but they can be very wasteful. Here's to how to feed a round bale by hand to reduce waste.

Swing gate allows for hay to be off ground/ easy clean- out and reload.

Last month, I lost almost an entire round bale to summer heat and a heavy down pour. It was awful and many tears were shed. In all my years of feeding rounds, I’ve rarely ever lost much hay. …

Many horse owners choose to feed round bales, especially in the winter. They last longer than square bales and keep your horse busy. In order to prevent hay waste, it’s a good idea to use a hay feeder or hut. They can be expensive to buy, so consider making your own out of recycled wood. […]

Want to save money on hay this year and not have so much go to waste? Check out these DIY round hay bale feeders I found on Pinterest. They are so cool!

RB feeder * I like the chain/skid idea makes it much easier to move!

That round hay bale has lasted a long time in the H-8 Hay Saver Horse Feeder!

hay tunnel -- I think mine would still waste hay but this is cool in theory.