Are Covered Hay Feeders a Wise Investment?
It’s no secret that hay is a crucial part of every farmer’s operation. Without it, cattle farmers wouldn’t have cattle to raise! However, with the varying weather across the United States, hay can be wasted due to rain, snow, heavy winds, ice and more. In addition, as the animals finish the limited amount of good hay unspoiled by the elements, the bottom hay is left to rot in the mud and becomes moldy. This entire situation results in a less than desirable clean up situation for the farmer!
One solution to this predicament is purchasing a covered hay feeder.
The Benefits of a Covered Hay Feeder
A covered hay feeder protects your investment (hay) from the natural elements, thereby limiting the amount of waste left over. Rain, snow and ice can turn uncovered hay bales into blocks of ice or soggy, moldy piles of hay. Your animals don’t want to eat that and you don’t want to have to clean up the mess.
However, while covered hay feeders may seem like a great investment for your farm, they do have their fair share of disadvantages.
The Disadvantages of a Covered Hay Feeder
Farmers typically have hay rings. These hay rings are difficult to move without assistance from the hay bale and ring mover. If you think hay rings are difficult to move, try moving a heavy-duty covered hay feeder. Due to design and materials, most covered feeders are large, bulky, and heavy units that farmers have an incredibly difficult time even attempting to move the feeder. This makes rotational feeding an incredibly frustrating process for the farmer.
On top of the heavyweight, covered hay feeders are ridiculously expensive — sometimes even out of budget for farmers. It is nearly impossible for a farming operation to experience a quick or even timely return on investment.
Of course, you could purchase a cheaper, lighter material covered hay feeder. But these fully enclosed options run a high risk of dust inhalation due to the limited airflow. This in turn hurts the livestock.
If covered hay feeders have so many drawbacks, one would ask why farmers even bother? The answer is simple: the benefits of healthy livestock, less waste and an overall better production. However, they shouldn’t have to settle for such a large investment.
Introducing the Hay Ring Cover by Buckwild Innovations
We decided that there had to be a better way to shield hay from the elements and not break the bank at the same time. Therefore, we created the Hay Ring Cover. This one-of-a-kind product is a universal cover that will bolt onto any type of cattle hay ring and/or 12 hoop horse hay ring, with an approximate size of 8′ in diameter and a tubing size of 1 ¼” to 1 ¾”. We also have a 9-hoop horse hay ring cover available too!
The ring cover has 6 roof support bars mounted onto the hay ring with evenly spaced positions and have a height of just above the hay ring’s top tube. This allows the circular flat roof to take the shape of a tapered/conical roof. This material allows the roof to be much lower than other covered feeders because animals will not hurt their head, and it dramatically improves protection of the hay from windblown rain and snow.
The best part about the hay ring cover is that most farmers already have the main component — the hay ring! It’s an affordable solution and addition to the productivity of the farm. If by chance the farmer does not have a hay ring, the price of a ring and a Ring Cover is still significantly less than that of a covered hay feeder!
Interested in learning more about Buckwild Innovations and our products? Contact us today.