In the past few years, drought has caused feed prices to increase. In particular, hay has become so expensive that farmers are scrambling to figure out ways to keep the cost under control. One of the ways to do that is by using cattle hay feeders. However, if you are not familiar with this type of equipment, you might as well not use it at all. To get a better idea of the ways that they are effective and ineffective, the top reasons are listed below.

Covered versus uncovered

If you do not have experience with using cattle hay feeders, your first idea may be to pick a cheap one and see how it works out. Sadly, you are not going to save a lot of money if your hay feeder is uncovered. Worse, the cows will not want to eat hay that is frozen into one solid block of ice. In order to keep water, snow, and ice out of the hay a simple model that has a piece of metal sheeting over the top will help you with your budget long-term.

Hay on the ground does not save you money

In a pinch, you can throw several bales of hay out into your corral for the cows to eat. Regardless, it only takes one good rain for this part of your farm to turn into a mud field. As the cows walk up to eat their hay, they will trample a majority of it into the mud. Naturally, if it is inside of a circular hay feeder, they can stick their heads in to eat it without trampling it.

Hay feeders for a few cows versus many

Just like people, a cow has tends to have problems with their health in the winter. This can be aggravated by not getting enough food. For this reason, plan your hay feeders carefully. If a cow is being bullied by another bigger and stronger cow, they can start to become malnourished. To prevent this, you simply need to make sure that you have enough hay feeders so that all of the cows can fit around them comfortably.

Corporate Plant
Farmco Manufacturing
2937 Irishtown Road
Ronks, PA 17572
Toll Free: 888.810.7769
URL: http://www.farmcomanufacturing.com/