3 Common Round Bale Feeder Problems Solved.

 By Arrowquip.

This year has brought flood conditions for some, drought conditions for others, and high feed prices and input costs across the board. With all this occurring as the winter season nears, if you’re considering rethinking your bale feeding and supplement plan, you’re not alone.

While it is important to ensure you have more than enough feed, it’s also important to have the right cattle equipment and feeding equipment to help minimize waste. When it comes to bale feeding, round bale feeders are widely used in the livestock industry to provide feed for animals, especially when livestock are no longer on pasture, or with drier conditions when pasture is not readily available to help conserve feed as much as possible.

Traditional Feeders
Every rancher knows cattle feeders, including round bale feeders, are an essential part of any livestock operation. With the unending number of types and brands on the market, it can be difficult to determine which is your best option.

With traditional bale feeders, especially those where bales rest on the ground, there is often more waste, which costs you money and time. Most traditional round bale feeders also can’t stand up to the elements and the test of time and cattle, leaving you with bent, broken feeders you can no longer use. At Arrowquip, we understand and have also experienced our fair share of these frustrations with bale feeders and wasted hay and knew there had to be a better way.

We took these common frustrations and worked to find a solution that conserves hay for every rancher, whether you live in a hot, dry climate or a location that is cold and snowy for months on end. Introducing the Arrowquip Guardian Round Bale Feeder, a stronger, more durable, no waste hay feeder for cattle.
Here’s how Arrowquip’s round bale feeder helps guard your feed and hard-earned dollars by solving three common pain points.

Problem 1: Wasted Resources – No Longer A Problem
Time is money, and they go hand-in-hand when it comes to producing, sourcing, and storing bales and other types of feed. When bales are placed directly onto the ground or rolled out onto the ground for feeding, you’re guaranteed to have waste. With Arrowquip‘s Guardian Round Bale Feeder, bales are dropped into the feeder and caught by a cone-shaped system of strong, durable rods and chains that keep the bale suspended.

This gives you 85-90% efficiency on average, or less than 15% waste per bale.

Problem 2: Lifespan and Durability
At some point, every rancher has dealt with bent or broken round bale feeders damaged beyond their useful life. With Arrowquip, you’re covered by a company that stands behind its products. Over time, most metal feeding equipment will begin to deteriorate if it’s constantly exposed to the elements and wet conditions. It is recommended to keep your bale feeders on gravel or concrete wherever possible to ensure you get the most out of your purchase.

Should you ever have issues with the bottom of your Arrowquip Guardian Round Bale Feeder, you can reverse it. Simply remove the cone rods and chains, flip the feeder upside down, and reinstall the bars to double its life span. Thanks to a unique design that features Shephard’s hooks, removal and set up are simple and welding is never required.

Problem 3: Cattle’s Eating Habits
Do you have cattle that tend to stick their heads in a bale and gorge or picky eaters that comb through bales until they find the best bits of hay? With the bale being suspended in the cone of Arrowquip’s Guardian Round Bale Feeder, cattle can only pick from the hay at the bottom of the cone and aren’t able to shove their heads into the bale and eat for hours on end.

Along with this, the bale feeder is made of strong, durable 14-gauge sheet metal resistant to bull pushing or bale spear piercing. Paired with 14.5” openings to accommodate any size of cattle, any hay that does fall to the ground can be easily reached and cleaned up by cattle, further reducing waste.

The Arrowquip Guardian Round Bale Feeder: Your Best Option
Ranching is hard work, there is no doubt about that. Especially when the weather and markets are not always in your favor. By taking time to consider all your options when it comes to selecting cattle equipment, including cattle feeders, you can be confident that your choice will last for generations, and give you a return on your investment.
Ready to start saving hay? Visit arrowquip.com for more details.