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Add-On Bale Feeder "Roof"
“It greatly reduces spoiled hay, which saves on waste and time spent cleaning up,” says James Brotz, Sheboygan, Wis., about his assemble-it-yourself roof for round bale feeders.
  The roof, made from lightweight UV-resistant recycled plastic, is designed to fit a standard 8-ft. dia. round bale feeder.
  “It looks like a miniature round corn crib roof. That’s why we call it the Hay Crib,” says Brotz.
  The roof consists of wedge-shaped sections that you bolt together. Plastic straps (supplied) are used to fasten the cover to the feeder’s top ring at 4 different places. Each strap has a snap link at one end that attaches to an I-bolt on the outer edge of one of the roof sections. A small cap bolts on top of the roof. Once assembled, the roof measures a little more than 1 1/2 ft. tall and has a 1:6 pitch.
  “As far as I know it’s the only separate roof made to fit standard round bale feeders,” says Brotz. “There are a lot of covered round bale feeders on the market, but most of them are made from steel which makes them so heavy you need a skid loader to move them around.
  “The assembled roof weighs only about 70 lbs. so one person can easily roll the roof-equipped feeder on its side and flip it over the bale. The roof has a 4 to 6-in. overhang which isn’t a problem when rolling the unit.”
  The Hay Crib ships in a 2 by 4-ft. box. Sells for $324.99 plus S&H.
  Brotz also offers a complete round bale feeder made from continuous 48-in. wide sheets of recycled poly. “We cut a series of large holes in the sheets where the animals feed. A cage made out of plastic pipe wraps around the sheets to stiffen them up. We also plan to offer a calf crib from the same material,” he notes.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, James Brotz, 2403 S. 8th St., Sheboygan, Wis. 53081 (ph 920 208-0493; www.thehaycrib.com).  


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2012 - Volume #36, Issue #1