Big Bale Feeder
Great way to feed round and square bales while reducing wasted hay. It pays for itself in 1 year!
We’ve added a 3/8" reinforcement rod above and below the feeding holes for extra support against large, pushing rams or ewes.
Note: We sell wire panels, hinges and snap clips individually. This way you can design according to your situation or need. See “Customization” section below for more information.
Not for use with cattle, horses or horned animals.
California Residents: Proposition 65 Information
Instructions/Diagrams:
Customization
How many panels, hinges and clips are needed for a round bale?
- 4 ft dia. bale:
- 5 panels, 4 connector hinges, 2 snap clips
- 5 ft dia. bale:
- 6 panels, 5 connector hinges, 2 snap clips
- 6 ft dia. bale:
- 7 panels, 6 connector hinges, 2 snap clips
Specs
Wire Panel:
- Hot-dip galvanized steel
- 48" tall x 40" long
- 4 - 8" x 12" eating holes with 1/4" reinforcement rods top and bottom
- 3/8" dia support rods (outer rods & 4 vertical internal rods)
- 1/4" dia rods elsewhere
- 4 head-holes per panel
Benefits
Big Bale Feeder—10% wastage, $297 wasted hay.
Other feeders—25% wastage, $750 wasted hay.
The $453 difference pays for a Premier Big Bale Feeder feeder—in only 1 year!
- Reinforced, double rod eating holes for pushy rams and ewes
- Folds flat—easy to store and move
- Adult sheep can’t get inside it
- More durable than feeders made with cheap farmstore wire panels
- Adapts to most round or square bale sizes
- Ships FREE via Ground service when ordering more than one panel. Most need 5–7 panels.
Shepherd’s Choice™ Management Tip
Due to weather variability during the haying season, producers may be feeding poorer quality hay during the winter months. As a result, late gestation and lactating ewes will need more protein in the grain mix. One can use soybean, dry distillers grains or corn gluten feed. The hay may also have less energy per pound—grain feeding levels may need to be increased by a half- to full-pound per day. Lastly, if your hay is mostly grass, consider feeding at least 1% limestone in the grain mix to improve calcium levels.Looking for ration advice? We can help customize a feed ration for your situation.
How to Use
1. Panels are easy to carry and store
2. Joining panels with wire hinges
3. Adding a large round bale
4. Wrap panels around bale and close with snap clips
Tip: To eliminate risk of sheep tipping over an empty feeder and thereby injuring themselves, drive a single steel post into the ground and secure 1 corner of the bale feeder to it. The post can stay in place all winter. Having noted that we rarely do this. We simply allow the sheep to tip the feeder over. Our last injury was 4 years ago—and we use 20 feeders all winter long.
Precautions
What NOT to do with Big Bale Feeders:
- Don’t use them for cattle or horses.
- Don’t use them with horned sheep or goats. We have tried this and know that they may get their heads caught and die.
- Don’t place bales on their curved (rolling) side. Bales may mushroom and collapse upon a feeding ewe.
- Don’t lift the feeder with the tractor loader. This puts unnecessary stress on the welds.
- Don’t let panels freeze to the ground.
- Don’t feed more than 40-50 ewes per feeder. Too many ewes per feeder may cause them to fight for access—which can result in poor-doing (or even dead) sheep.
Listed below are recommended optional components or related items. Your particular situation may require alternative recommendations. Please call and talk to our consultants if there are any questions at 800-282-6631.
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Wire Panels and Accessories
Wire Panel Hinge, 48" tall
Item #965401 -Provides a strong, reliable connection that is also a 360° hinge. Use to easily attach wire livestock panels and gates together.
$5.50 -
Handling Equipment
Snap Clip, Zinc Plated
Item #965405 -Use to connect wire panels and hang poultry waterers and feeders.
$2.00 -
Handling Equipment
Snap Clip, Stainless Steel
Item #965406 -Use to connect wire panels and hang poultry waterers and feeders.
$12.00 -
PortaTroughs
PortaTrough™ 3
Item #938010 -Easy to clean 3 ft livestock feeders used to provide grain, minerals, salt or water. Stackable for easy movement and storage.
$49.00 -
PortaTroughs
PortaTrough™ 5
Item #938000 -Portable 5 ft feeder withstands all weather and animal conditions. Stackable for easy movement and storage.
$86.00 -
2025 New Products
Livestock Scratching Brush (red/blue), large
Item #293100 -Stiff bristled scratching post for sheep, goats, horses and cattle. Helps animals stay clean and removes irritants, like parasites.
$52.00
Write a Review
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Joe A from Missouri
Simple replacement for a very old big bale panel, purchased back when they came as sets.
Eric A from Ohio
Great, heavy duty feeders that reduce the waste of hay. One word of caution if you have little lambs around these feeders. If they can get into the feeder once the hay is running out, they can catch their rear legs as they jump back out between the horizontal wires and break their legs. This has happened several times to me. Also, we raise Jacobs sheep and I have had a couple get their horns stuck. The bigger rams have a hard time feeding once the bale is running out. Great product though.
Karen B from Idaho
Used five of these panels to surround a 650 lb round bale for adult mini (Nigerian Dwarf) goats. They eat out of all the big openings, standing on lower bars to reach the top ones. I would not use it with kids because they would climb in the holes and probably hook a leg coming out (have had this happen with other feeders, luckily I was there to rescue them before they broke a leg), as well as dirtying the hay.
Carrie M from Ohio
After loosing 2 yearlings we decided to purchase these and we couldn’t be happier! This is meaty and well made especially compared to the pig panel we were using. So far no losses! Read waste seems to be way down as well, worth the investment.
Gary M from Kansas
Moving to feed more round bales to my sheep, I’ve tried several ways to feed them. Other feeders leave me with about 40 to 50% spoilage. I purchased one and was pleased at the minimum amount of spoilage dropped on the ground so I purchased a second. I place a tarp over the tops to keep out rain and snow; this works good but I need to find a way that doesn’t poke holes in the tarp. I’ll buy more of these feeders if finances allow.