Big Bale Feeder
Great way to feed round and square bales while reducing wasted hay. It pays for itself in 1 year!
Note: We are now selling Big Bale panels, hinges and snap clips individually. This way you can design according to your situation or need.
How many panels, hinges and clips you will need? See "Customization" below.
Instructions/Diagrams:
Big Bale Feeder Instructions 
Common Uses
Customization
- 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 hinges, 2 clips
Specs
- 48" tall x 40" long
- 4 - 8" x 12" eating holes
- 3/8" dia support rods (outer rods & 4 vertical internal rods)
- 1/4" dia rods (other rods)
- Hot-dip galvanized
Benefits
- 4 head-holes per panel.
- Folds flat—easy to store and move.
- Adult sheep can’t get inside it.
- Average of 40 ewes per 6 panel feeder is advised. (Too many ewes will cause fighting for access.) 1200 lb hay bale should last about 5 days.
- More durable than feeders made with farm-store wire panels.
- Adapts to most round or square bale sizes.
- Not for use with cattle, horses or horned animals.
- Ships to you by UPS™/Spee-Dee™.
- Most need 5–7 panels.
Cost
Calculating the lost $$ due to wasted hay provides a picture of the relative value of a big bale hay feeder.
Assume 40 ewes eat 5 lbs of hay for 165 days. Assume hay costs $140/ton (7¢/lb).
Big Bale Feeder— 10% wastage, $231 wasted hay.
Other Feeders– 25% wastage, $577 wasted hay.
So, the $346 difference pays for a Premier feeder—in only 1 year!
Installation
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
- Don’t use them for cattle or horses. Horned sheep or goats won’t damage the feeder but they may get their heads caught.
- 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 360º hinge. Surprisingly easy and fast to use.
$3.70 -
Handling Equipment
Snap Clip, Zinc Plated
Item #965405 -Use to connect wire panels and hang poultry waterers and feeders.
$2.68 -
Handling Equipment
Snap Clip, Stainless Steel
Item #965406 -Use to connect wire panels and hang poultry waterers and feeders.
$7.00
Write a Review
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Anthony M from Iowa
Welds are very weak, they start breaking after one year. After two years most of the panels are mangled and destroyed. My sheep try to eat grass through 20 year old cattle panels, and yet these panels can't last more than two winters. Junk.
Sarah H from Colorado
I just purchased my second round bale feeder. It has reduced my work load immensely and utilizes the hay much better than throwing it into a feed bunk. It is incredibly easy to set up, move, refill. I love it. The reason I bought a second one was to use it in a different pen so that both groups can now free feed.
Eugene S from New Jersey
GREAT Product. I have a round bale feeder from a company that advertises that their products are specifically designed for sheep. At the end of the feeding season, I have a mountain of wasted hay. So far, after two bales in the Premier feeder, there is practically no waste -- they eat everything. I don't know why it works, but it does. I'm getting another to replace my wasteful one. I had to use 6 panels to go around my round bales, but they're clearly worth it.
Gary J from Kansas
Still liking this feeder a LOT. The only criticism is that in some instances, the weld might be a bit weak. FYI, it seems to help to position the panels so that the horizontal bars are outside so that they don't pop off.
Julie & John K from Wisconsin
Thus far, 1 month, we are liking the use of this panel feeder system. We are using it with just 11 ewe sheep—no horns. If it can help us cut down on small bale prep. that will be good. I like the extra exercise that the sheep are getting in winter as they run from the barn up a hill to the round bale. I think some kind of detachable cover for the upper openings would help keep the fleeces cleaner especially if being used for a small # of sheep. I like to keep our Navajo-Churro sheep fleeces in good shape.
