3 Reasons To Step Outside The Hay Ring Guide

3

REASONS EVERY RANCHER SHOULD STEP

OUTSIDE THE

HAY RING Take a look inside to learn more.

2

Rethinking The Hay Ring.

The most common type of feeder that ranchers use it still the traditional hay ring. They’re widely available, and quite popular because they only need to be filled once every few days. And of course, theyre also very affordable.

But it’s important to know the downsides to hay rings. Though they seem so affordable and to require so little time to use, what are the other costs?

At Hustler Equipment, we’ve been designing and building ranch equipment since 1961. We combine a love of machines with creativity and a deep understanding of ranching and it is our passion to discover better ways of accomplishing everyday tasks.

So let us help you see if there’s a better way to feed your livestock - to see if the hay ring really is the best fit for your farm or not.

Contents 3

Introduction

02

The Capacity to Feed

04

The Mess

05

The Waste

07

The Hustler Way

08

Single Tractor Operation

10

The Hustler Family

11

4

The Capacity to Feed A regular hay ring can feed an average of only ten cows at once. Obviously, it cannot fit the entire herd around one bale. Moreover, there is a very high chance of malnutrition and injuries of cattle being fed using hay rings. For instance, the more aggressive “boss” cows will be able to eat ahead and consume the more desirable hay, while the more timid cows will be forced to eat the lower quality material or to strave. In either case, they will definitely be undernourished. Furthermore, there is potential animal injury for when cattle try to push others out of the way while eating.

With Hustler’s unique bale feeding system, the fodder is evenly spread out without destroying the quality, enabling more cattle to be able to eat at the same time while reducing the risk of injury and malnutrition.

3 hay rings serving 30 cattle with 3 bales. Georgia.

To feed 1000 cattle with rings requires 100 hay rings and 100 bales every few days.

Livestock competing for access to feed.

Cow-calf operation, Missouri, USA

Cattle competing for access to a hay ring, Hawkes Bay

FEILD TESTIMONIAL

“We get excellent feed-out lines, with the material being spread over a long distance which is ideal for us.”

Murray Ballantine Southland, New Zealand.

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Number of cattle that can feed

Up to 1,000

Up to 800

Up to 100

Up to 10

Up to 50

Up to 800

Up to 5,000

TMR FEED MIXER

The Mess

5

How often are the hay rings relocated? Are they being relocated enough? Hay rings are very prone to collecting dust, mud, and growing mold because of its design and structure. The hay on the bottom can become wet and moldy. Once it becomes moldy, it is no longer edible and worse, it can be detrimental to cattle’s health. Mould and mud can really be enemies to your cattle’s health!

According to Cattletoday.com, mud harbors bacteria and other pathogens, especially from manure, that can affect cattle health. Calves nibbling mud or drinking from mud puddles are always at risk for digestive tract infections. One of the things that can lead to increased incidence of illness in calves is the use of ring feeder in wet weather. Increased incidence of scours has been noted on a number of farms and ranches after they began using ring feeders.

Apart from the animal health risk from the mess, relocation of the hay rings can be very costly and labor intensive which means there not relocated enough. If conditions are muddy, ring feeders should be moved regularly to cleaner, drier ground. If this is impossible, clean material such as straw should be put around feeders regularly to keep footing clean and dry. During winter, if you leave your feeders, you are likely to have either manure to transport away or to repair.

One farm manager even said they already spent the value of a Hustler Bale feeder doing this cleaning up every year.

The more alarming long term effects that may be triggered by the hay ring’s mess would be the bigger damage to pasture and evidently the environmental risks. Some ranchers would recommend frequent movement of hay feeding locations to decrease mud. However, this frequent movement around a large area may result in more widespread damage to pasture plant cover. According to Farmanddairy.com, mud seems to appear when there is no longer stockpiled forage left to graze and we feed hay in ring feeders. The worst time occurs when ground that has been frozen begins to thaw. This is when conditions get ugly in a hurry. It is also a time when damage to forage.

FEID TESTIMONIAL

“The bale feeder for us was absolutely the most important piece of equipment we had on our ranch this winter. This feeder allows us to ride into a pasture with a roll of hay, feed out the exact amount that we want to feed out, whether it be a whole bale, a half bale, or a third of a bale that’s up to us and if we’re measuring correctly the amount of hay we’re putting out. We come back in the next day and it’s almost impossible to tell where we’ve fed. The cattle literally eat every piece of hay off the ground.”

Eric Elsner University of Georgia, USA. BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Pasture damage | Rating 1 (no damage)-10 (very damaged)

1

1

2

10

7

1

5

TMR FEED MIXER

6

The Mess. cont.

In the long term, environmental impacts are the worst as it is a problem on a bigger scale. A publication of Kansas State University evaluated fecal bacteria and nutrient concentrations in soil surrounding ring feeders at winterfeeding sites. Results have indicated that fecal bacteria concentrations increased over the duration of feeding period and were greatest at close proximity to ring feeders. The data suggests that environmental contamination due to fecal bacteria in the soil can occur up to 100 feet from the feeding site. For soil nutrients, the greatest increase generally occurred at 10 feet from the feeders, with few differences thereafter. Furthermore, the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture concurs with the environmental impact. “Runoff from manured areas can contain infectious agents, which negatively impact water quality if introduced to local waterways. Feeding densely stocked cattle concentrates all these pollutants, and transporting hay to the field adds to the problem. A significant amount of pollution can occur if winter feeding is conducted around streams, water bodies, or other environmentally sensitive areas and if runoff from these areas is not managed.”

Pasture preserved by free range feeding. Missouri

Pasture damage from localised feeding. Virginia

Pasture damage around hay trailers (movable hay rings), Georgia

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“It Hangawera Station gets very dry in summer and extremely wet in winter, making it slippery going around the hills when feeding out. The clay-base soil also means a heavy silage wagon would get stuck, so overall the Chainless 4000 Balefeeder has proved to be not only the most reliable feeder, but also the best all-round option.”

Ian Mathieson Hangawera Station, Waikato, New Zealand.

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Pasture damage | Rating 1 (no damage)-10 (very damaged)

1

1

2

10

7

1

5

The Wastage

7

Hay waste is inevitable. All farms have waste but inadequate feeding management increases it tremendously. In the United States, it is estimated that the total value of hay losses nationwide exceeds three billion dollars annually! On some farms, such losses account for over 10% of the cost of livestock production. This wastage is high particularly with round bales stored outside in high rainfall areas. The waste generated from feeding may come from two sources: storage loss and feeding loss.

Leaving bales out in the weather deteriorates good hay or silage. If bales are stored outside on the ground without any cover, it increases moisture content and weathering begins rapidly. Unweathered hay or silage is more palatable and higher in nutrients. Feeding out fresh-for-the-day results in better feed value and less wastage. Store hay in the proper way, under a roof is best, but if that is not possible, on well-drained soil in a north-south orientation, stacked tightly end-to-end.

Large round bales on hay rings have been considered the simplest system for feeding. This system does not require the purchase of any extra equipment, except that of a front end loader, but it is prone to high feeding losses. Losses are greatest when a several-day supply of hay is fed at one time. Feeding a one-day supply of hay each day minimizes waste but increases labor costs. Also, with the hay ring, your expensive hay is pulled out all over the surrounding ground while the hay on the bottom can become muddy and no longer edible. Or cattle can pull hay out of ring, step on it, or drop it in the mud nearby. When large quantities of feed is placed in one place like the hay ring, cattle will always nuzzle their way through and pick out the good bits. As a result, they drop the unpalatable on the ground and/or this ends up in the ring and would not be eaten.

With these problems and risks, Hustler offers the ultimate solution. The unique Chainless bale feeding system .

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“It really helped us to stretch our hay supply through the entire winter, but not only that, it allows you to feed hay throughout the pasture and spread fertiliser and nutrients around, so it’s been a real money saver for us.”

David Fiske Virginia Tech University, Virginia, USA.

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Feed Waste

5-8%

9-12%

20-30%

40-60%

20-30%

20-30%

5-10%

Feed Damage

0-5%

0-5%

0-5%

40-50%

0-10%

30-40%

20-30%

Hoof Trampling

NO

NO

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

TMR FEED MIXER

8

The Hustler Way Many ranchers have the impression that purchasing feeding equipment is expensive and unnecessary because of the higher initial capital outlay.

However, taking into account the long term losses including additional labor costs, wastage, damage to pasture, and environmental risks, purchasing an efficient feeding system will turn out to be more economical.

The Hustler Bale feeding system is simpler and faster than many realise. Bales can be fed spread out enough for a complete herd within two to three minutes for each bale. Plus there is no time required to shift hay rings, repair pasture, clean up mud, and even manure, if you feed in a different spot every day. This certainly reduces the health risks for the cattle and dramatically cuts down labor time.

Because grain/seeds are not destroyed, any that are not consumed by the cattle germinate, renewing pasture.

Manure is automatically spread throughout the pasture. North Canterbury

Notice how evenly spread the manure is throughout the pasture. Virginia

FIELD TESTIMONIALS

“When you run it out in a line, the cattle are able to access it. The shy feeders can get right up and get a feed, and we’re also noticing the calves getting in and feeding on the silage as well.”

Mark Mawhood Oberon, Australia

The Hustler Way cont.

A large benefit of feeding in a new bit of ground every day through the Hustler system is the value of the cattle manure being spread more evenly around the pasture. This will help soil fertility and at the same time relieve maintenance costs and labor costs. Aside from this, the Hustler system helps re-seed the pasture when feeding seedy hay. If hay feeding is done in a different spot everyday, there is an increased chance of any dropped seed germinating in the spring, effectively re-seeding your pasture.

Baled silage or high moisture wrapped bales are more nourishing that regular hay. It has the complete nutritional value the cattle require for a copious supplementary feed. However, because of its moisture, it is very prone to spoilage and wastage if not properly served and consumed. The Hustler feeder can feed out baled silage without any hassle. There is also no need to manually add grain supplement to the dry hay when you can feed baled silage on its own very easily.

With the Hustler system, a rancher can monitor and define how much feed will be distributed. Thus, only enough for the day is fed, providing a consistent daily nutrition while reducing wastage and eliminating other animal and environmental risks.

Contrary to popular belief that Hustler equipment is too expensive, one satisfied customer, a cattle rancher David Fiske of Virginia Tech University, Virginia, said ““It really helped us to stretch our hay supply through the entire winter, but not only that, it allows you to feed hay throughout the pasture and spread fertilizer and nutrients around, so it’s been a real money saver for us.”!”

Aside from the many benefits of better nutrient utilization, David is paying for his new Hustler Chainless X5000 bale feeder with the hay savings alone!

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“This feeder allows us to ride into a pasture with a roll of hay, feed out the exact amount that we want to feed out, whether it be a whole bale, a half bale, or a third of a bale that’s up to us.”

Eric Elsner University of Georgia, USA.

9

10

Single Tractor Operation Fully self-contained operation means the only other machinery needed for a chainless balefeeder is an off-the-shelf tractor with 3-point linkage or tow hook.

There’s no need for any customisation of your pickup truck deck (unlike hay unrollers) or extra investment in a front-end loader, second tractor (for TMR), or skid steer loader.

With a Hustler linkage feeder, you can simply disconnect the feed cradle and continue using the bale spears for shifting bales and pallets, and other loading duties.

Built in self-loading design. On 3 point hitch models the headstock disconnects from the feeding cradle and the bale is loaded with bale tines integrated

into the head stock. No loader required.

The patented total control loading system spears the bale and gently loads the bale on the cradle without tumbling the bale. The spears then withdraw and carry the second bale.

Loading the bale with the spears on the disconnected headstock.

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“We bought a Hustler unroller this year and it is the best money we have spent in for a long time, have hardly used a graipe this year. When word got about we had one a lot of neighbours came to see it working and I know of 3 more in the area now, brilliant machine. It’s easy to control the rate of feed as its oil driven and she manages high density bales great.”

John Speechs Sunny Co Antrim, Ireland.

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Single Tractor Operation

YES

YES

YES

YES but the tractor requires a front-end loader.

YES, but the tractor requires a front -end loader.

YES

NO

TMR FEED MIXER

The Hustler Balefeeder Family

11

Here are some of Hustler Equipment’s bestselling bale feeders.

Discover our full product range on our website: hustlerequipment.com CHAINLESS BALEFEEDERS The innovative, ultra-reliable Chainless® balefeeders without feed chains, will feed out almost any type of bale you have on hand, even the tightest of frozen bales.

CHAINLESS LX104

CHAINLESS LX105

CHAINLESS SX105

CHAINLESS TX205

Key features • 3pt mounted, self loading • 1 bale capacity • Up to 4 ft wide bales

Key features • Feeds out bales of any size or shape • Loader or 3pt mounted • 2 bale capacity

Key features • Stationary, 3 point hitch, mounted • 1 bale capacity • Up to 5 ft wide bales • Capable of Rebaling large round bales, into small squares

Key features • Trailed, self-loading • 2 bale capacity • Up to 5 ft wide bales • Total Control Loading

Suited for • Round & Square bales • Hay, Straw, Baled Silage

Suited for • Round & Square bales • Hay, Straw, Baled Silage

Suited for • Round & Square bales • All types (Rounds only for Rebaling)

Suited for • Round & Square bales • All types

UNROLLA BALE UNROLLERS The UNROLLA range of feeders provide an economical option for ranchers who primarily feed out round bales.

All Hustler bale feeders are self-loading (except the Chainless SX105), but you can also use Hustler’s Softhands bale handlers.

UNROLLA LX105

UNROLLA LM105T

UNROLLA TX205

Key features

Key features

• 3pt mounted, self loading

• 3pt mounted, self-loading

• 1 bale capacity

• 1 bale capacity

• Up to 5 ft wide bales

• Up to 5 ft wide bales

Key features • Trailed, self-loading • 2 bale capacity • Up to 5 ft wide bales • Total Control Loading

• Adjustable extension for feeding into troughs

Suited for • Round bales.

• Loose silage. Hay & Baled Silage.

Suited for • Round bales.

• Hay & Baled Silage.

Suited for • Round bales.

• Hay & Baled Silage.

For more information, visit hustlerequipment.com/

GLOBAL HQ Freecall: +646 879 7926 Aftersales: +646 873 9526 Email: parts@hustlerequipment.com

NEW ZEALAND Freecall: 0800 487 853 Hastings, 4153 New Zealand

AUSTRALIA Freecall: 1800 750 428 Truganina, Victoria 3025 Australia

NORTH AMERICA Call: (612) 351-4885 Lakeville, MN 5w5044 USA

UK/IRELAND Call: 01563 481 330 Gisburn, Cliteroe, BB7 4ES UK

EUROPE Call: +33 4 71 59 51 86 43430 Fey-sur-Lignon France

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