Below is a video on How To Make A Square Bale Hay feeder
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Today we will showing you how to make or build a square bale hay feeder. This works great for feeding small animals like goats, sheep that eat square bails of hay. This feeder keeps the hay off the ground so you waste less hay.
Things you will need is a sheet of plywood, some 4×4’s or 6×6’s, 2x’6s and box wire fencing The holes are 6” x 8” in this fencing. For tools some tools you will need are impact driver, tape, pencil, 4’ level, bolt cutters and a circular saw you will also need some 2″ screws and some 1 1/4.
This first thing we need to do is square up the plywood or cut it so its 3’ wide by 6’ long. We are measuring off the sides that are a factory edge to ensure we can a square line to cut on. So we’ll use the tape measure and measure 3’ across in 3 spots along the plywood. Next we can take the level and connect our marks to make one solid line to cut on. Well do the same thing for the 6’ side. Make a few marks at 6’ then use the level and connect them using the level and the pencil. Once we have our lines on the plywood we can move the plywood on sawhorses or somewhere safe to cut. Next well cut on both lines that way out plywood will be 3’x 6’.
Once we have the plywood cut we can set that aside for now. Next we can measure out three 3’ or 36” pieces of our 6×6’s or 4×4’s for the feet for the platform. Once we have them all marked we can grab the circular saw and cut them to length. We are going to use a chainsaw to cut them. Once we have all three cut we can lay them out on a flat surface. Well evenly space them out so the plywood can lay on top.
With the 6×6’s layed out we can grab the plywood and lay it on top of them. Well have one 6×6 on each end of the plywood and one centered in the plywood. The reason we are not making a complete box is so that we can use the forks of the tractor and move it around if we have to. We will make sure the 6×6 and the plywood faces are even and then we can grab our impact driver and run some screws through the plywood and into the 6×6 to hold the plywood to the 6×6’s. Well run 4 screws in in each of the 6×6’s.
Once we have the plywood screwed down to all our 6×6’s we can now cut two 3’ or 36” out of our 2×6’s. These will be a border around the platform or base of the feeder that when when the animals pull the hay out of the feeder and it falls onto the platform the 2×6’x will hold it on.
Once we have the two 3’ 2×6’s cut we can attach them to each end of our platform. You will want to leave 3 or 4”s above the platform to make the border. Once we have both the ends screwed on we can grab our tape measure and measure end to end of the boards or 2×6’s we just screwed on. This one measures 75 ½. Next we can cut two 2×6’s to 75 ½ and then install them onto the front and back on the platform making sure they are the same height all the way around. Well screw them to the 6×6’s and well also screw through the front and back 2×6 into our end 2×6’s to strengthen it up.
Once we have completed the border the base is complete. Next well move onto cutting two 2×6’s at 48” and two at 34”. Once we have them cut well take the 48” and screw it onto the base centered within the 3’ side. Well put one screw in and then use our level to make sure we are not leaning the 2×6. Once we have the 2×6’s mounted to our base we can take one of the 34” 2×6’s and screw it to the top of the 48” 2×6 we just screwed to the base. You will want to screw the 34” 2×6 on the inside of the 48” 2×6. Once we have one side complete we will repeat the process on the other side so both sides are the same.
Next we can cut our wire fencing to be 6’ wide by 4’ tall. We will need to pieces of wire so we can make a V for the hay to sit in. Once we have the wire cut we can mark out the center of the platform which will be 18” well mark out a few spots and connect the marks with our level.
Once we have our line on the platform we can slide the wire up to the line. You may need to notch the wire so it will fit into the base. We cut about 3’ up and about 1 ½ inwards. So well slide in both wire fences up to the line so they touch. Once we have both fences in and up to the line we can take some galvanized pipe strapping and cut some 3-4” pieces. Next we’ll take some 1 ¼ screws and screw though the holes in the pipe strapping to hold the wire down to the base. We don’t want them to be super tight as you will want to rotate the wire up to the top cross pieces.
Once we have the bottom of the fence secured to the platform we can now cut four 3” pieces of the pipe strap and attach the top of the fence to the uprights. We will screw one screw into the end of our 34” 2×6 and then pull the fencing to the end on the 2×6 and then take the pipe strapping and go around the fencing and then screw it to the inside of the 34” 2×6. Well do the same to the top four corners of the fencing.
Next we can measure from end to end of the top 34” 2×6’s on this one its 76 ½. Next we can cut two 76 ½ pieces out of the 2×6’s we have left to close in the top and make a box. Once we have them cut we can screw them in place screwing through them and into the 34” 2×6’s.
Next we cut some wire to close in the side of the feeder. You don’t have to but on this one we are. So the wire we cut we 3 squares at the top and 6 squares tall the bottom is just the square. Well use some pipe strapping top and bottom to hold them to the upright so they don’t move. Next we can also cut some 3” pieces of the pipe strapping and screw them around our fencing to the front and back 2×6’s we just screwed on. This will ensure that the fencing won’t bend, pop out or fall down below the 2×6 allowing it to fall out when someone throws hay into the feeder.
With the ends closed in and the pipe strapping around the top to hold the fence that’s it we have just shown you how to build a square bale hay feeder for the small animals on your farm or around your house.
