One of our earlier round bale feeders built from whatever material was on hand (top rail, mid rail, and bottom rail attached to 4 corner uprights). Very economical and cost effective.
We found that putting the bale on it’s side worked better than on it’s end. Less chance of the bale plugging up and easier for the sheep to pull out. Also, better for shedding water and snow. If the hay is short enough, the sheep will eat into the side and the bale will simply tip over. If the hay is long, it’s just a matter of pulling down the hay from the top with a pitch fork.
This style of feeder allows easy access for the lambs to get a head start on the feed
This bale feeder is made from rough cut 2 by 4s with the railings spaced the same distance from top and bottom (feeder can be flipped over onto next bale once empty).Access to water and hay for the lambs that may be weaker or lagging behind for various reasons such as lack of milk, and yes, sometimes a first time yearling ewe may reject one of her lambs
Bottle fed set of triplets. The mother stopped producing milk after about 2 weeks due to a mastitis infection. Mastitis is an infection of the udder.
Rose Kountry Katahdins 