The Hay Manager

The Hay Manager: Round Bale Feeders for Cattle and Equine in South Dakota

The Hay Manager is a family-owned company based in South Dakota that has spent over 17 years designing, manufacturing, and improving hay management tools for the farming industry. Its main activity is the production of round bale feeders, to which it adds pasture improvement tools and a custom design service aimed at adapting equipment to the specific needs of each operation.

Feeder Catalog by Species

The range is organized according to the type of animal it is intended for:

• Cattle Feeders: presented with 99% efficiency, infinite hay restriction, and heavy sheet metal construction that resists bulls pushing and bale spears piercing.
• Horse Feeders: designed to prevent sharp edges and allow the animal to move around and eat evenly even with compact bales.
• Sheep Feeders: the design allows sheep to access all the hay without human intervention; the most requested variant is 7 feet tall to reduce losses and prevent hay from spilling over the edge.
• Goat Feeders: allow full access without harming the animal, prevent waste, and reduce labor, as the hay advances on its own.
• Calf-Catcher: designed to protect both people and calves, it prevents hospital visits due to an aggressive cow and keeps the calf safe during transport to a nursery or warming hut.
• Calf Corral Line: helps farmers safely catch, handle, and transport calves, reducing the risk of injury.

Efficiency and Hay Savings

The company maintains that its feeders, locally designed and manufactured, are more efficient than other alternatives on the market. According to its presentation, the system pays for itself over its lifetime and is backed by the following data:

• Hay Savings: outstanding efficiency, with an estimated savings of 10% more hay per bale.
• Durability: 18 years of testing and manufacturing in 14-gauge steel sheet.
• High Capacity: handles any size bale with a diameter of 6 to 8 feet and supports all weights.
• Return on Investment: 100% within one year with five or more animals, or within 100 days or less with 30 head of cattle.
• Price: competitive compared to other cone-style feeders.

Research Support

The manufacturer supports its claims about waste reduction with university and research center studies. A study by Michigan State University on round bale feeder design concluded that construction features are crucial to reducing wasted hay, with the following comparative figures: 3.5% waste with the cone model, 6.1% with the ring, 11.4% with the trailer, and 14.6% with the cradle.

Meanwhile, the Dickinson Research Extension Center compared the conventional method of rolling out bales with feeding in a cone feeder. The cone feeder reduced waste, decreased the amount of hay required per cow and the cost per animal, and increased final weight, back-fat thickness, and body condition score with lower hay consumption.

Distribution Network and Contact

The company does not sell directly to end users through its website, but instead refers to a dealer network: the site invites users to find the nearest dealer and offers interested parties the possibility of becoming a dealer. It also has a form for users to request that the company contact their local farm supplier.

The published contact phone number is 605-633-0038.

Customer Experience

The testimonials collected on the site come from farmers in Nebraska and South Dakota. A customer from Homer, Nebraska, notes that he bought a feeder five years ago and three more recently, without needing repairs, and trusts they will last ten more years. A farmer with a cow/calf and feedlot operation south of Dell Rapids, South Dakota, highlights the hay savings compared to other feeders, in which, according to his experience, up to a quarter of the bale ends up on the ground. Another user from South Dakota emphasizes that the design makes the hay the cows pull fall inside the feeder, where they can consume it, and recommends it for the economic savings with current feed prices.