Every round bale feeder claims to save hay. They don't all do it. The difference between a feeder that gets waste near zero and one that wastes as much as an open ring isn't the brand on the sticker — it's the type, and specifically whether the design catches the hay a cow pulls loose before it hits the dirt. Here's how the main feeder types actually compare on waste, durability, and cost, in the words of producers who run them. (For the feeding habits that cut waste with any feeder, see our companion guide on reducing round bale feeding waste.)
Quick answer: Open ground (no feeder) wastes the most; a plain steel ring is better; and skirted or sheeted feeders that catch loose hay waste the least. Suspended "hay saver" feeders with a solid skirt (J&L, Best, Hay Manager, and welded-shop copies) get producers to "essentially no waste" on long, tall hay — but lose their edge on short hay and cost more. Cable-style fence-line/trailer feeders keep cattle's heads over the tray so they don't drop hay. The cheapest win is behavioral: feed a bale at a time and make cattle clean up before the next one. Whatever you buy, look for a solid skirt close to the ground — and always pull the net before feeding.
The question every feeder buyer is really asking
It comes down to whether the upgrade pays for itself in saved hay. A Nebraska producer framed it exactly right:
"Given hay prices and everything else, I think I want to improve the efficiency of feeding round hay bales. I just have the standard round bale feeders where you put the bale on end on the ground. Do those feeders that hold the bale in the air and let the cattle pick off the bottom increase the efficiency enough to justify their cost?"
— DieselDennis, Nebraska · AgTalk thread 1078576
The answer producers give: yes — but only the designs that actually catch the loose hay. The single best piece of shopping advice in the thread was three words long:
"I'd shop for one with a skirt. Whether it supports the bale or just surrounds it, I'll leave that for others to debate."
— Red Paint, Brandon, MS · AgTalk thread 1078576
The feeder types, worst to best on waste
1. Open ground / no feeder
Cheapest and worst. Hay gets trampled, bedded on, and fouled. Only makes sense if you're intentionally bedding with it or bale grazing on frozen ground.
2. Plain steel ring (bale sits on the ground)
The default. Better than nothing, but cattle pull hay out and drop it outside the ring, and the leftover pile builds up as a wasted base. It's the baseline everyone is trying to beat.
3. Skirted ring / sheeted-bottom feeder
Add a solid skirt or sheeted lower panel and the hay a cow pulls loose falls back inside instead of on the dirt. This is the single biggest design jump for waste — and you don't have to buy a name brand to get it. A Nebraska producer's take:
"I'll be buying them from local welding shop from now on, just a heavy built skirted style. Biggest thing is to make them clean it up good before giving them another bale. Don't just keep putting a new one on top of the end of the last bale over and over."
— BlueDriller, NE Nebraska · AgTalk thread 1078576
4. Suspended "hay saver" feeders (tire base, no floor)
These hold the bale up and make cattle pick from the bottom while a skirt catches the drop. When they fit the hay, the results are dramatic. One son bought his ground-ring-loyal dad a pair as a gift:
"Last summer we bought him a pair of J&L Hay Savers as a birthday/retirement gift. Went with the version with a rubber tire base and no floor... After a winter of use, he's a believer. Cut his hay usage in half. Essentially no waste."
— cornncows, SW Ohio · AgTalk thread 1078576
The honest limitation — they shine on long hay and slip a little on short hay:
"No waste at all if long tall hay in them. If the hay is short, like 10" or less they will pull a little out on the ground, but not much. They are made in PA, so shipping cost will be high."
— yongfarmer89, SW OH · AgTalk thread 1078576
And the bonus producers mention is intake, not just waste:
"I had good luck with j&l haysavers... I seen a reduction in waste and a increase in intake."
— 1030, whitesville, NY · AgTalk thread 1078576
5. Cable / fence-line / trailer feeders
For bigger groups, cable-style feeders keep each animal's head over the tray so hay doesn't get dropped as cattle jostle:
"I had the best luck with Meyers cable trailer feeders. With the cable they don't pull their head out every time another cow comes up to eat, they just scoot down the line and keep their head over the tray and not drop hay on the ground."
— Mitchco · AgTalk thread 1078576
6. Unroll or process
Unrolling and bale processors spread hay thin so cattle don't stand in it — good for bale grazing and bedding, with their own snow and labor trade-offs. They're a feeding system more than a feeder; covered more in our bale grazing guide.
| Feeder type | Relative waste | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open ground / no feeder | Highest | Only for bedding or frozen-ground bale grazing |
| Plain steel ring | High | Baseline; wasted base builds up |
| Skirted ring / sheeted bottom | Low | Biggest design jump; welded-shop versions work |
| Suspended hay saver (tire base) | Lowest on long hay | "Cut hay usage in half"; slips on short hay; ships heavy |
| Cable / trailer feeder | Low | Best for big groups; heads stay over the tray |
| Unroll / process | Varies | A system, not a feeder; good for bedding/bale grazing |
Durability is part of the math
A feeder that rusts out or cracks doesn't save hay for long. Producers prize designs that last — and that can be flipped or rebuilt:
"Get a hay manager. About 7 years on two of them and still strong. If one end gets rusty you can flip them."
— Gasman, Central Minnesota · AgTalk thread 1078576
The common failure modes to ask about: bottoms that rust away, and cone-style feeders that crack where the cone meets the ring when a heavy or wet bale is set in wrong.
Habits beat hardware — but that's a different guide
Whatever type you run, the cheapest savings are behavioral: feed only a one- to two-day supply, and push or roll the bale forward as it's eaten so cattle clean up before the next one. Those habits improve any feeder — we cover them in full in how to reduce round bale feeding waste. This guide is the other half of the decision: which type to buy.
One feeder detail that's really a net wrap detail
The most common complaint about suspended feeders has nothing to do with waste — it's getting the net off. A feeder dealer relayed it straight from a customer:
"Biggest complaint he had was is hard to get net wrap off over feeder to avoid hay missing feeder putting bales in, but... previously they would have hay spread out 10 feet around feeder, with these he could hardly even find a stem out in the pen, his words not mine."
— WCWI (feeder dealer) · AgTalk thread 1074069
Strip the net before the bale goes in the feeder, not after — it's cleaner, safer, and you won't be fishing net out of a half-eaten bale. Net wrap is never feed, and leaving it risks the herd; see how to remove net wrap safely and cattle eating net wrap.
Where XES fits
A feeder can only save the hay your bale still has. A loose, weather-slumped bale sheds feed before it ever reaches the ring, and it strips messy — leaving net in the feeder. A tight, fully wrapped bale holds its shape and peels clean. XES Extreme net wrap is DLG-tested (Report #7439) and UV-rated 12 months (tested to ISO 4892-2), so bales stay tight from storage to the feeder. Compare widths and lengths on the net wrap product page.
The bottom line
Rank feeders by one question: does the design catch the hay a cow pulls loose? Open ground and plain rings don't; skirted, sheeted, suspended, and cable feeders do. Suspended hay savers get producers to near-zero waste on long hay and pay for themselves at today's hay prices, a heavy welded skirted ring gets most of the benefit for less money, and cable feeders win for big groups. Buy for a solid skirt and a bottom that won't rust out, feed a bale at a time, and pull the net before it goes in — and you'll finally beat the ring.
Frequently asked questions
What type of round bale feeder wastes the least hay?
Feeders that catch the hay cattle pull loose — skirted rings, sheeted-bottom feeders, and suspended "hay saver" designs with a solid skirt. Producers report near-zero waste with suspended hay savers on long, tall hay. Open ground and plain rings waste the most because dropped hay lands on the dirt.
Are J&L Hay Saver feeders worth it?
Producers who run them say yes on long hay — one reported a ground-ring holdout cut hay usage in half and saw "essentially no waste" after one winter, plus higher intake. The caveats are that they slip a little on short hay (under about 10 inches) and ship heavy and expensive from the factory, so freight matters.
Can I just buy a feeder from a local welding shop?
Yes. Several producers buy a heavy-built skirted style from a local shop and get most of the waste savings for less than a name-brand suspended feeder. The key is the solid skirt close to the ground that catches loose hay, plus the habit of making cattle clean up before adding the next bale.
What's the most common problem with hay saver feeders?
Getting the net wrap off. Because the bale sits up inside the frame, it can be awkward to strip net after the bale is in. The fix is to remove all net before setting the bale in the feeder. Cone-style feeders also tend to crack where the cone meets the ring if a heavy or wet bale is dropped in wrong.
Do feeders matter more than how I feed?
Both matter, and they stack. The feeder type sets your ceiling for waste, but feeding only a one- to two-day supply and making cattle clean up before the next bale is a free habit that improves any feeder. Starting with a tight, unspoiled bale matters too, since loose bales shed hay before the cow ever eats.
This guide is maintained by the XES Netting team — a bale net-wrap manufacturer. Every farmer quote in this post is verbatim with a thread link, so you can read the originals. Feeder performance depends on your hay, herd, and management — these are producer-reported results, not guarantees.
Related guides
Featured photo: Cattle at a feeder, County Fermanagh by Kevin McManus, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
