The feeders in the photos below were placed in a paddock of thirty replacement heifers. The heifers had equal access to the feeders. The feeders were filled as required. The Upper Hand was nearer to the water source, the competitor was nearer to the grain bunk. The feeders were used for 45 days in this arrangement. Here are the results:
"Upper
Hand" : After 45 days of use. |
Standard Ring Feeder:  After 45 days of use. |
Note that the standard ring feeder is
mired, and has been damaged while
freeing it once before. That surely isn't covered under any warranty!
The Upper Hand, because it is lifted and moved a little at each feeding
is not mired. The Upper Hand will have a longer useful life. This is
because
exposure to
corrosive manure has been minimized and it has not sustained damage
through forced removal from a mired situation. It is much easier to
manage the feeding of hay with the Upper Hand.Reference Photo:
| Feeding gates can be useful in proper installations such as line bunk feeding, but are inconvenient to manage properly for feeding baled hay. |  |
 |
Feeding carts too
have applications where they perform quite well. However, without continuous and proper management, they are a mess to clean up after feeding baled hay. |
| Rack type feeders
have enjoyed
some popularity among producers who feed baled hay. However, the Upper Hand can compete with this design and win many persons who conclude that the Upper Hand yields more ease of management, and is a better value. |
 |
There are a number of manufacturers that are producing bale feeder rings from surplus material; namely "sucker-rod" retired from oil wells. The makers of such feeders feeders often claim their product is made heavier than other feeders. This is likely true, the feeder probably is "heavier". However, a feeder made from sucker-rod is NOT stronger. Sucker-rod is a material processed especially for tensile, or "pulling" load. A feeder during it's use is subjected to compressive and shearing, or "pushing" loads as the cattle push on the sides in many directions. Sucker-rod is NOT intended for pushing loads. Further, welding changes the internal structure of the sucker rod metal and it becomes very brittle at the welds. Often these feeders are priced similar to the Upper Hand. Upper Hand feeders will likely far outlast feeders made of sucker rod, and the Upper Hand will likely prove to yield far better value relative to price.
Consider the following:
The
Upper Hand is the result of years worth of refinement. Built and
created by livestock producers, it has made the transition from an
initial "what if" idea into a highly evolved design. This is a design
that allows unmatched ease of movement and relocation... the management
of the feeder.
The Upper Hand is superior when feeding supplemental baled hay in
feedlots where concrete space is limited, and baled hay feeding is done
on the earth or bedding pack. Moving the feeder at each feeding
minimizes disruption to the earth or bedding. The design of the Upper
Hand seeks a balance between keeping livestock from stepping on hay yet
allowing them to reach the inner contents of the feeder. The
Upper Hand has tapered sides intended to provide a setback distance to
prevent cattle from stepping on the hay. Unlike some other tapered
feeders, the Upper Hand allows the cattle are to reach the inner
contents of the feeder. When used with the largest of round bales the
Upper Hand may initially rest upon the hay bale slightly above the
ground. In this instance, the bottom ring provides an additional
barrier to prevent cattle from stepping on the hay. As the cattle eat,
the feeder settles to the ground. When used with moderate sized bales
the feeder initially rests upon the ground. As with conventional
feeders, the rings and bars act as the barrier to prevent the cattle
from spoiling the hay. Again, as the cattle eat, they are eventually
able to reach all the inner contents of the feeder. The design of
Upper Hand gives it rigid structure that yields strength and durability
unmatched by feeders built with similar materials. The Upper Hand has
unique qualities that are useful beyond the obvious ease of placement
with a loader equipped vehicle.
Finally, the Upper Hand has very high customer satisfaction. 100% of customer reports within the past year state positive ownership experiences.
A satisfied customer is ALWAYS the best product salesperson!
Contact
the maker of the Upper Hand bale feeder:
Telephone: (605) 237-4506
