Patent ID: 8555815

Claim:
A livestock feeder in combination with a large bale, the feeder comprising: a base arranged to be supported on the ground; a bunk wall extending upwardly from the base about a perimeter of the base from a bottom end to a top end thereof so as to surround a lower bunk area, the bunk wall being defined by panel material spanning downwardly from the top end towards the bottom end of the bunk wall; a hopper wall extending about a perimeter of the base spaced above the bunk wall to surround an upper hopper area above the lower bunk area, the hopper wall extending upwardly at an outward inclination from a bottom end to a top end thereof and the hopper wall being defined by panel material spanning between the top end and the bottom end about the perimeter of the base; and a plurality of support members spanning between the hopper wall and the bunk wall at horizontally spaced positions along the walls; the bottom end of the hopper wall being spaced upwardly and inwardly in relation to the top end of the bunk wall therebelow about the perimeter of the base; the bottom end of the hopper wall defining a minimum cross sectional dimension of the hopper area which is at least 72 inches; each of the support members comprising a first portion extending generally inwardly from the top end of the bunk wall and a second portion extending generally upwardly from the first portion to the bottom end of the hopper wall; the second portions of the support members extending inwardly beyond the bottom end of the hopper wall such that a horizontal distance between the second portions of the support members at a pair of opposing sides of the base is arranged to be less than the large bale while receiving the large bale therethrough from the upper hopper area to the lower bunk area therebelow.