A Michigan State University study shows hay losses during feeding may make cheap feeders expensive. The aim of their study was to measure dry matter feed loss with different feeder designs. On a percentage basis, dry matter waste with the cradle was 14.6; the trailer, 11.4; the ring, 6.1; and the cone feeder, 3.5 percent. A producer with 50 beef cows feeding $65/ton hay for a 190 period was able to save 10 percent of the forage fed. This would translated into an approximate savings of $1,100 per season.