Is it the Hay or the Hay Feeder?

[Tango]

Getting back into the swing of farming after a slow and painful restart and I find that the hay market has become more complex. Maybe the drought in California is causing a buy out of our local hay. It has been hard to find good hay in my area. I've tried out a few farmers and continue to experiment when I see on new ad on CL but mainly the goats have been on round bales from the same place.

I was grateful to find what was sold as premium hay (with the price) delivered. As the vegetation withered out my goats started eating more hay. After aout a month of relying on hay more, from one day to the next I had two goats chilled and stop eating. Literally they were bouncing off the walls as usual one day and the next they were chilled and not eating. The following day two more stopped eating. I purchased the high dollar alfalfa at TSC and they stuck to those feeders like velcro. Eating and munching and making all sorts of sounds that relayed their delight. Obviously they were not eating much of the hay? But I put the alfalfa into bucket feeders, whereas their daily grass hay is in one of those four-foot goat hay feeders with the goat panel.

I put out fresh hay every morning. It is a little dusty but not too bad. It has a few sticks and bits of moss but again, just observations. Not bad. The hay looks very nice. Smells good. Stored covered. Not wet, no visible or smellable mold. It is a mixture of grasses and legumes. The goats seem to eat it. They prefer the tasty bits of course. I use the left over to add bedding the next morning. The thing that is confusing is that I see them eating it and they were not losing weight. But they don't eat a lot. I wonder if it is not the feeder?

After a few days of alfalfa, they are back to eating again. They are drinking water, peeing, pooping and no signs of chilling or sickness except for the youngest who is coughing a little.

I don't know what to think of this. When I put fresh hay in the bottom feeder instead of in the top rack, they go to it and eat. When I put it in the top they put their feet on the bottom feeder to eat from the top instead of through the holes. The little one will jump on the top regardless of what I try to do to keep her from getting in there. I know they won't eat if she pees and poops on it -and she's done that - but even when she doesn't get in, about the same amount of hay is eaten. So I am not sure if maybe it is the hay feeder or if it is the hay. I posted a pic of the feeder I'm using- same brand and style and size. I do know that some of the longer fescue and orchard blades of grass would be hard to pull through those squares.

I am in need of buying more hay soon and I want to avoid the same seller if there might be a problem with the hay but I honestly don't know. It looks great to me. Have any of you experienced a problem with the hay feeders?

[MDKatie]

I've got a feeder similar to that, but with just vertical bars on the top part instead of the grid. I also have a bigger, longer feeder that has the top hay part as well. The goats will always try to eat from the top of the feeder rather than pull hay through the slats. The sheep are content to reach their mouths through the slats. I think it's just a goat thing. Weirdos, all of them.

[Tango]

Thank you. That explains it. They haven't been getting enough when the hay drops below where they can reach and they won't eat it through the squares. I've been putting it on the bottom feeder the past two days as I've considered what is wrong and they are eating it. Of course now they prefer the alfalfa.... always something

[fordy]

...............Goats are like Parrots without wings...........they need a perch 10 feet off the ground , so they can see , IF , the Hay , is greener ! , fordy

[jwal10]

I see no problem with the feeder. My hay rack sits down in the bottom though, makes it shorter. I have a plywood top hinged to keep the goats out. Inverted V shape so the goats can't perch up there. I only feed what they will eat in an hour and they go out to pasture. I know my goats like 2nd or 3rd cutting best. I graze late and then cut 1st cutting to keep it short, it has a lot of clover in it. I just make it loose and store in a stall. Goats get tired of the same ol' hay quickly, I feed my hay 1 feeding and other hay the other feeding. They will eat when hungry as long as it is decent hay. I feed other forage too, oats, peas, pumpkins, corn stalks, we share garden produce, turnips. Goats like variety....James

[MDKatie]

Common scene at our house.

[Tango]

I don't have the choices you have jwal10 but I do offer variety as much as I can. They have nearly 2 acres of pasture/brush but this time of year it is mostly crunchy fallen leaves. My neighbor gave them pears and they didn't touch them. I offer different "treats" and they don't care for them. When I can find clover hay I offer that but it is lot of waste. I was supposed to get 50 bales of lespediza and it was bought out from under me. So I vary the hay but they do like consistency and alfalfa is not what I can consistently afford Anyways, I did start putting the hay in the bottom feeder and while they ate it yesterday, today it is mostly untouched because they had oat hay and alfalfa hay to dine on. I think it is the feeder AND the goats. But I will probably ditch the feeder.

[Tango]

Originally Posted by MDKatie

Common scene at our house.

Yep like that here except all goats and all eating out of the top