Feed and water buckets, hay feeders

[Momto5]

Ok experts...what would you recommend for feed and water containers. We use stock tanks for water for the mini donks, cows and horses (in varying sizes). Would a 40 gal. stock tank be ok for the goats for water? Next, what would you recommend usiing for feed and loose mineral? The plastic feeders that hang on the stall walls "look" so flimsy, but are they? Last....we have a plan to use a square of no climb fencing with 2x2 stays attached to the fence posts for hay we figure less waste this way?) what do you all do for hay feeders? Thanks again!!!You guys are such a wealth of knowledge.

[RiverPines]

I always used kiddy pools with very shallow water in summer for goats and the rubber bowls for water in winter. I never liked anything more than a few inches deep because kids can and do fall in and I never wanted to risk them drowning or inhaling the water.
I have had kids fall in bowls and kiddy pools but only to get a little wet with no ill effects. Kids just dont look when bouncing around. LOL

As for hay feeders we have one we bought at the farm store and another my DH made since he was a welder and could. His homemade one is twice the size and better than the store bought one.

I always fed grain in a livestock bowl. Same with minerals.
When I had goats they destroyed anything plastic that was hung.
I used the rubber bowls as those they could break no matter how hard they tried.

[r_knauber]

For water we use plastic 55 gallon drums either cut down about 1/3, you get 2 water tubs from each drom and a scrap peice left over. Or i cut them in half, top to bottom and you get 2 water tubs. The ones split top to bottom i just block with a chunk of log or 4x4 to make them sit level. Around here plastic food grade barrels are available cheap or free from food processing plants. Mine had soy sauce and mollasses in them originally. For feeders i mostly use rubber feed tubs. Anything else just gets destroyed. Hay feeders are a problem. The best i have used i made myself based on the plans on the Premier fence company website. Very little wste and sturdy! instead of buying their panels i used "horse" fence panels and cut pieces to fit. The kind of panels with the 4 inch openings.

[nehimama]

These were cheap, cheap, cheap. I dreamed them up myself and did the cutwork with a jigsaw. The large opening allows even horned goats to drink. The intact top keeps dirt & debris from falling into the water. There is a smaller hole cut out on the backside, near the top, for filling with a garden hose. These are food-grade barrels, and the blue color helps to inhibit algae growth.


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[nehimama]

For fenceline hay feeders (temporary or permanent), I've used sections of dog kennel panel (2x2 openings) zip-tied to the fence at the bottom, and rigged at the top (tarp straps) for easily putting the hay in. Sections of chain link fence work well, too. Small openings, less hay waste.

[Alice In TX/MO]

No, you cannot use stock tanks for goats if you are going to have kids. They will jump in and drown.

[minifarmer]

I trained my goats who then train their kids to drink from a hog nipple. They bite it and the water flows. Absolutely no mess, no algea to clean, no leaking water. They are about $6. and attach with a washing machine hose to the garden hose. Pretty easy.

[sammyd]

We use 2 gallon buckets with holders screwed to the walls for water in the kid pen. Hay racks are built in to the pen walls with hinged lids for the feeders in the kid pen to prevent escapes.
For grain or mineral we built a feeder on the wall in the kid pen but have since went to the 2 gallon bucket. They like to lay in the feeder.
Once outside we feed the kids hay and grain on the outside of a heavy cattle panel that is part of the fencing. Water is in the bottom half of a 50 gallon plastic barrel I cut in half.

[mygoat]

I have barrels cut in half, as well as the sturdy storage bins - the ones with ribbing or extra plastic for stability. I have a shorter one for chickens/ducks, and then a taller one for adult goats. They're both behind a panel that the goats/chickens have to put their head through to get to, so my ducks won't go swimming in them. For kids, I usually put out a smaller pan or bin on the inside of the fence - though ducks muck it up quickly when not even swimming in it.

For buckets, I go to the local dollar tree where you can find buckets larger than the 8qt rubber ones, for just 1.00. Pretty sturdy, too. I buy them 5 at a time... I love extra buckets. In winter I do have two rubber buckets that cant' be beat, though - they freeze, but you can just stomp on 'em to get the ice out... I've broken too many other regular plastic buckets.

The plastic mineral things that attach to the wall work great - I have a bunch that I ordered from Jeffers, which is cheapest. I used small nails angled upward, and drilled larger holes in the feeder, to make it easy for me to remove and clean or refill.

[shiandpete.1]

I use a 30 gallon black small stock water trough for the big goats and then an old mineral feeder tub (sweetlix mineral) for the babies. For the babies grain we use the little hard plastic hang on fence feeders, they use the D snaps. And the big girls get grain only on the milk stand. For minerals and baking soda I ordered the bright yellow mineral feeders from Caprine Supply, I like them but wish the lids fit a bit better. For hay I have 2 old homemade horse Hay feeders, I got them for free from the neighbor who will only use the best products and when it is faded she won't use it and gives it to us. Anyways they work ok, but the goats still waste some hay. I am going to build some new ones, just waiting on my husband to get paid for his semi deliveries so I can buy my late mothers day gift of a drill...

I like the idea of the plastic barrels. It would keep birds out too. I am going to have to make a trip to the city and find some of these. We store our grain in the big metal ones.

[Backfourty,MI.]

For water buckets we use frosting buckets from Sam's since my SIL works in the bakery & gets all I need for free.
I do use the 2 sided black plastic dishes that screw to the wall for their loose minerals & so far none have ever been broken.
For our hay feeders DH made the manger type feeders with wood, there isn't alot of waste with them. Of course the goats drop peices & will pull stuff out that they don't want but not much.

[FunnyRiverFarm]

I use plastic and rubber buckets for water usually the 5 gallon size...smaller 2 gal. ones for young kids. For minerals I have some the 2-compartment plastic one that can be found at TSC...I have also used empty milk jugs with a hole cut in the side...they were easy to make and worked well...and when they got destroyed I just took them to the recycling center. I use large plastic tubs for hay...and sometimes canvas hay bags (never the nets). Don't do racks for hay anymore because I've had one too many goats get injured on them...