Goats and plastic or nylon rope

[fishhead]

I'd like to put a round bale in with my goats but they waste so much if you just roll it in and forget it.

I've put a horse panel around it in the past but one of my boys partially ripped a scur off one winter. It wasn't pleasant for anyone including me who had to sedate him and force him against the wall so I could finish removing it.

That got me thinking why couldn't I just wrap it in a bunch of wraps of synthetic rope. As they eat it down I could just tighten the rope.

Do goats eat synthetic rope? If so does it hurt them?

[Alice In TX/MO]

Goats seek any opportunity to get hung up and choke themselves to death.

I wouldn't do it.

[HappyFarmer]

The horse panels are the best idea.
As far as the scur it was destined to get knocked off sooner or later.

HF

[fishhead]

The scur has grown back. I don't want to repeat that experience. It only came part way off and was really painful for him until I cut it off.

I have some yard fencing but it's the perfect size for a hoof to slide through and get caught.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Scurs will be knocked off occasionally, no matter how you wrap your hay.

It's just one of those goat things we learn to deal with.

[Backfourty,MI.]

I wouldn't use any rope, my luck mine would figure a way to eat it or get caught in it.
What if you put a cattle panel up between the hay & the goats & they could only pull through the fence? Maybe you could kinda wrap the cattle panel so it would be like a BIg manger type feeder, well sort of?

[beccachow]

You ARE cutting the twine off the round bales to start with, right?? They can get caught up on those as well.

Watching my goats over the past few years, I have to say they are tied with horses for being the most accident prone animals God ever made. I'd stay faaar away from rope .

[fishhead]

It's got twine on it now because I just rolled it in the pen but I'll cut it off tonight.

[sammyd]

When we fed rounds we kept them in a separate shed and just peeled some off a couple times a day and put it in feeders.

[Backfourty,MI.]

Originally Posted by sammyd

When we fed rounds we kept them in a separate shed and just peeled some off a couple times a day and put it in feeders.

That's what were doing right now too but I hate it! The guy we get our hay from didn't square bale anything this year due to rain, weather, help, etc.
I think there's alot more waste doing it this way for me anyways & will probly buy some square bales from someone else too.

[coso]

When we fed rounds we kept them in a separate shed and just peeled some off a couple times a day and put it in feeders.

ditto

[Lauri]

we peel the round bale too. Do the same for the horses too.

[beccachow]

Originally Posted by fishhead

It's got twine on it now because I just rolled it in the pen but I'll cut it off tonight.

I'm a fine one to talk, it only crossed my mind because I forgot to cut the twine off the horses' bale.

[Heritagefarm]

I've seen them eat plastic before without choking, or any side effects afterwards. I suspect it just goes through their system. I've also seen chickens eat entire chunks of polystyrene. Plastic is toxic to humans; I doubt it is good for goats.