Hay feeder ideas?

[Ford Zoo]

I have been needing to make some hay feeders for some time. Looking for ideas and what works well/not so well for people. I've seen some built with wooden slats, and some built with various woven wire. I'm probably putting too much thought into it, but whatever I make I'd like to make sure it is going to work the first time.

I buy hay in large round bales and feed by hand daily, so I'll be making small ones to hold enough hay for a few goats a day.

[Squeaky McMurdo]

These are on my local craigslist and look easy enough to make.

[Donna1982]

Thats cool looking squeaky only thing I am wondering with that is how does babies eat out of it? And from he picture I am assuming its for a whole bale of hay. What happens when the bale gets lower?

[freedomfrom4]

or when they jump on it and pee. Ewey

[Nubiannerd]

If you make something like Squeaky posted, you could hang it on the barn wall so the hay won't be wasted. (sideways, so the hay comes out the front, if that makes sense.)
I think I also read on here that someone was using an old baby crib with plywood in the bottom to hold the hay in it.
My DH made a hay feeder once using a small piece of cattle panel up against another fence making a V shape. HTH

[Minelson]

Here is mine...just a plastic waste can with a hole cut in the bottom and screwed to the wall

[chewie]

i use one of those cage things that you see iwth super big containers inside, usually filled with farm chemicals. the cage is big enough to allow heads in, but not whole bodies. works super, has a draining bottom that is off the ground and is light enough to move but heavy enough to not get rolled around. mine was free, too.

hubs made another feeder that is like a bull feeder onlly small. the babies often get in that one, so I do wish the slats were smaller/closer together.

or, a great idea i've seen, to take one of these panels...Feedlot Panel, Sheep/Goat, 16 ft. L x 48 in. H - 3610359 | Tractor Supply Company, cut in half, 'fold' each half and make a V. a wood frame for the V, hang on wall or fence.

I often just feed outside the fence, too;, which is cattle panel, they can just put their heads thru and keeps feet/poo out. maybe bend one of those into a circle?

[bwanaswan]

Not to be a wise acre but I bought mine manufactured specifically for goats. One has a tray that catches excess hay and doubles as a sleeper for the kids. The other is just a free stander. They are well made and I doubt I could make one as safe and sturdy for what I paid.

[Alice In TX/MO]

This one works:


This one doesn't:

[PKBoo]

The people we got our goats from built a wooden rectangular box with a 'hoof step' nailed closer to the bottom. The box is too high that they can't jump up on it, so they have to 'step up' to eat the hay. Kind of like a platform feeder I guess.

She said it works really well - no more wasted hay! She has tried several methods, and said this works the best for her.

Building one is on DH's list

[mrs.H]

This is the hay feeder my DH built for me. It is placed right under the barn window so that I can feed them hay with out having to walk it around.



And here is one with Penny right up under it. She is a ND.



Bars are electrical conduit that you can get at lowes or anywhere like that.

[wolffeathers]

The goat section of our barn has chainlink dogfencing on it. I have a horse hayrack feeder attached to the "outside" of the chainlink and the goats eat it through the chainlink. The chainlink really keeps them from pulling lots of hay and wasting it.

(We originally tried the hayfeeder on the inside of the pen, but they could stand on the hay through the slots. They dirtied the hay with their feet while they ate the "fresh" hay out of the top. Wasted a lot of hay that way. Now that they have to eat it through the chainlink, very little waste)

[Ford Zoo]

Thanks for all the great ideas!! I'm off to the drawing board.

[farmmom]

I have the bottom bunk of a broken futon bunkbed that I use for hay. It works great, is easy to load and easy for the goats to eat out of. It will hold a couple squares, but I also have used large rounds and pealed off layers to put it the feeder. Worked great either way.

[Oat Bucket Farm]

Here is our hay feeder for the girls. It was done with hillbilly-fixins. It's a large tomato cage, set down in a metal washtub. It is hooked to the fence behind it so it won't fall over and can be easily unhooked and moved inside their shelter if it looks like it might rain.

[Ford Zoo]

This is what I came up with after considering everyones' thoughts. Took me three days, a bit more time than I wanted; but the time in DH's workshop reflecting on current life's events was very therapeutic for me. The roof is shingled and hinged to lift up for filling. The blue/turquoise sealer is courtesy of an "Oops" mix from DH's hardware store. When he first opened it I said I would take it if it was free, but I couldn't pass on the price and I kinda like it now!

Thanks to everyone for your input! I have more ideas now for other feeders too!

[Ranger]

Are you sure that the rooster didn't build it?! He looks very proud of himself!! lol

[Backfourty,MI.]

Originally Posted by chewie

i use one of those cage things that you see iwth super big containers inside, usually filled with farm chemicals. the cage is big enough to allow heads in, but not whole bodies. works super, has a draining bottom that is off the ground and is light enough to move but heavy enough to not get rolled around. mine was free, too.

hubs made another feeder that is like a bull feeder onlly small. the babies often get in that one, so I do wish the slats were smaller/closer together.

or, a great idea i've seen, to take one of these panels...Feedlot Panel, Sheep/Goat, 16 ft. L x 48 in. H - 3610359 | Tractor Supply Company, cut in half, 'fold' each half and make a V. a wood frame for the V, hang on wall or fence.

I often just feed outside the fence, too;, which is cattle panel, they can just put their heads thru and keeps feet/poo out. maybe bend one of those into a circle?

chewie could you post pictures of your hay feeders?
We have the wooden manger type feeders that we built with wood slats but I've been trying to come up with some other kid of hay feeder where maybe they can waste a little less hay than they do right now. Ours they can get in the top too & they pull it all out. Dh gets so upset because they waste so much. You know once it's on the ground they aren't eating it.

[Backfourty,MI.]

I like Minelson's bucket idea too & also Alice's feeder with the cattle panel in the front.

Alice, do the goats pull the hay all out & waste it since the holes are so big? Looks much higher up than ours too so they couldn't reach in the top.

[wintrrwolf]

the cattle panel one works great AS LONG as you have non-horned goats.