# Hay feeder ideas?



## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

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.


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

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


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## Donna1982 (Jun 14, 2011)

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?


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## freedomfrom4 (Jul 27, 2009)

or when they jump on it and pee. Ewey


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## Nubiannerd (Feb 4, 2012)

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


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

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


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

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?


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## bwanaswan (Apr 19, 2011)

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.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

This one works:









This one doesn't:


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

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 :lookout:


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## mrs.H (Mar 6, 2003)

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.


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

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)


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## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

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


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

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.


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Jul 28, 2006)

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.


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## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

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!


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## Ranger (Aug 6, 2010)

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


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

chewie said:


> 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.
> 
> ...



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.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

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.


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## wintrrwolf (Sep 29, 2009)

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


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## andabigmac (Jan 10, 2011)

I'm so bad. I looked at all of the goats in the pictures and then realized I was supposed to be looking at feeders. I had to start over again until I started looking at goats again....


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## Donna1982 (Jun 14, 2011)

Ford zoo that looks great!!! I couldn't put mine that close to the fence the three babies would be up and over the fence using that as a spring board lol. You did a great job building it though.


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

My goats do not have horns, so I use cattle panels. I used to build feeders, but a simple panel works the best for me. Only my bucks can't use these because their heads are too big.
I like the panels for two reasons. First is that the goats can see around them as they eat and the oppertunistic bullies can't sneak up and smack them. Second is that they put their heads through and eat like that, rather than pulling hay through which drops half of it on the ground. Still waste, but very little.


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## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

Great looking herd Emily! 
I tried that with thin welded wire, they made a game out of destroying it! I took about a 6ft section, made it into a tube, stood it on its end and fastened to the wall packed full of hay. Three hours later it was still attached to the wall and half full of hay, but unidentifiable.


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## Tabgirl (Mar 25, 2012)

This is all great info! Thanks for sharing girls, we will be building a second feeder (to hopefully curb some fighting) and these are great ideas!


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Ford Zoo said:


> Great looking herd Emily!
> I tried that with thin welded wire, they made a game out of destroying it! I took about a 6ft section, made it into a tube, stood it on its end and fastened to the wall packed full of hay. Three hours later it was still attached to the wall and half full of hay, but unidentifiable.


Those pictures scan several years of my (much larger than now) goat herd. I still use the same panels for feeding, but most of those does are long gone.
Yes, I have used cattle panels and stock gates to feed hay, but welded fence is really not sturdy enough. You know goats........LOL!!


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## Mironsfarm (Feb 3, 2011)

i made a key hole hay feeder works great! they dont waste that much hay i wouldnt have anything else i have the plains to build it if anyone wants a copy. was very easy to build


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## PrettyPaisley (May 18, 2007)

Mironsfarm said:


> i made a key hole hay feeder works great! they dont waste that much hay i wouldnt have anything else i have the plains to build it if anyone wants a copy. was very easy to build


ME! I got an old baby crib for free (an idea I got here) but can't figure out how to cut the slats big enough without them falling off. I guess I can cut the whole side out and replace it with a piece of wood with the key holes in it!


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## boerboy (Oct 7, 2012)

wintrrwolf said:


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


You can improvise your design to address the horn issue. Replace the cattle panel with 2"x4" wire (welded our woven). I will post pictures once I have done it.

Below is my make shift hay feeder


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