# anyone use a hay net for goats?



## colemangirly (Sep 30, 2010)

I have a question for you all out there. I use a large round bale hay net for my horses so they don't waste hay. Like the one pictured here Cinch Chix - Cinch Chix - Home of the Cinch Net Hay Feeder it is a large round bale one. I was wondering if you all thought this would also work for my goats (no horns). I thought about putting a tarp on the top to keep them from messing it. What do you all think?


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

That is fascinating. I've never seen one of those. I'm intrigued. They'll dance ON the bales and put holes in the tarp, though. I'm wondering if they danced on it, they might get legs stuck in that mesh.

I use a round bale to feed my goats too. I roll it into the pasture, and flop it on it's flat side onto a pallet. I then unwrap the plastic netting until it has just one more layer to unwrap. Then I take a cattle panel and wrap it around the bale, using aluminium clips to hold it in place. Then I pull off the rest of the plastic wrap. Goats eat hay through the holes of the panel. Actual cattle panels (with the bigger holes) works best, the combo panels have small holes at the bottom. 

We then made a tarp roof for the top using PVC pipe to make a peak, clips to hold the tarp, and bungies to hold the pipes and tarp on.


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

We had a doeling choke on the bungee straps we had securing a tarp over a round bale. If a goat can find a way to get tangled in something, they will. 

I will say that *in general*, hay nets are not recommended for goats.


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## colemangirly (Sep 30, 2010)

I did just want to clarify that these are not the typical horse hay net with the big holes that goats can get their heads through, but I never thought about their feet. Oh well.
Back to new ideas.


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## Copperhead (Sep 12, 2011)

We use a smaller hay net for our goats. Think in terms of a 60lb square bale. I have two eye bolts on the side of the goat barn that we use to keep it off the ground. When it gets low, we've had one or two goats get their horns wrapped up in it, but it does seem to be a learning experience that hasn't been repeated. The funniest thing is watching the little ones jump and climb on it, but they haven't been hurt from the experience. We did find eggs (unbroken!) when my boy left large gaps between the carabiners. 

I wouldn't be without it just because it seriously reduces wasted hay and allows me to put out 2 or 3 days worth of hay at once. However, I keep a bottle calf in with the goats, but it can't get enough hay through the netting.


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 8, 2008)

When feeding round bales we use a 10 foot Old Style satelitte dish with a few modifications to cover the bale.


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## Blue Run Farm (Feb 14, 2011)

I tried a hay net for the goats, but mine chewed it up and made the holes bigger to their liking.


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## ani's ark (May 12, 2012)

I put a horse haynet in my mum-and-kid shed and came home the next day to the most pitiful bleating, because poor Salma had her horns tangled in it. Took me a while to get it off her head. It looked funny, but I dont know if she'd been like that for a few minutes or all day. So I used it only supervised after that for a few months, but I think she learned, they are smart! I havent had a problem since, just need to replace every few months when she has chewed through the net to make the hay fall out! Planning on getting a wire hayrack I can bolt onto the wall soon, then I wont worry about them tangling and hurting themselves.


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Years ago, I had a goat get her head in one of the standard hanging hay nets. Luckily, she was a calm goat (a Saanen, of course) and waited patiently for me to discover her.

Nevertheless, I have never used one since that incident and never will. Too risky.

I don't know how the one the OP posted about would work.


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