# how do you keep your goats from wasting hay?



## Joel12mi (Oct 2, 2009)

how do you keep your goats from wasting hay?

I put the hay on top of a wooden spool and they pull most of it to the ground and then of course wont eat it.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Build yourself a feeder with a tray underneath to catch the waste so you can put it back on top.


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




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## Joel12mi (Oct 2, 2009)

is that rebar in a 2x4 frame?


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

I use a cheap, plastic garbage can. I screwed it to the wall
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b...M2bloyYg9vPgY/cC/f=0/ps=50/r=0/rx=550/ry=400/


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I think the tray underneath to catch the hay before it hits the ground is important. Even with that my prima donna goats won't eat the alfalfa leaves that collect in the tray. I'm starting to not fill the feeder until they get hungry enough to clean out the tray.


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## wintrrwolf (Sep 29, 2009)

Awww geesh Alice your feeders put my little feeder to shame  back to the drawing board lol!!


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## Freeholder (Jun 19, 2004)

My 'waste' hay goes for bedding, and for rabbit feed (they eat the stems that the goats won't eat -- greatly reduces the amount of rabbit feed I have to buy). The shattered alfalfa leaves that the goats leave go to the chickens, who are still laying eggs with nice orange yolks even though there isn't a speck of green outside. So we really don't have much waste. They have to stick their heads through a cattle panel to eat, so aren't dumping hay on the ground and walking on it.

Kathleen


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

No, not rebar. Sections of cattle panel.


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Cattle panel against the wall. About a goats neck length between cattle panel and wall. Cattle panel bows slightly to meet the wall at both ends. feed hay inside cattle panel. Goats stick head through and eat. No pulling it out to munch.
Won't work with horned goats or bucks(heads are too big on most mature bucks).
I fed all my hay this way when I was feeding 150 does. I still feed all my does and kids that way now that I am only feeding 40-60. Works very well with little waste.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

They waste little with my feeders. The first picture was as they were built - it still needed the bottom piece. 

The second picture was the day I started using them. All the waste on the ground is because I used to just throw their hay on the ground out there. Since building these, I've started throwing a piece of scrap plywood/fiberboard over the top as well as a spare tire to keep it from blowing/falling off. The board keeps the wind, rain, snow, and goats out of it.  

I've also fed disbudded does through a fence to a tub on the other side. I also use old oven grates or the divider panel for a dog crate as a hay feeder - it's strung up to a panel using scrap baling twine - for my buck pens and kid pens.


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## CarolynRenee (Jan 30, 2008)

Minelson said:


> I use a cheap, plastic garbage can. I screwed it to the wall
> http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b...M2bloyYg9vPgY/cC/f=0/ps=50/r=0/rx=550/ry=400/


That's a GREAT idea! I was racking my brain for an easy & temporary solution for a hay feeder for our "buck on loan" in his pen. I'm going to make one tomorrow! Thanks!


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

CarolynRenee said:


> That's a GREAT idea! I was racking my brain for an easy & temporary solution for a hay feeder for our "buck on loan" in his pen. I'm going to make one tomorrow! Thanks!


One more great idea that was posted here on this forum :happy: I don't remember who posted it...But I can not believe that it has survived the beatings it gets from my goats! It cracked in the back shortly after I installed it...I thought for sure it was going to bite the dust. But it's still going strong!:clap:2years now
I used 3 screws with large washers...2 towards the top and 1 in the center towards the bottom.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

We have built hay feeders really similar to MyGoats but our are in there lean too's so the back of the feeder is flush to the wall & then a wood top so the babies can't jump in them & also we do have a tray to catch the falling hay.

We do still have some waste & as long as it's not soiled I'll use it for the rabbits, bedding for any of the critters.

Minelson's idea is a really good one, inexspensive & great for the person that doesn't have the tools or times or the person to build the wood feeders. Great idea Michele!


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## shiandpete.1 (Aug 13, 2008)

I use old horse hay feeders. They waste very little and if they do have some waste I give them less hay and make them clean up their mess. My daughter and I are going to build a feeder like mygoat's for the baby pen.


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