# hay feeder for goats?



## SiameseVA (Dec 30, 2005)

Do you have any recommendations for a hay feeder for my goats so that they don't waste so much hay? It seems like they waste 75% of their hay. Thanks for any ideas!


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Plastic waste can with hole cut in bottom and screwed to the wall...for 3 mini's


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

what size/kind/horns or no goats do you have, what kind of hay are you feeding Square bale/round bale?


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

hubs made this one, very much like a bull feeder only little. downside is kids can hop right in and poo all over the hay. works pretty good for my does, but I wish it weren't so big, they cannot reach the hay in the middle. but it is nice and heavy and was an awesome christmas present!
 this is a cage from around chemical cubes. (pictured next...) great for kids, they can't get in, but not so good if you have a horned goat. has a drainage at the bottom, which is solid and keeps hay off the ground. nice when its rainy weather.
 white chem cube--I washed it well and cut a hole and its a spare shelter. easy to move.
 the main way I feed the does, simply put hay next to their pen, they can reach thru the combo panel. works with non horned goats. if you got horns, its not so hot.

I also bent a piece of combo panel into a V, wired it so it wouldn't open even if somebody hops into it, hang onto the fence. that is how I feed the buck who has massive horns.


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## AuntKitty (Oct 25, 2004)

chewie said:


> hubs made this one, very much like a bull feeder only little. downside is kids can hop right in and poo all over the hay. works pretty good for my does, but I wish it weren't so big, they cannot reach the hay in the middle. but it is nice and heavy and was an awesome christmas present!


Maybe he could cut it in half and make you two...

Kitty


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## Mironsfarm (Feb 3, 2011)

this works awesome! they dont waste much at all!


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## SiameseVA (Dec 30, 2005)

Thanks for sharing your ideas! I'll read more of the details in the morning. 

My goats have horns. I fed both square or round bales depending on the situation - but usually square or hay pulled from a round.


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## April (Nov 28, 2006)

With the horned goats, I like small square holes that only their mouths can fit through. I also like a big tray under the feeder to catch dropped hay, because once it hits the ground it is apparently unfit for goat consumption. Mine certainly don't abide by the 5 second rule.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

We use wood manger type feeders & have some horned & some disbudded right now.
I did just buy 2 wall hay feeders from the local mill. They are Poly Hub horse hay feeders I think they are called. They had them on clearance & anxious to see how well they work.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Mironsfarm is similar to the one I built in that there is a hole for the head that narrows down to help keep the hay in. Only difference in mine is, since we have harge Nubians, I added a step for them about 6-8" high right in front of that feeder. This keeps everything out but the snakes and chickens; and the goats do a pretty good job of keeping those out.

Other feeders I've constructed were with a wooden foundation to make it sturdy, i.e. wooden bottom to hold the hay and corners for stabilization. Then I added regular fencing wire around it. These feeders are at different heights around in the barn so young kids can enjoy hay as well as the adults. Some of steps; some do not. (I don't keep horned goats.)


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## Mironsfarm (Feb 3, 2011)

i have nubians that have horns that use the key hole feeder with know problems i have just about tried everything to get them to stop wasteing hay and this is by far the best yet! was easy to build i have the plains to build it wasnt hard to build at all. the hay on the floor you can see in the picture was all that was lost out of a full bale.


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## Aimee (Nov 8, 2010)

I came across this today:
Automatic horse feeders feeding hay bales equine
It is a solar powered hay feeder. It sounds really awesome. Does anyone think it would work for goats? I think you would have to have steps up to it...

I found an old old rusted metal baby crib on the property I am on. It had a small tree growing through it. It took me a lot of work to get the crib out. I used it for a hay feeder until my dad saw it and took it away. Apparently, it was his bed when he was a baby and I couldn't use it for a hay feeder. But it worked really well.

Now, I have a cattle panel tied to one of the cattle panels and put the hay in between the two cattle panels. They just pull it out but a lot more of it goes on the floor.

I really like the idea of the solar powered hay feeder above. You can set it to feed up to ten times a day for a certain amount of time. Sounds pretty cool. and maybe just maybe they might eat some of what they dropped if they didn't have access to the hay all of the time lol yeah right


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## Aimee (Nov 8, 2010)

I forgot to say that I really like Chewie's chemical cube cage. I think I might look for one of those. I see them for sale all the time. 

I made a cover for the crib to keep the kids out of the hay. I would do that with the cube too.


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## Mironsfarm (Feb 3, 2011)

Aimee said:


> I came across this today:
> Automatic horse feeders feeding hay bales equine
> 
> I found an old old rusted metal baby crib on the property I am on. It had a small tree growing through it. It took me a lot of work to get the crib out. I used it for a hay feeder until my dad saw it and took it away. Apparently, it was his bed when he was a baby and I couldn't use it for a hay feeder. But it worked really well.


ound:


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## Aimee (Nov 8, 2010)

Mironsfarm yeah it is kinda funny but it really made me mad at the time LOL It's not like he is going to use it for anything. It's 60 years old


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

The solar powered hay feeder might work well for full size goats but may be too tall for mini's & nigerians. Plus they need access to their hay 24/7.

You can buy similar feeders for probably much less money & then make a top that has a big overhang to keep it nice & dry for much less. Check some of your feed stores or local mill's & see what they have.


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