# types of hay feeders *pics?*



## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

Anyone have photos of their hay feeders? Just looking for some ideas on the different type of feeders. Also if you would, post your likes/dislikes to. TIA.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

We have a hay wall. Cattle panels on one side of a large interior loafing pen under an overhang but not inside the barn and the kidding stalls that are actually inside the barn are on the other side. The dividing wall is 2 cattle panels that are tied to posts that are set just the width of a bale of hay apart. We take the wire off and drop bales in and everyone lines up on both sides.

This also insulates and blocks wind for the interior kidding stalls as we have a 3 sided barn with very extended overhang. 
We feed very large leaf grass hay- Tifton 85 so this would not work for alfalfa which we cannot get here anyway. I love it and they eat down to the cardboard boxes I put in the bottom to keep it all up off the ground. They pull some out and drop it but not enough to worry about since it just sorta freshens the bedding a bit on the days they stay in which is seldom. For the kids we put it all the way to the ground with a panel that has smaller divisions.

If I had alfalfa to feed I would never do it this way! 
Lee

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## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

Thanks for the picture. Those babies are so cute! Right now I am using cattle panels/hog panels on the walls for hay feeders. Lots of waste with the kids but I'll scoop out their dropped hay and let the horses pick through it. So not all will go to waste but really would like to get something that saves a little more hay.


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## MiaBella Farm (Jul 22, 2008)

Check this post in DGI 101:
http://dairygoatinfo.com/index.php/topic,5944.0.html

These are Vicki's and ours are similar.


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## Rose (Oct 26, 2007)

Have others to post later.


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## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

Thankyou for replying!

Alice, what is the spacing for those feeders?


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

"go to waste"

Everything ends up in the garden here so we don't ever think of it as waste. We have deep rich friable garden soil from all the additions over the years! Such a pleasure- just planted for fall and spent alot of time admiring the soil the goats and worms make together. Oh and of course me hauling it all around like a good little ant.


We have too much blowing rain to use something like that Alice-do you move it under cover in bad weather?
L


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## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

That is a neat idea that Alice has, I'm thinking I could possibly modify that a bit and put it inside our barn....I'm hoping this spring I can add on an over hang to our milker's pen so I can have an outdoor hay feeder for the nice days. 

And your idea of using the left over in the garden, I may just have to try that.


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## paulaswrld (Mar 2, 2008)

Here is ours.....I love it and also have the detailed plans if anyone wants them.

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## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

How much waste do you have with that feeder Paula? And how long is it?

Thanks!


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

Nice!


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## Pam V (Jan 3, 2009)

and is there a reason that the slates are diagonal?


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## paulaswrld (Mar 2, 2008)

I think it is about 8 feet long, I can post the diagram for it...the diagonal slats make it harder for them to pull heads in and out...thus, they tend to stay inside while eating the hay allowing for little to no waste....honestly, the biggest problem with this feeder is no waste....I end up with next to no bedding on my floors, leaving me to buy and put down bedding. Just after buiding the feeders...the concept is from Harvey Considine, we realized we had been wasting 70% of our hay with our old style of feeders.


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## paulaswrld (Mar 2, 2008)

Here are the plans.

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## mamatomany (Aug 7, 2008)

Thanks everyone for posting plans, and sharing ideas  I need one for my 2 areas as we have been using the clip up bags  they stand in the hole and eat from the topp ....


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## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

Thankyou! I appreciate all the replies!


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

I decided to go cheap, as always :lol and used what I had around here. I took T-posts and pounded them at a slant along side the fence line, attached wire, Whalah, fence line feeders. DH is going to make some tops for them soon. Easiest and cheapest solution to my problem. What falls through the goats are able to get to on the other side too. Tammy


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

If a doe can get her head into your feeder she an get her feet and kids can fit in also. It's why first I use the diagnal idea, they bump their heads if the try to stand on the feeder with their feet, but also use the utility wire, rather than slats they get their heads in or cattle panel etc. I want their mussle in the hay feeder only.

It's degrees of waste, there is waste of some sort in all feeders, but if they can along get their face in the feeder to reach hay, it at least means a small pitchfork full each day tossed on the compost pile rather than a wheelbarrow full in two days. Vicki


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

It is better than having them dump it all over the ground and poop and pee in it. It is up off the ground and they can get to it from their yard or the pasture. It will suffice until more elaborate plans can be done. Tammy


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## Rose (Oct 26, 2007)

In the process of reposting


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## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

THanks!

Alice, for the first photo, what type of fencing is holding the hay? Cattle panel??


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## Rose (Oct 26, 2007)

Yes, it's a section of cattle panel.

Having pic problems. Will repost.


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## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

K thanks!


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## mill-valley (Feb 22, 2008)

Paula, thanks for those plans!!

We have something very similar to Lee's only smaller. It works out pretty well, but there is more waste than I'd like. When I feed alfalfa the leaves tend to fall to the ground. It's two cattle panels on either side of a two by four...leaving me just enough space to tuck a leaf in. Nice thing is they eat from either side - less fighting.


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## paulaswrld (Mar 2, 2008)

Your welcome....as far as the slats being big enough for goats heads and babies...I have never had kids in the hay feeder...except once when the diagonal crossing broke and was done for about a month....it took about 2 weeks and then one day they were all in the feeder...once the post was fixed they have not gotten back in...and I dam raise so those kids are all anout...the kids tend to curl up under the feeder....I have another feeder just like this on the back wall that is lower for the kids and yearlings...and yet another one being built this week on the fenceline for nice weather feeding...gettin them out of the barn!

Paula.


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## Painted Pony (Apr 12, 2009)

I'm having trouble getting pics of my hay feeders so I'll try to explain them. Mine are similar to the ones posted except I have used hog panels to put them together. The hog panels have the small (maybe 1") spacing at the bottom and graduates to 3-4" at the top. 

I use big bolt cutters to cut the panels (filing the edges with a Dremel or hoof rasp) in to 8" sides pieces, an 8" bottom piece (which means it is all the 1" spacing), and the front is the full panel. The smaller spacing on the bottom of the panel means very little waste, tiny mouths can reach in at the bottom and the bigger girls can reach in at the top. By making it 8" in width the hay flakes fit nicely and the goats can reach all the hay. I wire these to the wall/fence at about 18-24" off the ground.

These are inexpensive to make, and by mounting them I have avoided the problems of goats stepping in/on the hay or babies jumping in the feeders. I do feed alfalfa in them without it falling through the bottom. The first one I made I wired hardware cloth to the bottom to reduce the waste but I found I didn't really need it.


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