# Do I have really bad luck or do I need a new hay feeder?



## vermillionoaks (Feb 29, 2012)

Last night I went out at 10:00 to separate the kids from my doe so I could milk her this morning for the first time.  When I went to get the little buckling he was stuck in the hay feeder! His head and one foot were between two of the  bars and he had another leg between another set of the bars.  It took me a while to realize he was dead.  I guess he suffocated somehow?

http://www.ranchoutlet.com/images/max_image/prod-3799.jpg 

Thats a pic of our hay feeder.  It was only half full.  I'm still in shock.  It just doesn't seem like he could die like that.  The vet was already scheduled to come out today to give the whole herd a check-up so I guess I'll have him look at our little buckling to see if he did suffocate.  Was this some freak accident or should I be getting a new feeder?  We definitely will be keeping it full to the top for now.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 29, 2012)

I would use a different hay feeder, the way it is wider at the top of the spaces and narrows as it goes down, especially on the ends is a problem.


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## that's*satyrical (Feb 29, 2012)

Sorry to hear you lost your little buckling. I don't know about the hayfeeder.


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## Queen Mum (Feb 29, 2012)

Oh my goodness.  Poor little guy.  So sorry for your loss.


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## elevan (Feb 29, 2012)

I'm sorry for your loss.

I would definitely look into a new hay feeder, I just don't think that any size goat is safe with that type of feeder.


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## currycomb (Feb 29, 2012)

that type of feeder is for a horse. even a big goat could get its head caught. cross bars could be added horozontally, making it impossible for a goat to get its head or body inside the feeder


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## PotterWatch (Feb 29, 2012)

I'm so sorry about your buckling.


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## secuono (Feb 29, 2012)

You could close off the bottoms that get smaller. He could of suffocated, panicked and broken his neck or just the stress could of done him in.


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## ThreeBoysChicks (Feb 29, 2012)

Line it with 2X4 horse wire and put a lid on it, so they can not accidentally get stuck from the top.


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## CheerioLounge (Feb 29, 2012)

What a heartbreak  So sorry for your loss. 

 Thank you for posting though.  This is an experience we all can learn from.


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## vermillionoaks (Feb 29, 2012)

Thanks everyone.  The hardest part was telling my two boys.  My youngest teared up and said "but the little girl doesn't have anyone to play with!"  My doe is taking it pretty hard too.  She keeps calling for him.  It just stinks but there is nothing we can do about it.



			
				ThreeBoysChicks said:
			
		

> Line it with 2X4 horse wire and put a lid on it, so they can not accidentally get stuck from the top.


Thanks for the tip.  I'll see what my hubby thinks of that idea.

I did talk to the lady that I bought most of my goats from and she said she has talked to quite a few goat breeders and has heard multiple stories of kids getting stuck in the metal hay feeders.  They are not solely marketed for horses.  I bought a couple from a goat distributor and the big one was recommended at the feed store when we told them we had goats.  Its a little frustrating because even Story's Guide to Dairy Goats recommends a wood version of this (with solid sides).

So what kind of hay feeder is safe?


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## Mamaboid (Feb 29, 2012)

vermillionoaks said:
			
		

> Thanks everyone.  The hardest part was telling my two boys.  My youngest teared up and said "but the little girl doesn't have anyone to play with!"  My doe is taking it pretty hard too.  She keeps calling for him.  It just stinks but there is nothing we can do about it.
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My dh has built 4 of this kind and they are great.  Spindles are 2-21/2 inches apart.


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## PattySh (Feb 29, 2012)

Very sorry to hear about your little buckling.


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## Chirpy (Feb 29, 2012)

I am so sorry.   I'm so glad you shared this with us... I also have feeders something like that that my goat kids have played in for years.  I never thought about them dying due to one.   I'll be taking a look at my own feeders before kidding season starts here.


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## that's*satyrical (Feb 29, 2012)

Ours is just made out of the fencing. It's almost free & works pretty well. With the openings being squares it leaves more room to climb out if needed.


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## vermillionoaks (Feb 29, 2012)

Mamaboid said:
			
		

> My dh has built 4 of this kind and they are great.  Spindles are 2-21/2 inches apart.
> http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/4738_big_goats_play_pen_004.jpg


What are the sides and top like?


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## vermillionoaks (Feb 29, 2012)

that's*satyrical said:
			
		

> Ours is just made out of the fencing. It's almost free & works pretty well. With the openings being squares it leaves more room to climb out if needed.


We have tried fencing before, both chain link and some kind of rectangular fencing (don't remember what size the openings were).  Maybe our goats are not the smartest bunch, but they didn't seem to figure it out.  They just cried all the time and the hay never seemed touched.  That is why we went out and bought some pre-made feeders.  :/  Maybe the holes were too small?


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## babsbag (Feb 29, 2012)

I have one similar to the picture, except my goats can put their head in the feeder to eat (hoping to waste less hay). For me the thing I looked for was spacing that wouldn't let a head get stuck, the spacing is the same from top to bottom so if they stick thier head it at the top of the feeder they can pull it out at the bottom. I think that the one in the Storey Guide has evenly spaced slats, that was the one we used as a model. I still worry about the babies getting thier heads in and then a doe squeezing in the same space. It does happen, and the kids scream pretty good but the does don't seem to care. I also made sure that the feeder was low enough so that the kids would have thier feet on the ground if they got stuck.

I am building a creep feeder this year too.

Many of my friends use pieces of stock panels that they just tie to their fences. The holes are big enough for the goats to stick their noses in the grab the hay. They will put it in the corner of a stall or sometimes just make a big circle out of it so they goats can eat all around. 

I am sorry you lost your little buckling. I know it doesn't help, but goats can find a way to get stuck no matter what we do. Everytime I think I have their pen safe they find a way to get in trouble.


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## Mamaboid (Mar 1, 2012)

vermillionoaks said:
			
		

> Mamaboid said:
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sides are just like the front.  There is a slight angle to allow the top opening to be large enough to put hay in, but there are slats on it also, so no opening is more than a couple inches wide.  The can all get their noses in, but nothing else.  The top is open but is high enough they cannot get on top of it.  We put a foot rest along the bottom to give them a place to put their feet, because they seem to like to stand on their hind feet when eating.  The bottom is only about a foot off the ground and the top is shoulder height on me.  I think they are 4ft from top to bottom, so kids and adults alike can get a place to eat.

What you see on the left hand side of the pic is the side and the top is just that wide board, it is about 8 inches wide at the top and angles down to 4 inches.  It is 4 ft side to side.


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## 20kidsonhill (Mar 1, 2012)

we found 2x4 inch squares, or 2 inch spacing, works pretty well.


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## vermillionoaks (Mar 1, 2012)

Does anyone have any experience with the hay bags.  Not the nets which I know are bad, but the solid canvas bags with one hole?  I think we are going to try a fence square feeder again in the main area.  I'm just trying to figure out a small feeder for the "kidding stall" where I am going to separate the kids at night when I milk.


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## PattySh (Mar 1, 2012)

I've used the horse hay bags (canvas) with a kid or two in puppy playpens. They work good for that purpose, especially in the house as they cut down on mess. I have had kids pull the hay out and curl up and sleep in them  tho lol.


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## aggieterpkatie (Mar 2, 2012)

Well, I use 2 of the metal horse hay feeders and had horizontal bars welded on them, mainly to prevent waste.  I've never had a problem, except with 1 stupid ram who kept pushing his head through, then not being able to get it out since he had so much wool.  I think he was particularly stupid though, because I've never had an issue with any of the other animals.   I also use a hay net, one of the kinds with the tiny holes, and I've never had any problems with it either.


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## mama24 (Mar 2, 2012)

I need a new hay feeder, too. I rigged a homemade one using 4x4 inch wire fencing that we took down when we put up new fencing. My bigger goat likes to stick her whole head deep into the hay when she eats for whatever strange reason, and since both of my goats have their horns, she gets stuck at least 3 times a week, sometimes twice in one day! This just started maybe 2 weeks ago, she had never gotten stuck before then or I would have taken care of it already by now. And on top of that, my chickens decided this week to bend the top down so they can build a nice nest on top of the hay every day to lay eggs.  I think I'm going to do the same basic concept except I'm going to use chicken wire (or maybe some leftover pieces of 2x4" welded wire if I have a piece the right size) and make a roll with the sides folded over quite a bit, probably meet in the middle so there are no sharp edges near the ends. Then the goats will have to take hay out of the ends and the chickens won't be able to get in! I only have 2 goats, so this should work until I can justify getting a "real" hay feeder when I have more goats.  Or maybe I can give my dh 2 weekend projects this weekend and have him make a milking stand AND a wooden hay feeder.


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## Hillsvale (Mar 2, 2012)

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> I would use a different hay feeder, the way it is wider at the top of the spaces and narrows as it goes down, especially on the ends is a problem.


Agreed, we had a little buckling who got up on the wooden spool and was at the hay feeder... someone knocked the spool over and the sweetest little buckling hung himself.

Sorry for your loss.


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