# Help me build goat feeders!



## KareyABohr (Jun 9, 2009)

Hello!
My younger brother just arrived home from serving our country in the Airforce, and until he gets back on his feet he is doing free lance carpentry work.

I would LOVE for him to build me some goat feeders. Grain and Hay.

If anyone could post pics of their feeders, hay mangers with keyhole, etc. Or really just any other innovative solutions you have found to keep my goats from wasting feed I would appreciate it!

Pics and heights MUCH appreciated!

I thought I would put his carpentry skills to good use!


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## freemotion (Jun 9, 2009)

You really think it is possible to keep goats from wasting feed???   Sorry, not being rude, just ribbing ya.....

I made a lovely hay rack with a lovely tray underneath to catch the lovely hay bits.  It works great.  Problem is, the big goat puts her feet in it to get to the top of the rack....same hay top and bottom....and then won't eat the dirty stuff in the tray.  The babies jump right into the tray to play and eat from the rack, then won't eat the dirty stuff in the tray.

I put some hay in a big rubber tub for them to share, it works pretty good, but I have to dump it each day.  Inevitably, someone hops in for a nap, then a poo.

Wasted hay=bedding!

Don't use keyhole feeders unless each goat is alone in a stall.  It confines them and prevents them from seeing a bonk coming, and they can get injured.  But I bet mine would find a way to get their feet and their doo-doo into the keyhole feeder, too.....sigh.....

Hopefully someone will come along and give us both a brilliant idea!


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## GrassFarmerGalloway (Jun 10, 2009)

> You really think it is possible to keep goats from wasting feed???   Sorry, not being rude, just ribbing ya.....


VERY true.  ^^

There is really no particular 'best' way to feed hay.  I've seen people feed hay out of a box, out of a sheep feeder (the way I'm doing it now), keyhole, bale ring...  It depends on a lot of things.  It seems to me that goats will only waste what they don't want to eat.  I feed brush and not a thing is wasted.  Go figure.    You can build the best manger, but if goats don't like it, they won't eat it.  But they WILL play with it.  

I'll take a picture of my manger and post it.  Hope I could be helpful at all.  

~GFG


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## KareyABohr (Jun 10, 2009)

Any pictures would be GREATLY appreciated!


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## freemotion (Jun 10, 2009)

Oh, wait, wait!!!!  I know!  When I had my horse, not a blade of hay was wasted.  The two pygmies were not "fed", they only ate with the horse, and nothing was wasted.  They would quickly go through the hay for any leaf and the best bits that they wanted, and the horse would eat all the stemmy stuff that the goats didn't care for.

So, get yourself a horse, and you will be fine.....


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## KareyABohr (Jun 10, 2009)

Yeah RIGHT!
My DH would NEVER let me have a horse! He always says one "Wild Spirited Mustang" on the farm is enough. (meaning me)


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## nightshade (Jun 11, 2009)

freemotion said:
			
		

> Oh, wait, wait!!!!  I know!  When I had my horse, not a blade of hay was wasted.  The two pygmies were not "fed", they only ate with the horse, and nothing was wasted.  They would quickly go through the hay for any leaf and the best bits that they wanted, and the horse would eat all the stemmy stuff that the goats didn't care for.
> 
> So, get yourself a horse, and you will be fine.....




I have to admit when my billy would sneak in with my horse it worked not a drop was ever left on the floor


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## mully (Jun 11, 2009)

Goatworld had an article on building a hay feeder...follow this link

http://www.goatworld.com/articles/feeders/feeder.shtml


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## KareyABohr (Jun 11, 2009)

THANKS!
What do you guys use for Grain feeders? I have several meat goats I am feeding out.


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## norcal (Jun 12, 2009)

Tractor Supply has some fairly inexpensive plastic feeders.  I bought 2 small ones, and they have 2 little bowls (spots).   They called the little one a mineral feeder, then they had a larger one.   ??   Mine were $4.  I plan on putting minerals, baking soda & grain (pellets) in them.  

The only problem I'm running into, is that I have little goats, and you're supposed to mount them to the wall (or fence?).   High enough for them not to poop in them, but they are growing, so I'm going to have to move them up as they grow.   ??   ??


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## freemotion (Jun 12, 2009)

Since their head and their butt are about the same height, there will be the occasional poop in the feeder....

I love the mineral feeders from TSC.  I mount some on the wall for the baking soda and loose minerals.  I put a plastic block (a horse jump I had from years ago, you could use a cinder block) under it for the growing baby, I just removed it as she is almost three months and the same height as my pygmies, so now they can all reach it.

I made one into a removable feeder by mounting a scrap of 1x2 a little bit out from the wall, creating a slot that the bottom backside of the mineral feeder fits into.  Then I put a small peice of 1x2, maybe 2.5 inches long, at the top, held with one screw in the center so it can turn.  I put the feeder in the slot and then use the little board to latch it in place.  Works great.  I can easily take it down to clean it.  Cost me three screws in hardware.  Hope this makes some sense.


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## norcal (Jun 12, 2009)

Cool idea free.   How did you mount it "out from the wall"?   Did you put some small spacer in there??


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## freemotion (Jun 12, 2009)

I brought some washers and nuts out to the barn to use as spacers, but hadn't checked them against the screws I'd brought with me, so I didn't use them....  Too lazy to walk back up to the house, I just ended up screwing it in at an angle, simple and effective.  I used it for the doeling's milk meals, I could remove it for cleaning each time.  Now that she is weaned from milk, it is her treat feeder, so she will jump into her stall without any hassle at all, for some carrot bits and alfalfa pellets.  I love it!


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## KareyABohr (Jun 12, 2009)

Could you post a pic of your set up?
Pretty please?!


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## freemotion (Jun 12, 2009)

That would require knowing how to get pictures out of the camera and onto the computer!!!!   Maybe dh will help with that this weekend.....


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## KareyABohr (Jun 12, 2009)

I would appreciate that!
I had thought about mounting a hay trough to the wall, but the thing is in order to keep disease load down, we move the feeder billy's every year. It would be too huge of a pain in order to take down and move.

Does anyone else on the forum feed billy goats for market?


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