# Hay feeder that works!



## samssimonsays (Jun 19, 2015)

I started with a square feeder that hung from the fence and I could fill it from the top and it had a removable lid to it... That didnt last long as they stood on the fence no matter how lox and would climb on it if it was too low... I tried several other ideas such as totes and such but they were a hassle to hang where they were accessible and hard to fill quickly and always seemed to hold water or moisture causing hay waste even quicker. 

So I came up with THIS... and I gave er a try! Couldn't hurt right? 

Here are a couple photos of the hay feeder I made for my kiddos! With little space and two goats who are very much fans of running out of the gate it made it hard to give them hay walking in so I needed something I could fill from the outside. 






So I placed in on the gate. I made it hinged so it raises up and lifts in to the pen and I can place hay in from my side and clasp it shut again to make sure it doesn't fall open or blow open. It has worked to keep the hay dry at night and during some pretty decent storms. None were sideline winds or anything but some heavy rain.






I used Those squares you get in a wire shelf kit and that are all the rage in those C&C cage systems for guinea pigs and rabbits because I had a lot of them from when I started with rabbits as pets in the house. Like this



I ziptied those together and used wire to make a sturdy enough way to keep it at the angle I wanted it. I don't care if it goes flat just don't want to have it fall open on me. Then I have taken a feed bag that I had and I wired it to the top as a "roof" until we get some other material that may work better.

It certainly beats fighting them in the mornings to give them hay in their hut. EVENTUALLY they will have a building with stalls in it and will have individual hay mangers and one in the main pen as well but this works for now to keep it up and off the ground


----------



## frustratedearthmother (Jun 19, 2015)

Necessity is the mother of invention!  Good job, looks great!


----------



## Southern by choice (Jun 19, 2015)

That looks great! 
I am working on more hay feeders too!

Here is one we built for the buckling kids... we slapped it together with wood we had lying around.


----------



## samssimonsays (Jun 19, 2015)

Southern by choice said:


> That looks great!
> I am working on more hay feeders too!
> 
> Here is one we built for the buckling kids... we slapped it together with wood we had lying around.
> ...


I love it!  Since We don't really have anywhere to put something like that where it would stay dry I really didn't see myself spending time to make something permanent but I do really like it Lol!!!!  I may keep mine just because. It fits all three goats at it perfectly without them touching. I'll have others as well but this is nice for not going in there. They really are a pain to drag back in before work hahaha!


----------



## Southern by choice (Jun 19, 2015)

Oh I know what you mean!

I am setting up other feeders that I can feed "over" so I am not swarmed going in. Like yours is... feed over the top.
I still need permanent feeders too.


----------



## samssimonsays (Jun 19, 2015)

Southern by choice said:


> Oh I know what you mean!
> 
> 
> I'd love to see what you do for permanent ones. I'll be needing one eventually


----------



## samssimonsays (Jun 19, 2015)

Wow that response got totally messed up Thanks to my phone browser...


----------



## Pearce Pastures (Jun 21, 2015)

I am reworking our buck's hay feeder right now.  I really like it but it is exposed to sun and rain, which is not my preference.  Unlike the does whose feeder is indoors and fixed to the wall, the buck feeder is outside, freestanding, is meant to be able to move around.  We have shelters for them in their enclosure but not the kind that we did before (we had a whole building before and right now, doghouses, until we can get to building something else).

I am thinking some kind of canopy on top of it, something to keep rain and sun off and maybe add another shaded area.  Pic of it now...ideas on mods?


----------



## animalmom (Jun 21, 2015)

@Pearce Pastures, I like the look of your large feeder and will be watching to see what is suggested.  What are the dimensions?  It looks like it is about 3' x 4', yes? How would you put a roof on it and still have the easy access to fill?  I can see some extreme ideas floating around my wee head, but none of them allow easy access to refill.  Maybe something along the line of a pitched roof (right words?) that has a covered hinge so you open one side up, refill, and close the side, maybe a latch to keep the wind from catching it.  Would need to juggle sturdy with the additional weight... as I say I will be watching for real suggestions.

I'd love to see a roofed version... maybe one with enough overhang to keep the delicate creatures dry while they munch in the rain?


----------



## Southern by choice (Jun 21, 2015)

Maybe under a loafing shed roof instead of a canopy... it is great that it is movable if the canopy is on it it will be heavy.

My brat goats JUMP into the feeders.


----------



## samssimonsays (Jul 10, 2015)

I love the look of it! If there is a way to make a light weight roof/canopy that may be removable so you can move it with ease if need be?


----------



## Jewels03 (Aug 22, 2015)

I just saw this post last week and had tons of those grids laying around, same reason as you lol.  It worked great!


----------



## FreyasMom (Aug 22, 2015)

My goats pull all the hay out on to the ground and bed on it and waste it. Any tips for that?
Ps my hubby insist they won't be able to get the hay if the holes are smaller.


----------



## frustratedearthmother (Aug 23, 2015)

Gotta agree with hubby on this one....sorry!


----------



## mikiz (Aug 23, 2015)

@FreyasMom  You could try a keyhole front to your rack, so they have to slide their heads in and lift to pull it out so they can't drag it all over the place. Or lift the hole where they're accessing it above their chest height and cover that large bottom hole with cattle panel? Looks like they're pulling and pawing it from the bottom to spread everywhere?


----------

