Hay and Water containers

[cjhubbs]

Hello,
We have had goats for the past few years now and like every goat owner has run into the wasted hay problem. In the past this wasn't a big problem but lately, our two goats have been wasting way to much hay, close to 50-60 percent of the bale turns into bedding or the deep swampy morrass in front of their barn. After spending two hours cleaning the swampy morass or as I am calling it, the bog of eternal stench, this afternoon, I am done with accepting this large amount of wasted hay. I understand goats are messsy eaters but I was wondering what you all use for hay feeders? I am hoping to make something for them that is effective at minimizing the wasted hay and is relativeley cheap. I also was wondering what you all use to give your goats water ? It seems that we are constantly changing the goats water, probably four to five times a day because the goats have either pooped in the bucket or have gotten hay in it. Thank you so much for your help!

 

[SheepGirl]

Don't have goats, but with my sheep...

for hay: I built a hay/grain feeder and there is minimal waste. The only waste is when the sheep would bring the hay out of the feeder to chew; mostly though they kept their head in the feeder.

for water: I have a 9 gallon bucket I got from Lowe's for $9. But my wether broke it when he attempted to jump over it. So right now I have a 10+ yr old version of the new one and it works great. I keep it outside & away from where I give them hay and away from the shelter. It's tall enough that the sheep don't poop in it, but short enough they can still drink out of it. I also have a smaller 2 gallon bucket right beside it because my lambs are still a tad too short to reach it without choking themselves completely lol.

 

[Catahoula]

I raise their water bucket off the floor...so the brim is above their butt level and it is away from their hay. As for the hay, one feeder has a tray. Usually the hay would fall onto the tray and I would gather it and put it back in the feeder. The other feeder doesn't have a tray so I put a big bucket underneath it and do the same. Usually it is the stem they pull out and eat the leaves or small stems. I started NOT giving them new hay till they finish the stem. It seems to work. I think they are just spoiled. As long as the hay never touched the ground, I just put it back in the feeder.

 

[pdpo222]

I feel your pain on the wasted hay. I went through the same thing. Bought hay feeders for goats. Didn't matter. They pulled it all out and picked through it. I was amazed how much they wasted. I expected some waste, but really guys. lol Plus I was going through bales of hay like I had a horse. So finally what I did was get second cutting hay. Mine did not like the "horse and cow" hay. So they would pull it out, go through it and look for the stuff they would eat and the rest they wouldn't touch. I put it back in the feeder, it would be out the next time I checked on them. So I am one who picks their fights. This is not one I am willing to fight. Hay this year was hard to come by because of the shortage of rain in our area. But my hayman managed to get enough hay to fill my order. Thank you thank you. lol So I have less waste now. A bale lasts for days now. True I only have 3 goats but they eat it. Only part that falls out is when they pull it from the feeder. Second cutting is more expensive, but the bales are bigger and the hay is grassy not stemy. Mine didn't like the stem parts in the horse/cow hay. Plus I would rather have them eat the hay and stay healthy than fight this fight. We don't have alfalfa hay around here close to me it's a mixed grass hay usually. Clover which they will eat in the hay but will not eat it if it's in the pasture. Timothy is another one of the grasses in it. Not sure what the other grasses are, but i finally cut down on the expense and the wasted hay. It may not help you, but just a thought.

 

[20kidsonhill]

We use the black rubber tubs(10 or 20 gallons) they come in different sizes, but we don't keep them anywhere near the feeding stations or hay racks. I only have to change mine out every few days.
and yo probably saw our hay designs on one of the threads I just posted.

2x4 or 4x4 square wire works the best.
Ony putting out enough hay to last part of the day unti the next feeding also helps.

The kind of hay matters, Not all hay is the same quality and they will pick through stemier hay compared to all tender hay.