Help me build goat feeders!

[KareyABohr]

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!

 

[freemotion]

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!

 

[GrassFarmerGalloway]

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

 

[KareyABohr]

Any pictures would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

[freemotion]

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.....

 

[KareyABohr]

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)

 

[nightshade]

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

 

[mully]

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

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

 

[KareyABohr]

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

 

[norcal]

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. ?? ??