Milk Crate hay feeders

[GabysMom]

Yep, I like the easy way! We have also taken livestock panels and cut them up to make very small versions of what @Pearce Pastures built. Same story, have a 2'x2' square of panel, secure the bottom to the wall, tie the top a little looser, stuff hay in it. We have used all sorts of things for hay feeders in a pinch, including rubber totes that are screwed into the wall (no dumping upside down and climbing on, as goats like to do).

I can actually visualize what you are saying about the livestock panels and I may try something like that. I would like hay inside and outside their main shelter so we may be using a couple different types of hay feeders! @OneFineAcre , if you can find a pic that would be fabulous!!!

 

[OneFineAcre]

If you only have a couple of goats, you may just want to do one hole on each side. I make the holes big enough they can get their head in and out. And, I screw the two piece of wood on the bottom to keep them from turning them over. The smaller ones actually hold up better, because the big goats can't get on them, just babies.

You have some waste, but not as bad as you would have with just an open milk crate.
I know it looks like a lot on the ground, but that's from weeks of feeding.

I don't worry too much about waste with coastal bermuda.

 

[Banriona]

I got this http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/tough-1-deluxe-large-poly-hay-bag to use in my quarantine pen for my two new (ND) bucklings. So far it works great. So great in fact I may actually have to go buy bedding since the waste amount has been so little. Holds about 1/4 of a square bale give or take. For five bucks it's not a bad deal. May have to go buy one for the doe pen now.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Please be very, very careful with hay bags. When I first started with goats I thought the bags were wonderful until I found one of my favorite does hanging in one. She had stuck her head through a hole and somehow got the hay bag twisted around her neck. I found her the next morning very, very dead.

Some folks think it's only horned goats who have a problem with the bags, but my goat was de-horned.

 

[OneFineAcre]

We use the bag feeders at shows in the pens but they are supervised
We tried them this year in kidding stalls until we came home and one of the kids leg was hung up in one

Ours are different than those in link

The good thing about the tote feeders is if they are outside and it rains keeps hay dry

Now that I have a proper barn going to build a real feeder
But the totes served us well for years

 

[GabysMom]

I may just cut bigger holes in my tote!! Thank you all!

 

[Banriona]

Thanks for the warning! Hadn't factored in the twisting. I'll raise it up so they can only reach the bottom of it and not get their heads in it. Hopefully that will hold them until I can get their drum feeder made next week.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Here are a couple of other options.

http://www.chicksaddlery.com/page/CDS/PROD/MHB917

This one is a bit pricier, but still not a bad option:

http://www.chicksaddlery.com/page/C...m_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopzilla+data+feed


Hopefully, you won't need to buy anything else and will get your other feeder ready for them. Good luck!

 

[Latestarter]

View attachment 9213

Is the area above the feeder open to a hay loft above? Wouldn't THAT be a time saver!! You could just drop a hay bale down into the feeder from the storage area above! Now THAT idea is gonna stick with me when barn building time comes!

Edit: on closer perusal, I see ceiling joists running through, so I guess it's NOT an opening... Oh well... still a great idea!

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Lol no not exactly open. It is made so that my short self can load 3 bales in from outside of the pen. I do have to drop them off the loft to the ground first.