What do you put your hay in?

[TXMissy]

Hey Ya'll!
I was just curious what do you put your hay in? What sort of container? Right now mine just makes a mess on the garage floor. There has to be something.
Thanks!

 

[rachels.haven]

If you mean a feeder,

X-Tuff Single Sided Hay Feeder

Very strong galvanized metal feeder for sheep and goats. Thick welded rod withstands heavy abuse from rams and bucks.

www.premier1supplies.com

If you mean storage, I just keep cleaning it up.

 

[Baymule]

I use round net wrapped round bales, they sit outside under some pine trees.

 

[Alaskan]

I used a pallet up against the wall, pulled out just a bit (think 'V' shape) then I used very strong staples to staple on deep sea net (thick strong rope net). It made feeding holes small.

You definitely want some kind of manger to hold hay and slow feeding. You slow the feeding mostly so they don't yank it all onto the floor.

 

[Bruce]

Alpacas, not goats but like @Alaskan said, slow the feeding, not pulling it on the floor.

I found for my 2 boys I need to not drop a flake in the wall feeder but get it fluffed up so they can pull some out without having to pull hard. Before doing this I'd find a lot more on the ground as they pulled the flake apart getting a mouthful.

 

[Kristie]

For feeding my two Nigerian Dwarfs, I just put the hay (they prefer peanut) in a large black tub in their enclosure. They get hay in the morning and at dinner time. I'm considering a hanging slow feeder bag to make it easier when I have a goat sitter!

For storing hay, I got a bale bag that sits on a shelf in my carport. Keeps the hay dry, secure and it's very easy to throw in the back of my CR-V when it comes time to buy more!

 

[Hideaway Pines]

I pull out part of the hay I need to use and put it into a large bin with a lid - then I keep the rest in a dry location, but I am only using it for rabbits - not large animals. But this works for me.

 

[Ridgetop]

Make a keyhole feeder from a piece of plywood. Measure up from the floor to where their heads are then measure a hole with a pie pan. Draw a slot down from the circle tracing and use a saber saw to cut out the hole and slot. The goat puts its head through the hole to eat and then slides its neck down the slot to reach the hay in the bottom of the feeder. The theory is that the goat will not be able to pull her head out unless she drops any hay inside the feeder and raised up in the slot.

Keyholes work the best to avoid wastage. The drawback is that you have to have a large enough feeder to accommodate one feeder hole per goat. More goats than keyholes and two goats will try to get in one hole at one time. Not good. But once you get the measurements right they work like a charm. Goats are messy and fussy eaters. They will not eat the spilled hay so unless you can feed it to calves or horses, it is just like stuffig the feeder with dollar bills!