Barns almost ready - Now for fans, Insect Control, etc

[xrmn002]

The barn is almost ready and it’s exciting and overwhelming! I’ll check other posts as well, but wanted to get recommendations on a couple remaining items:

What are the best fans and mounts for in stalls (size, brand, model, etc.)? I have outlets but not fans yet.

What have been the best fly and mosquito control solution you’ve found? I’m looking at Fly Stoppers/Fly Predators - anyone used them or something else?

What about hay slow feeders? Looking for something to keep it neat and optimize hay.

[wsmoak]

I’m happy with my sealed motor fans from FarmTek. They can be mounted on the wall or ceiling with the bracket, or there’s a different one if you definitely want a wall mount. I bought an 18" first but it’s too much for the run-in. It got moved to the garage and I have the smaller one now.

https://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/ProductDisplay?mfPartNumber=106569

HayChix for hay nets. The Tarter hay basket combined with a net looks like a good solution, a local barn has them but I have not used them personally.

[xrmn002]

Thanks!

[Simkie]

Any sealed motor fan will do it–I think I have the one from Valley Vet? They often go on sale this time of year! Putting them on a timer is nice

Fly predators work great for me, I notice a huge difference. BUT you do need to treat them right. They’re also sensitive to the chemicals in fly spray, so keep that out of your bedding–fly spray the horses outside of the stalls.

For $$, the Shire’s nets just can’t be beat. They’re cheap and really hold up well.

[lenapesadie]

Any sealed motor fan should do nicely. The ones I like are compatible with a mister system.

I really like my Porta Grazer. They aren’t cheap, but they work so well.

If you get an overhead fly spray system, try to avoid having it spray right over the feed tubs.

[clanter]

for flies we have used just about everything, with limited success…until recently. This has only been a few days so still in the test mode for us but we used Vectra 3D on Socks who has an allergic reaction to flies. This has only been on him for few days but not one fly will land on him where Bonnie and Lakota (being used as test control subjects) are having flies landing on them in abundance

Fans, here you just can not have enough … last year we just went ahead and air conditioned Socrates’s stall

[ThreeWishes]

Can you describe how you set up Socrates’ A/C? What a lucky horse!

[clanter]

@ThreeWishes

Can you describe how you set up Socrates’ A/C? What a lucky horse!

took rigid foam insulation to insulated the outside walls of his free standing stall, then dome over the stall of plastic sheeting … AC is a window unit … also have exhaust fan to increase air circulation… not freezing but reduces stall temperature by about twenty degrees… he really does not like it since he can not see out

[ThreeWishes]

He’s worth it I’m sure ! What symptoms did his allergies present with? Skin/body or breathing or both?

[clanter]

@ThreeWishes

Skin/body

very itchy… but it appears (we really are hopeful that this Vectra may be an answer)… he has been completely comfortable since treated. Flies still avoid him. The normal horse behavior to get flies off would cause him to start scratching.

[ThreeWishes]

Thanks for the insight @clanter. Fingers crossed you have found the silver bullet!

[fourfillies]

Stay away from Valley Vet. Agree their 18” sealed motor fans are nice for the price with very reasonable shipping. BUT, 2 of the 3 arrived damaged out of the box last spring. They were HATEFUL to try to get the situation rectified. Pushed me off on an even more rude manufacturer. The flimsy rims arrived bent and missing these wee tiny screws/nuts that you’d have to be a hobbit to maneuver. With COVID and crazy hours at work last summer I finally gave up. But Valley Vet. Never again.

[PaddockWood]

I ordered the Ramm sealed fans and they’re very nice. Just now ordered Nag Bags after seeing great reviews - soft netting and no knots.

[stb]

I ordered my sealed motor fans from Ramm and their customer service is second to none. I have a basket fan in each stall and a sealed motor ceiling fan in the barn aisle, which is great for human comfort when grooming, vetting, etc.

I have Porta Grazers and like them for their ease of filling, but I find they don’t slow my horses down very much, and mine also like to pull hay out and drop it on the ground when fed from the Porta Grazers. They don’t do this as much when I use either Nibble Nets or Hay Chix nets, for some reason.

[SugarCubes]

I have the High Country Plastics Slow Feeder Saver Juniors in my stalls, they completely eliminate any hay waste. I actually have their larger size in my paddocks. Such a time saver over filling hay nets. Totally worth the cost IMO.

As for fly control, I don’t know how big your barn is, but both of my barns have been smaller and I’ve had great success mounting a couple of the Country Vet Metered Fly/Mosquito kits https://www.amazon.com/Waterbury-Country-Flying-InsectKill-System/dp/B01IRBBD22/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=country+vet+fly+spray&qid=1618177771&sr=8-7down my aisle and one in each stall. A can lasts nearly a month, and has 100% eliminated any flies in the barn. I also feed Simplifly in the spring and summer months which reduces the number flies on the property dramatically.

I’ve toyed with having a full sized fly spray system, but for my 40x40 barn the country vet kits work so well it’s hard to justify the expense. I actually learned from a thread on here that the cannisters actually fit the Glade air freshener automatic dispensershttps://www.amazon.com/Glade-Automatic-Starter-Battery-Operated-Freshness/dp/B07QPCC5PN/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=glade+automatic+air+freshener&qid=1618177865&sr=8-6 and are way cheaper. So I’ve bought a couple of those at the grocery store too.

[xrmn002]

Thanks, everyone! Great suggestions! I’ll look into all of them!

[baybrio]

@fourfillies

They were HATEFUL to try to get the situation rectified.

I had that situation with a different product from Valley Vet just before COVID.

@fourfillies

Pushed me off on an even more rude manufacturer.

Same exact response! Buy from a different company.

[baybrio]

@SugarCubes

High Country Plastics Slow Feeder Saver Juniors

I’ve used a variety of slow feeder hay bags with great success, until this year when we switched to large square bales. It’s lovely hay but they must cut it longer than the small squares, the horses can’t get the hay out very well. I think the High Country Plastics Slow Feeder Saver Juniors mentioned above would work with the longer cut. I’m going to look into those.

[SugarCubes]

I LOVE them! I was buying the big bales (900lbs) for a while and if I tore a flake in half and folded it, it fit perfectly in the Junior size. A whole flake (actually 2) from a big bale fits in the full sized one.

[baybrio]

Fantastic, good to know the High Country Plastics Slow Feeder Saver Juniors work with the big squares. I’m usually a do it myself girl but these look really well made.