I bought a Tough 1 Slow Feed Hay bag. After only 3 days, the nylon strips running up and down across the feed hole were either broken on unravelling. I predicted it wouldn’t last, but after only l week of use, its breaking everywhere! No longer a “slow feed hay bag”. It says on the flyer “made of durable, ‘teethproof’ heavy nylon”. RIGHT!
Is there any brand out there that actually WILL last.
So you want the type that is a canvas bag with a hole in the side not a small hole hay net?
I use the small hole hay nets. They usually last at least a year and since they are about $9.99 it doesn’t bother me if I need to buy a couple new ones each year. Horse are tough on just about everything.
I bought the large size Freedom Feeder haynets last February. They have been filled with hay twice daily since day one. Just last week I found a small hole in one of them down on the bottom where I tie it to the wall. The areas where the horses eat from are still in tact. They aren’t cheap for sure but they have held up very well under constant use this year.
If you are willing to use a small hole hay NET I suggest the Shire brand. They are cheaper and bigger that any other “single horse” sizedhay nets that I have used. They are actually built in a rectangular shape. The bottom of the net is not cinched into a single point, the net has 4 straight sides so the hay flakes fit easily into the net. I actually fold the top edges of the bag out and down, like turning back the cuff on a sleeve. This makes it even easier to put your flakes in the bag or pull the bag over the flakes.
I learned a good trick for stuffing hay flakes into the hay nets. I had to start soaking or “wetting” my hay for one of my horses. I read that using a round laundry basket set inside a round muck tub made it easy to soak hay. BUT, hay flakes are square so I found a nice square/rectangular laundry hamper and a Rubbermaid tub just the right size to hold it.
I could put three fat flakes in the laundry basket, sitting in the solid tub, rinse the hay well then lift the basket out to drain. My square hay net fits over the basket sooooo easily and I flip the basket/net over and pull the basket out of the nets. Voila! Net filled. Aha! it worksso fast to stuff dry hay into a hay net also, duh! Makes fillingsmall hole hay nets for my fat piggis so much easy, faster, cleaner.
But, the Shires totally square nets are much easier to work with than the typical cylindrical nets. GO SQUARE.
Oh, they are very tough and cheap.
chicamuxen
I have 4 small hole hay NETS, and they are still in perfect condition, after one year of use. I use them when the horses are in the dry lot, which is 14-16 hours a day. I got mine from Dover for 9.99.
We also had one VERY mouthy horse (cribber, and would chew, crib and eat anything he could touch), and he didnt even rip these suckers. I highly recommend them.
Same here – Patrick destroyed his Tough1 net within a week.
I bought him a double sided NibbleNet and if I hose it off, it looks brand new.
That said… it doesn’t really slow him down very much. It might add an hour [of frustration] to the usual ~2 hours it takes him to finish.
[QUOTE=SLW;6558794]
I bought the large size Freedom Feeder haynets last February. They have been filled with hay twice daily since day one. Just last week I found a small hole in one of them down on the bottom where I tie it to the wall. The areas where the horses eat from are still in tact. They aren’t cheap for sure but they have held up very well under constant use this year.[/QUOTE]
As a dealer of Freedom Feeders…the majority of the time they last a long time. I have several that are almost 2 years old. My personal horse uses and abuses his (and loves it) and it has held up wonderfully! He is the reason I became a rep for the company.
I love my Nibblenets! They are very sturdy easy to load and come in lot of sizes, both for the net and the holes. Well worth the $$$.
Tough 1 is a crappy brand. I cannot say anything I’ve tried of theirs (a blanket, and a couple of smaller items) all just fell apart in no time. No Mas!
Equinets, love them and pretty indestructible !!!
I use cinchchix, but not sure if htat’s what you’re looking for. Mine do a whole bale at a time. they make smaller ones though. they last pretty well.
My horse has a Nibble Net that he attacks with vigor and it still looks brand new. It slows him down a little bit, but mostly keeps him occupied.
Nibble Nets! We use them and they last at least a year each…and our horses abuse them!
We even have one that cribs ON the net…pulls it away from the wall for leverage…nice. His is still intact 11 months after purchase with no tears. We had them go thru the true ‘net type’ ones and had a few eat pieces…not a fan of colic surgery…out they went! Love our Nibble Nets!! More $ but they LAST and are safe!
Stacy
Nibble nets all the way!I have three and they are indestructable.I always have full hay nets waiting to be hung(one horse)…and side bonus…hang em high and look at the beautiful muscling your horse will acquire in his neck!Sorry one is a Nibble net,the other two are Shires horse size and yes ,I think the Shires is the best quality.
inferior hay net
I contacted the company that makes the Tough-1 via email. Think I’ll hear back from them. I asked for my money back. I think they need to know it didn’t even last a week.
FWIW- The Tough-1 bag that I bought lasted less than an hour.
I, too, use a small hole hay net. I tried the Freedom Feeder, and it was a pain in the rear end to fill and to hang.
I use the Cinch Chix that holds a full bale. I have two of them. It’s easy to drape over a whole bale, close up, cut away baling twine, and hang it.
[QUOTE=blueribbonpanel;6558629]
I bought a Tough 1 Slow Feed Hay bag. …
Is there any brand out there that actually WILL last.[/QUOTE]
Can you crochet? Here is what I did with some poly twine. It holds 25-35# of hay, depending on how I pack it.http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp18/ksojerio/haynet.jpg
I’ve been using it for a couple of years now and I’ve replaced the drawstring a couple times. But that isn’t a problem, as I have an unending supply of twine!
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