DIY Automatic hay feeder

[equinelibrium]

Has anyone had experience making their own automatic hay feeder? I’m looking for a way to spread out my horse’s hay feedings to smaller, more frequent meals.

Would love to build something like this, except off an automatic timer instead of a phone. My husband and I are both pretty handy (so we like to think!) and have engineering backgrounds, so I think we’re in our capabilities to build it. After spending $$$ on ulcer treatments I’m not keen on dropping $2k on a pre-made one!

Hay Feeder video

Also planning to find a way to get the hay to drop into a container that’s covered by a small hole haynet for maximum effect. I have one of these nets that should be pretty simple to install over any box I make (or anything else to hold the hay):

Slow Feed Hay Net Tub Topper 100-150 - Hay Burners Equine LLC

If anyone has made one of these, I’d love to hear how it went. Or if anyone has any other thoughts or things to consider that would be wonderful as well. Thanks in advance!

[Simkie]

I know I’ve read of people doing this sort of thing with a raspberry pi. There are several sites out there with some info on doing that!

[trubandloki]

How would it drop into the box and then get covered with the net?

[Scribbler]

We have hay feeders in our lofts with multiple hinged shelves that drop by solenoid and timer. Mine has four drops timed at 5 hour intervals. You could perhaps rig something up inside a tower like this to drop but how will horse reach in for the hay?

Ok I watched the video the hay comes out the bottom. That works. Very similar on principle to how mine works, except mine drops through a hole in the loft floor.

This would be simple to build, you just need the magnets and electronic timers. I’ve got it rigged with a solenoid but some people here are using fire door magnets. I have one timer per solenoid but you could rig multiple magnets onto one timer I think.

[equinelibrium]

I do have a raspberry pi sitting in my desk shelf, but I don’t think I’m confident enough in my electrical skills to set that up! I was planning on using a automatic game feeder or a sprinker timer for the timing component.

@Scribbler I’m glad you mentioned solenoids. From my research that looks like the best option for the latching mechanism, so happy to hear about it working for someone! Did you build yours yourself? If so, I’d love to pick your brain on how you got it to work.

For the haynet, I was thinking of having an angled chute like in the video, maybe a bit more angled so it gets further away from the chute, and having the chute basically be one of the sides of a box that contains the hay. At the top of the box I would have the tub topper net, which is large enough that horses can reach all the way to the bottom when there is only a bit of hay. I’m realizing now that the net will probably get in the way of the hay sliding out of the chute. Maybe the net can be a later feature instead of an original requirement.

I was also toying with the idea of having the slots horizontal instead of vertical. For example a cube holding the hay, and when the timer goes off the top of the cube flips down to reveal the pre-netted hay, which is tethered in place to prevent the horse from moving it around. But I think my horse would mess with the boxes and push the top down herself for an early snack.

[trubandloki]

@equinelibrium

For the haynet, I was thinking of having an angled chute like in the video, maybe a bit more angled so it gets further away from the chute, and having the chute basically be one of the sides of a box that contains the hay. At the top of the box I would have the tub topper net, which is large enough that horses can reach all the way to the bottom when there is only a bit of hay. I’m realizing now that the net will probably get in the way of the hay sliding out of the chute. Maybe the net can be a later feature instead of an original requirement.

I agree with your end thought that the net will make it so the hay does not slide into the box.

I like the theory but probably will not work.

[rulex]

I saw something similar for sale locally on FB marketplace that looked home made and didn’t have an app. It looked like it had timers for the shelves similar to what @Scribbler describes.

I have been thinking about what making something like that would look like and have also thought about nets. One thought was putting the flakes in something like a hay pillow so it would all come out as a unit.

Another thought was to forget the hay nets altogether but have more shelves so more frequent feedings but smaller portions. If you could do something like 8 shelves then would that make the feedings frequent enough that the horse would not spend too long without hay?

[LCDR]

I have to do more research, but have been thinking analog rather than digital. Maybe a very slow moving conveyor belt with hay spread on top to slowly and continuously be dispensed into the feeding area.

[Bluey]

@LCDR

I have to do more research, but have been thinking analog rather than digital. Maybe a very slow moving conveyor belt with hay spread on top to slowly and continuously be dispensed into the feeding area.

Comes to mind those old black and white films where the conveyor line speeds up more and more and at a point the workers get swamped with parts.
Imagine that happening with the hay, the horse then covered in hay up to his ears.

[RedHorses]

If you made the eating box with a bottom that sloped down to the front and had the haynet mesh be the front of the box, the dropped hay would push the net forward as it fell. Even if it didn’t get all the way down, when the horse grabbed the first bite they’d pull the net and hay forward and it would drop further.

Years ago I made a top load corner feeder with front rigid mesh for my horse’s stall rest. He couldn’t get everything out of it, but got most of it out. I built it to fold flat when not installed and still have it.

[equinelibrium]

@rulex

I have been thinking about what making something like that would look like and have also thought about nets. One thought was putting the flakes in something like a hay pillow so it would all come out as a unit.

I’m having a hard time visualizing this - can you elaborate? Do you mean you would pre-net each individual feeding and put it on the shelf already netted, so when it’s dropped it’s basically dropping a “sack” of hay instead of loose flakes?

@LCDR that’s an interesting idea and something I hadn’t thought of! My thought is that digital would be better than analog in this case. The less moving parts, the less chance for something to go wrong. Mostly because I don’t trust my engineering skills to build a robust conveyor belt system. My first thought was that it would get dirty/clogged very easily, but that’s how most haying machines work, so someone has figured out how to make it work. I’ll have to ask my friend who designs farming equipment how they account for those systems getting dusty.

@RedHorses thanks for the idea , that sounds promising!

[rulex]

@equinelibrium

Do you mean you would pre-net each individual feeding and put it on the shelf already netted, so when it’s dropped it’s basically dropping a “sack” of hay instead of loose flakes?

Yes exactly

But I like @RedHorses idea too and I think it sounds promising.