DIY hay feeders

[seabreeze]

I use Hay Chix nets and like them, but I’d like to have something that reduces waste but doesn’t limit intake.

I have large, plastic tomato crates (about 3’ square and 20-30” tall). I drop the full nets inside them and clip them onto a zip tie that is run through the holes in the side. I’d like to do away with the hay nets and just drop a bale in the crate and put a type of wooden grate on top of the bale that drops down as the hay is eaten but prevents the horses from tossing it out (I’ve tried just putting the loose hay in the feeders unrestricted, and it all ends up on the ground, as you can well imagine).

In a Google search for some ideas to shape my experiment, I found this link: https://thehomesteadkings.com/2018/05/04/diy-square-bale-slow-feeder/

The chains make me a little nervous. I would have to figure out another way of securing it without the chains. Any ideas?

Anyway, show me your DIY hay feeders that prevent horses from tossing the hay out of the feeder.

[clanter]

we are using a hay net designed to hold one three string bale (about 130 pounds). this is put into a 100 gallon water trough with the drain plug removed. The trough is then racket strapped using two straps to a heavy pallet to keep the dudes from dragging the hay net out of the trough or flipping the trough over.

Loading the bale into the trough is handled by taking the bale out on a flatbed cart then standing the bale on an end, the hay net is then put over the bale and tied off. Bale is then flipped into trough , then the racket straps are attached

This lasts the two horses in that paddock about four or five days

We have a rain cap for this trough that is waterproof, just need to remember to put it on which really is not hard to remember since the hay being fed is Teff that costs about $40 a bale

[trubandloki]

@seabreeze

I use Hay Chix nets and like them, but I’d like to have something that reduces waste but doesn’t limit intake.

I have large, plastic tomato crates (about 3’ square and 20-30” tall). I drop the full nets inside them and clip them onto a zip tie that is run through the holes in the side. I’d like to do away with the hay nets and just drop a bale in the crate and put a type of wooden grate on top of the bale that drops down as the hay is eaten but prevents the horses from tossing it out (I’ve tried just putting the loose hay in the feeders unrestricted, and it all ends up on the ground, as you can well imagine).

In a Google search for some ideas to shape my experiment, I found this link: https://thehomesteadkings.com/2018/05/04/diy-square-bale-slow-feeder/

The chains make me a little nervous. I would have to figure out another way of securing it without the chains. Any ideas?

Anyway, show me your DIY hay feeders that prevent horses from tossing the hay out of the feeder.

With my group of horses, anything large enough to get a full grab of hay will lead to hay on the ground. As you can see at your link, these horses appear to have hay on the ground too.

The larger hole hay nets (like 2" or 1.75", not the huge things people do not even think of anymore) probably are not slowing your horses down much if used how you describe (secured in a box so it is easy to grab the hay and pull it from the bag).

You could make a hinged top that your grate can not be lifted out of, that would remove the need for the chains.
Open the hinged top, remove grate, put in hay, put grate back in, close hinged top.

[NancyM]

I have tire feeders. I can put a 600 lb round bale into one (with the strings cut off before cargo strapping it to the tractor bucket to lift it and carry it to the feeder). It slides into my tire feeders perfectly. Not much escapes. I usually just put loose hay or a small square into them if it is a situation with only one or two horses using it. Either way, they work great, and it is unlikely that they are going to injure a horse… nothing to get a leg into. Plus, they are free to acquire from the local tire store. You just use a reciprocating saw to cut through the side wall on one side to make it “cup” shaped, and drill some drain holes on the opposite side wall, in case any rain happens (mine are all out in the weather- it doesn’t rain much here). They work just as well in a shed, if you like. They are indestructible. I’ve had them for 16 years now and have not had any problem with them. You could probably secure some sort of net over the feeder if you like, I don’t.