I’m very interested in info on the PVC ring. I love our hay baskets and for years have been using them as slow feeders with a net attached to a metal tube ring that we had fabricated. A PVC ring would be lighter. Do you have pictures?
I think I found the PVC ring topper that Senszuri referred to:
https://diynets.net/shop?keywords=Ba…ssembly&page=2
If anyone is interested, here is a link to a 2012 wiki I made with pics and description of the metal ring with net that makes our hay baskets into slow feeders:
http://paddockparadise.wikifoundry-mobile.com/m/page/Slow+Feed+Hay+Basket
My googling just turned up this link to a hay basket net that uses an elastic cord to hold the net under the lip of the top ring of the basket:
https://hayburnersequine.com/product…ur-hay-basket/
My version is still going strong. The one thing that I want to improve is that we used heavy steel tubing, much like the basket’s frame, for the ring that the net attached to. It’s overkill. And heavier than I want. A lighter ring that still held up to horses’ abuse would be easier to deal with for filling.
The hinged clamshell is intriguing, looks lighter, and I like that the hinge holds the ring up in place without having to remove or prop it up
while filling. The elastic ring version looks interesting as well. I don’t know which is the easiest and quickest for filling or if these other versions will last as long as mine.
Wish I could find a 5’ heavy pvc ring somewhere locally. I couldn’t when I ended up having the steel ones fabricated. I might try the elastic version with some old netting I have on hand. Thought I’d put all these options out there for others that are looking to make slow feeders out of their baskets.
Hey RedRyderKy - how big are the containers you’re using? They’re intriguing!
Yes - the first link is exactly what we have. Sorry for my delay in responding.
I am personally against the third link - the elastic that holds the net around the opening of the hay feeder. My horses have shoes on, and we all know horses are great at finding ways to get caught on things or hurt themselves. When the net is spread over the feeder like with the bungee cord, that is a lot of net hanging down where a shoe or something could potentially get stuck. Horses that wear blankets with clips on front could also easily get the net caught on the blanket clip, too. I am also curious with the bungee set-up, if the net will extend all the way down to the bottom of the feeder when the horses only have a little bit of hay left. My mare can also pull on the slow feed net pretty aggressively if she’s excited about her food, and I wonder if the elastic would be strong enough against horses pulling on the net.
The second link would work with the DIY metal ring, but by using the PVC kit, the ring is the same size as the opening/rim of the feeder. This means you can fit more hay in the feeder vs. only being able to fill up to the metal ring, which is down into the basket a bit. I can easily fit 5-6 bales in this feeder with our PVC ring and net kit.
I also love our PVC slow feeder assembly because it keeps the net inside the hay feeder, away from potential harm (shoes if the horse is pawing, stomping flies, or playing, away from blanket clips, etc.). In theory the horse could still pull the net out of the feeder with this style, but we simply tie a portion of the net to the inside of the feeder slots with twine and never have an issue with the net being pulled out. I also prefer this set-up to hay chix net alone because it’s so much easier to fill by simply opening the hinge. (and I love hay chix - we use them in our stalls and previously used them outside too). I just can’t stress how EASY this set-up is. We’ve had it for nearly a year and the entire set-up is holding up beautifully.
** I am not affiliated with this product or company in any way, this is just my honest opinion - after personally trying many different slow feeder options in the past (like hay chix in old feed troughs, etc.). I 100% love this set-up!
I have one of the hay baskets and will be getting two more, as they are PERFECT for keeping hay off the ground and reducing wastage. Shop around, as TSC is by far the most expensive retailer for these items. My friend suggested getting some of those HUGE Shires slow feed hay nets, holds about an entire bale, just stuff and toss it in the hay basket (she clips hers in the basket with an old trailer tie so the horses don’t pull it out). She suggested getting several of the nets so you can stuff several ahead of time, and when they empty one, just swap it for a full one. Regardless of slow feed net options, the hay basket is well worth the $$ itself!
I have that first full bale net and love it. However I rarely use it because my two jerks will eat a full bale–even though this is a small hole/slow feeder net–in less than a day. I simply can’t afford their habit!!
Thank you for this link, Badger!
I purchased one of the Hay Burner slow feeders for my Tarter hay basket last week, and so far, I am thoroughly impressed with it. It was a chunk of change to buy, but hoping it will last long enough to pay for itself in saved hay.
The metal ring version that I posted above and have been using for years dies keep the net inside and slow me to put up to 6 bales in at a time. Stack em in and the net sits atop the bales and slowly sold down to the bottom as the hay has eaten down. It’s held up
well and been safe. But it is heavy and a bit awkward to fill. The clamshell pvc ring sounds like it would address both those issues. But almost $200 with shipping. I’m thinking about it but haven’t bought yet.
I did buy some heavy elastic stretch cord off amazon and sort of duplicated the hayburners system using the net we have on hand plus a couple carabiners and bucket straps. The horses got under it off a couple times in the first week but then we fixed that issue and it’s working fine. Easier to fill than my heavy metal ring. But having some of the net and all the elastic not entirely contained inside the basket does open some risk of getting hooked somehow. The cord is well above the ground under the outer lip and tight, but horses are horses. My homemade elastic cord version is definitely inexpensive compared to the ring options. My husband is happy to use either.
I’m intrigued by the pvc ring that flips up like a clamshell. It sounds like the easiest option. But I’m not sure that it’s almost $200 better per basket. I appreciate the feedback here from a very satisfied customer.
I found this at tractor supply and it has worked great!! Keeps the hay off the ground and you can adjust the height for your horses. I took a drill and put drainage holes in the bottom of the plastic feed part. You can hang haynets off of it too! Its sturdy and it doesnt fall over in the wind or storms we have but I can still move it around without killing myself!
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/tarter-adjustable-hay-and-grain-feeder-ahgf
