Morning everyone,
Do any of you use or have used hay hoops instead of hay nets, If so pros and cons?
Thanks in Advance!
Can you post a link to what youâre referring to? I have used hay hoops, but the kind I had still involved a hay net.
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This one is through Valley vet. Item #40802.
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I used one similar to this but a few inches wider and deeper from Haychix. Easier to load with a larger opening - didnât have to mash the flakes to fit. I also now have a corner hay hoop from Schneiders. I like this one the best of the 2 Iâve tried.
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Thanks good to know.
Itââs 17â long x 12 " wide with 2â holes. Donât know if this would last over night.
This totally depends on how much hay you shove in there and more importantly, the desire of the horse to eat it all as fast as possible.
The nice thing about this type of product is that if you find that actual hay bag is not working, you can likely remove the hay bag it came with and put one with smaller holes on the frame.
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I have the one from Haychix that I used at a previous, non haynet barn. Feedback from staff was it was easy enough to load.
They are fine, but I personally prefer the hay bag in a muck tub method for loading. I also prep and weigh haybags since I have a very easy keeper which wouldnât be possible with the hoop.
Speaking of, that reminds me I need to post mine to try and sell 
I love these:
https://www.statelinetack.com/item/tough1-fence-slow-feeder-net/E029336/
I mount three tie rings (O-ring type) on the wall - the two outer ones stay hooked, then I just unhook the center one to load it. Itâs super convenient and also cost effective to replace. I donât like the metal ring ones as much because they often hang pretty low.
A few years ago I got my sister this type of hay hoop for Christmas. She didnât get around to putting it up until some time later when she was going to be away at suppertime and her husband would be feeding. Once up, she told me she wondered why she had taken so long! She did like the ease of filling.
But, her gelding showed up one day last fall with a rip on his hip. (It was similar to but much, much smaller than one documented on this board last summer.) Its cause was initially a mystery, but eventually (like months later) she figured out that he must have been rubbing his butt or leaning on the wall of the run-in shed and some part of the hay hoop hooked him.
Iâm not saying not to use them, as she still does, but I thought I would mention it. And maybe keep in mind the possibility when choosing the mounting height.
I have this product. Iâve stopped using them. The biggest complaint is that they have to be very precisely placed and very level or they are a nightmare to close. It must be closed with the latch or it will slide up and down if your horse is aggressive in getting the hay out of the net. I also found that if the net was very full, it kind of stuck out off the wall instead of just hanging.
I would recommend trying to find a similar product that has a more forgiving closure.
We saw the closure off and use a snap to keep them closed.
I have them in my stalls and love them.
I have one and I like how easy it is to fill. The first thing I did was remove the net it came with and replaced it with a nice knotless net with 1â holes. I think my net is also a bit larger than the one it came with. I can easily fit 8lb in mine with room to spare. Yes it will stick out a bit when full, but thatâs to be expected.
I just weigh mine in a large Ikea bag and then dump it into the hoop. I have several bags and will also weigh and prep ahead of time. The ikea bags are easy to fill and cheap, much cheaper to have a half dozen ikea bags than a half dozen high quality knotless nets.
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A half dozenâŠpssshhhhh thats minor leagues 
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Thats a good idea about the IKEA bags! Weâve got some travel coming up that I may try that out if I donât have enough bags to hold him through.
With that saidâŠI have a barns worth of good hay bags at this point 
Enough hay chix bags to prep his for a week. With the very real possibility of getting snowed in for a few days over the winter, and my chronic health issues, I go overkill on making sure he is SET just in case.
I added to my collection after discovering double bagging a regular 1 3/4" Haychix inside a Gutzbusters 3/4" net really extends his chew time significantly. I donât have enough of those to prep more than 2 days but thatâs ok.
Bumping this thread to ask a question -
Grundy eats her hay pretty fast, and sheâs already in a 1" net. I tried double bagging, but then itâs too hard and she gives up with a decent amount of hay left.
The hay nets arenât hung, theyâre clipped into a trough-type ground feeder for better posture. Is that causing the issue with the double bagging, perhaps?
Anyone else have tips on how to slow her down a little more? They get fed at 4am/4pm, and sheâs all empty by 2am/2pm.
Ive found double bagging the 1" nets together is too limiting in general be it hanging, or on loose on the ground. I wouldnât think the way you have them clipped is making it any harder.
I do a 1 3/4" hay chic inside a 3/4" slow feed Gutzbusta net and that works splendidly. 7 lbs or about 2 measly flakes will last him between 3-4 hours with that combo.
I also did a 1 3/4" hay chix out in his drylot with him in a Flexible Filly muzzle and that slowed him down but he would still get through most of his bag. That was before I got the haychix/gutzbustas combo. I like that better.
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Sorry, I should have been more clear.
I had put a 1-3/4" net inside of the 1" net, based on what you had written here. I also tried it in reverse, with the larger net on the outside. She gets too frustrated and gives up, with about 1/2 a flake left - ultimately she was âwithout hayâ for the same amount of time due to the frustration, so I went back to just the 1" net.
Iâd like to stay away from muzzles, as hay time will soon be her only non-muzzled time - they will be introduced to the pastures here in a few weeks, and both her and the Old Man will be muzzled.
I ordered some of the 3/4" gutzbusta nets, to see if that slows her down just a little tiny bit more.
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Ahhhh got it!
What about the 1" or 3/4" net inside something like a Helix or a Portagrazer? I sold my PG, but am thinking of getting another, or something similar for turnout for him to keep him busy and have something to bang around.
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Good idea, I could try that. Now that you mention it, I actually have a cargo net that I can clip inside that feeder that might provide just enough of an obstruction that it would buy a bit more time without becoming too frustrating. It would also prevent her from flipping and slamming the net around to get an advantage on it lol.
Thank you for the brainstorming!
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