Safety of Hay Hut Feeder

[Libby2563]

@trubandloki

This is why I will not use the purchased style hay hut. I guess it depends on your (general) herd dynamics. My herd has one mare that is kind of a jerk to the others at very random times. I think low horse would not even eat for worry that attack mare would be able to sneak up on her and attack her.

Yup. I have one of those random attack horses too. Between him and the 4-year-old who’s scared to stick his head inside the Hay Hut (probably due to the aforementioned jerk horse), I couldn’t use it at all last year. I am plotting to build a more open hay shelter for this winter.

Even before the combination of these two horses, I’ve never really loved my Hay Hut. I’ve not found it to resolve sharing issues. It has rubbed manes even on not very tall horses. I just…don’t love it. @Texarkana, wanna take it off my hands?

[Warmblood1]

How much did it cost you to build your wooden feeder? I just need something to keep horses off the bales and need several so I don’t want to fork out the $$$ for several more expensive ones. Thought about building it but wasn’t sure with wood costs if it would really be cheaper.

[beowulf]

If you were closer I’d take it off your hands in a hot second!! It must really boil down to the herd dynamics and I’m just really lucky!!

[Weezer]

I LOVE the plastic ring with the net. Because I have just two horses I peel off a couple wheelbarrows of hay at a time during the wet season but I would also work well under a shelter. I like that they are easy to move without a tractor and there is no way for the horses to get hung up on them.

[lenapesadie]

@Warmblood1

You can do lots of variations. Just depends on what your preference is. A lot of people are building huts like these (I would decrease the spacing of the boards however so a foot can’t go in between):

I’ve seen similar pavilions to this one in use. Very effective.

Some of the ones I saw in use, the platforms were raised up a couple of feet off the ground and then had removable boards above that. Required equipment to put big bales in obviously. I liked some that were set up in fence lines to service multiple turn outs.

All of the ones I’ve seen in person (just two farms) were permanent construction.

[trubandloki]

@Warmblood1

How much did it cost you to build your wooden feeder? I just need something to keep horses off the bales and need several so I don’t want to fork out the $$$ for several more expensive ones. Thought about building it but wasn’t sure with wood costs if it would really be cheaper.

I would have to ask Mr. Trub. He built it.
I am in no way implying it was cheap.
The version we have has a floor to keep the hay off the ground and is built to be movable (by the tractor, the horses rubbing on a corner does not move it), so it is quite heavy duty.

I just love it, it is easy to fill, works well for both a round bale or a large square. I can even hang small hole hay nets from the roof joists when I am not using it for big bales.

Edit to add - I will try to get some photos of it. I do not have any on this computer.

[kaya842]

I really need something with a roof, which is mostly what led me to the hay hut styles. We looked into building something like @Warmblood1 posted, but between time and supply cost it was going to run about the same as the hay hut and take way longer to get into use. It also would be a b!tch to take with use whenever we finally move (plans are for spring 2023), whereas the hay huts come apart and are much lighter. That one piece roof, ring and net thing looks pretty awesome though and may solve the ventilation issue with the hay hut.

[trubandloki]

@kaya842 for one horse a hay hut will likely be just what you need.

You might post on your local horse group (on facebook or such) asking if anyone has a used one they would like to sell. They are the type of thing that either sells quickly or does not sell at all when someone is done with them, so you never know, there might be someone with one you can get more cheaply.

[PREs_Rock]

My homemade hay house, built from scrap wood left over from other projects.

[Bending_Line]

Another vote for Hay Hut with HayChix nets. We turn out in a big herd and have not had any trouble except some rubbed manes. We use multiple huts so no one meek is forced to be near a bully. The bully types gravitate to the same hut. The nets have been incredible on how much hay they have saved. Ventilation has been good.

[trubandloki]

@Bending_Line

Another vote for Hay Hut with HayChix nets. We turn out in a big herd and have not had any trouble except some rubbed manes. We use multiple huts so no one meek is forced to be near a bully. The bully types gravitate to the same hut. The nets have been incredible on how much hay they have saved. Ventilation has been good.

If this solution works for you then you have a different kind of bully. I wish this solution would work for me.

I have the type that if there are 10 piles of hay on the ground and just the bully and one other horse, that other horse is chased off every pile they stop at.

[Bending_Line]

The bullies want to eat, though, and if they do that, they can’t swing left or right in the but, giving the meek some protection that way, too

[walktrot]

Years ago the phone rang on a beautiful Sunday morning. It was the BOs daughter, about age 9, who I knew quite well. Daughter: Mom told me to call you and tell me your horse is okay. Response: What are you talking about? Daughter: Mom told me to call you and tell me your horse is okay. Response: What’s the joke supposed to be? It’s April Fools Day. Daughter: Mom said to come over now because he got his hoof caught in the round bale feeder. Response: I’ll be there shortly.

He got cast in a Tombstone feeder. His right hind got caught at the pastern. He didn’t flail around. He was the alpha. He napped along side a bale, stretched out straight. We figure he rolled toward the feeder. The DH was able to break it apart with a sledge hammer. Getting the hoof out wasn’t a problem. The only other option I’ve been able to identify is jaws of life fromthe Fire Department. He was sore but no injuries. Thank goodness someone spotted him.

That was the end of Tombstone feeders. They were egone in a couple of days. I’ve seen lots of photos of them in horse magazines. One of the university vet schools in the midwest did a study on feeders and said they had never seen a problem with that style.

Tombstone Bale feeder

[tabula_rashah]

For me- having two hay huts has actually far reduced the amount of “bullying” as compared to putting out piles of hay

[Warmblood1]

@trubandloki

@Bending_Line

Another vote for Hay Hut with HayChix nets. We turn out in a big herd and have not had any trouble except some rubbed manes. We use multiple huts so no one meek is forced to be near a bully. The bully types gravitate to the same hut. The nets have been incredible on how much hay they have saved. Ventilation has been good.

If this solution works for you then you have a different kind of bully. I wish this solution would work for me.

I have the type that if there are 10 piles of hay on the ground and just the bully and one other horse, that other horse is chased off every pile they stop at.

Yup. I call them land sharks.

[TwinTiersHorse]

I have used a hay hut with an attached hay net for years with no issues, with a variety of horses. I drilled holes in the bottom of the hut and “sewed” the net to the hut. That way, when we place the hut over the hay, the net slides right over the top. It is incredible simple and works great.

[Dressage59]

I’ve used a Hay Hut for 5+ years without any problems. I still have an Alpha mare that will pull her head out and move another mare off. The gelding will only put up with this for so long before he puts a stop to it. My sister had a Bale Barn; it’s a little larger. Both work equally well. Good luck whatever you do!

[DMK]

I have the same setup, bought the net/kit from someplace in South Carolina. Easy to install, easy to use, so much less waste.

[kaya842]

Went and picked up a hay hut and net for a whopping $1300 on Friday . Thought we would be able to put it together quickly on Friday and realized that wasn’t going to be the case after messing with it for almost an hour and getting nowhere (and finding out there are 50ish bolts to do). We were gone all day yesterday so today is operation put the Hay Hut together. It’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be and yet is barely big enough for the massive round bales we got this year (supposedly 5ft round but are much closer to 6ft).

[pony_baloney]

My pony’s coughing increases when a new round bale is put in the field. I think he burrows his head into it to get to the good stuff. So I also wonder about ventilation and dust for a horse sensitive to that.