# Grain and Hay feeders?



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

What kind of grain/hay feeders do you all use? 

I'd really like to consider buying something for my kids goats this year. We typically use the single horse fence feeders and they work okay, but not on gates that are vertical with no horizontal bar to hang them on. 

We have Boer & don't dehorn, so I am leary about feed bags, but considering them. I've made some before out of feed bags to get us by, but they really are rough on them. I really need some easy to hang, light/not bulky ideas.

If you have pics, please share!

Thanks for any ideas.


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## jaimn (May 16, 2015)

*Net bags*

We put up a feed bag for our boys to eat from, and the buck (the only one with horns too) tried to kill it, which only resulted in him getting tangled in it! I can put it out with the dehorned wethers just fine. Otherwise we don't have a feeder for the boys, yet.

I put another bag in the "nursery" for the one goat that had just kidded. She was allowed alfalfa while the other does were not. She did fairly well with it, but did bite through a few areas to make larger holes. I was happy with it for the girls; it came in handy. The girls do have a large feeder that someone else made, and decided that it didn't work for their sheep, so we bought it off craigslist. It has wheels on one side, which has been a huge blessing when rearranging housing!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Yeah the bags can get torn up really easy. All of our goats have horns, even my kids market wethers.

last year I took the braided feed bags and cut holes, sewed around the holes to keep them from falling apart, and they worked well, but don't last long. It was just enough to get us by at the state fair last year.
I'm wondering if there is some type of cloth bag that would be stronger and better? I don't mind cutting and sewing (I have to hand sew), as long as they have a chance of lasting more than one or two shows lol.



















Generally we use those big green corner horse feed tubs, but they dig through those and waste so much, plus they are bulky, and don't hang well on these type of pens.










I can deal with these type of pens with the small feeders we use. But would still love something better that could possibly hang on this time of gate or on the type above.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I made these and really like them! They hold a bale each, at a good enough angle I've yet to have kids get in them and with the 4X4 squares not much waste at all. They seem to have to work to get the hay out and eat it instead of picking threw it.
Last year I got my hands on some big square bales so got some of the 4X4 hole panels and cut them into pieces, two 8' long and two 4' long pieces so I could go all around the bale. When all that hay was gone I didn't really have a use for those pieces so decided to make a feeder out of those as well. I got the 2 8' long pieces and tied them together along the long part. Then sunk 4 t posts in the ground so the 8 foot pieces make a 'V' and tied onto the t post them on the ends put the 4' pieces. No catch tray but I'm loving the small holes on waste. Anyways that way I can use them for small bales now and if I get more big bales then I'll just take it apart and use them for that again.


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## loggyacreslivestock (Mar 5, 2013)

I bought hay feeders that have tighter spaces between bars so they can't hang themselves. I hang it on the outside of the pens. Very sturdy. My bucks use them as well.


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## loggyacreslivestock (Mar 5, 2013)

Here is a link to the ones I bought.
https://www.dslivestock.biz/products/category/goat-feeders/

Now for grain, I use the feed pans with hooks on them. If vertical bars on pens, I hang a short chain from top of pen to attach the pans. I remove the pans when they are done eating.
https://www.sullivansupply.com/cart/tx/p-808-clip-on-feeder-10.aspx


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## loggyacreslivestock (Mar 5, 2013)

I just took these snapshots off my barn cam.


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## amanda5858 (Aug 3, 2015)

We use a stand up feeder. Very little waste and there's no chance for them to get their horns stuck. It's also great for building muscle in their back legs and hind quarters. 
It's not quite as tall as the picture makes it look, the wether in the picture jut decided that he only wanted the hay at the very top.
My 4 year old boer doe can easily get the hay with out having to stand up.


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## JohnJ (Feb 13, 2014)

We built some of these feeders. I prefer the double sided. They work great and they are pretty easy to build. https://www.premier1supplies.com/img/product/pdf/BYO Feeders BWIT.pdf


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks so much everyone, I appreciate the input! I'd love to use some of these ideas around our place! We really need an outdoor feeder for nice days, and a couple of extra indoor feeders.

I am really needing something small and portable that we can take to goat shows. Not something big or bulky if I can help it. I don't mind using hay bags so long as they are safe, and preferably something I can make that might at least last through the summer shows. Maybe a heavy duty bag of some sort? Feed bags, even the woven ones I have pics of above just don't last. I don't have a lot of extra $$ for this as we need so much other stuff before my kids show this summer.


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## loggyacreslivestock (Mar 5, 2013)

Well, I don't know if you know what I am talking about, but I just cleaned out an old chest freezer made in the 70's. It had metal wire dividers to use between foods that are moveable. I cut the "feet" off of them and placed them along my panels and attaché the bottoms with clips and the top with a chain. They are highly portable and pretty cheap. About 6 bucks for the clips. If you look at the picture I posted on the right with the doe that has hairloss down the spine, you can see it. I take this to shows too. lays flat. I have also cut 4x4 hog panel into 3x3 foot squares and hung them the same way. I will try to get a good pic of it for you.


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## JohnJ (Feb 13, 2014)

There are a few different small ones for sale at valley vet. They have plastic and metal hay feeders. I've been looking at them to take to shows. They have combo grain/hay feeders as well.


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## DixieChick922 (Feb 4, 2016)

Has anyone tried the slow feeder hay bags for horses like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Professionals...d=1459813683&sr=8-10&keywords=goat+hay+feeder

I have one for my horse that I'm not using and want to try this...getting some kids in about a month. They will have plenty to eat outside, but want to put a flake in the barn at night for them. I think this should be safe enough?


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I use the slow feed hay nets for my whole herd. I have the mounted ones on a wall frame from Jeffer's and a couple made by Shire. They work really well and last a very long time. I would only be worried about horned goats using them. They tend to run their horns through weird things and could get stuck in a hay net.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Ok small and easy to move. On my search to show you these









I also found this that would be pretty easy to make plus it would hold more then a flake at a time. Not sure how easy it would be to take to the fair but......


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## Daisy-Mae (Feb 24, 2014)

We made one similar to the first one in the post above. We take it to shows and use a bungee strap to secure it to the panel


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