# Show me your hay feeders



## margaret (Aug 30, 2013)

I'd like to see what other people use for hay feeders. I'm always looking for cheap creative ideas to provide free choice hay.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I use a lot of pallets for feeders. I don't have pictures, and I took my pallet feeders down this fall because I want to remodel, but what I did was set up 4 wooden pallets, angled out from the bottom, on the outside of the cattle panel fence. I set a milk crate on either end, put boards on top and fed on top of the boards.

The 4 pallets were hooked together in a line, with the end ones being hooked to the fence and or building. I had boards propping them up on the outside, sort of like a kick stand, one for each pallet.

The does would poke their head thru the fence and eat their hay. I used the feeders to fed the young weanling does this summer while the milkers were being milked. This worked out great because they couldn't get their feet in the grain and spoil it.

Right now I have metal hay feeders hung on the wall inside their pen. They let them waste a lot of hay, which I rake up after they eat and feed it to the horses or use it for bedding in the dog stall.

What I plan on doing now is take 4 pallets and hook them together to make a square. Cut away half the board on the upper side so the girls can get their heads in to eat. I was going to put boards on the cross peice of the pallets and then place a 4 x 4 square of plywood on top as a sort of feeding plate. Then, the other half of the plywood would go on the very top of the feeder to keep rain and snow off of the hay. I figured 4 of the feeders would work for the size herd I have right now.


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## harleybarley (Sep 15, 2014)

Here's my cheap, quick hay feeder inside the barn - non-climb horse version of cattle panel (2"x4" squares in a rigid panel) attached to a wall. I use eye bolts to clip it to at the bottom and heavy-duty bungies to hold the top closed. I cut the panel to half-height (25" tall) and I get 32 linear feet per 16' panel. I put one up as a stall divider, too, using plywood as a backer. The panels run about $60 here, but the smaller holes do seem to reduce hay waste. (I use the extra pieces to line my other hay feeders, since the spacing in most goat hay feeders allows lots of waste.)

It would be better to have a catch tray, and I have one built like that, but the goat kids always climb up into it. I'd rather waste hay than have goats eating hay that's been walked on or pooped on.


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## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

My favorite cheap hay feeders are made from cut up cattle panels attached with wire or bailing twine made to fit what ever shelter you have. It's not pretty but it's highly functional, easy and affordable.






























A poster on here suggested repurposing a crab trap to make a cheap hay feeder and I really like mine. I had to add the corner cattle panel feeder when winter set in and my 4 Nigerian dwarf does started eating more hay. I don't want them to run out or fight.























My absolute favorite hay feeder that results in almost zero wasted hay involves having the goats stick their heads through the cattle panel and eating hay out of an empty cattle mineral tub filled with hay. Any hay they spill, gets spilled on the clean side of the barn and can just be picked up and put back in feeder. But it's not the best feeder for goats with horns.


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## harleybarley (Sep 15, 2014)

LadySecret - Nice! Great pics and lots of ideas!

Do you find the goats rub their necks raw? I used to use cattle panels in a "Premiere1 style" feeder, but changed panels when some of the goats started giving themselves sores from reaching through the find the "choicest" hay (you know, they hay exactly like the stuff they can easily reach, but it "must" be better because it's way in the back?). I bought a goat this year from a farm that had the same rub marks, same deal - reaching through cattle panels.


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## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

None of my goats have raw spots but that's probably because they'd rather browse than hang out at the hay feeder. So they don't spend all their time straining for that choice bite. Lol

My bucks don't get to browse very often and they only get raw spots during summer when they strain to reach weeds outside their pen.

Edit: The only drawback for me with making hay feeders out of cattle panels are that they are not kid proof. Nigerian kids can go through them for quit awhile. lol Which is bad because it spoils hay but good because kids have a safe place to get away from bullies.


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## RunningRunning (Oct 22, 2012)

I guess I'm pretty boring here lol.

I use plain, wooden boxes. I do have a metal trough that they use and I'm in the process of getting a proper hay feeder (We have one just hanging out in the old horse corral).


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## LadySecret (Apr 20, 2013)

^^^Not boring at all! Do you make the wooden boxes or are you getting them from somewhere?


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## RunningRunning (Oct 22, 2012)

They were made but left behind on our property when we moved here. We rebuild them as they need it since we have some rough and tumble goats. 

We found out last year they also come in handy when the newborns arrive.

But to make the feeders last longer, we are also revamping old horse troughs (the kind that hang from the wall) into smaller bale feeders.


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## cajunmom (Apr 29, 2013)

These are our hay feeders at the moment. We just used what we had laying around. I had tried using a storage box with holes cut, but the boys were able to knock it from the wall. So far this has worked the best. I'm sure we'll have to find bigger feeders as our herd grows.

Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


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## guessa1 (Jun 11, 2014)

Margaret, we also use a feeder made out of a cattle panel, but it is bent over on itself...this is our main free choice feeder for our 2 Lamanchas. 


















We were using buckets in their stalls for hay at night, but that wasn't working too well, so my husband built 2 wooden feeders out of pallets that are attached to their stalls. They were MUCH happier with this setup!










And then we just buy one big round bale of hay at a time usually, so we "hide" it in the barn behind this wooden "L". It has a window cut out and some livestock wire panel where the goats can just stick their noses and mouth through to nibble a little. Usually they don't bother with this unless the big cattle panel feeder has run out.










I love seeing everyone's ideas!


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## margaret (Aug 30, 2013)

Thanks everyone. I also use tons of cattle panels and pallets.
I used these







But they are really expensive.
This is one I built







I had it all filled up but the kids would climb on it and pee and poop on it so I had to raise it up. I'll get some more pictures tomorrow of some of my other ones.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Well that was about the hardest thing in my life finding some pics where the feeder wasn't full :slapfloor: But anyways, I have mine welded for me, and I plan on getting at least one, if not 2-3 more made this year.
So hopefully from all those, you get the idea of how it's built. 
Also, please excuse the mess of a fence and the scraggly brown doe, she had a lot of issues last year and passed away in september, she wasn't in the best health in those pics.


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## mistydaiz (Jan 28, 2011)

I need one like yours, Lacey!
I have 8 Alpine does, and I am still feeding them their alfalfa out of pans and buckets.
Any left on the ground, I rake and give to our horses.
It is the only cheap option we have right now.
But once I save up, I definitively need to buy a metal V-rack feeder with a half-barrel underneath to catch the alfalfa leaves.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

They are my favorite feeders so far! Also if you just get the barrels without the racks, and have legs welded on, they are fabulous for free choice alfalfa pellets, or just graining them all in one fell swoop 

Mine is 1 barrel cut in half, with them welded together at the ends, I can't remember the dimensions of mine, but if I had to guess, I'd say it's either 6 or 7 foot long, and maybe 2 feet wide, by about 4 foot tall.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

The babies think it's pretty great too :lol:


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## mistydaiz (Jan 28, 2011)

They do sell some on Craigslist, but instead of a metal half barrel, it is a blue hard-plastic? half barrel.
Do you think those will eventually crack with 8 Alpine does standing on the edge?
I am thinking of the intense summer days here in Tx, the heat and weather might get to the plastic. 

Where can I find metal posts and barrels like yours? And the racks?


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

I'm not sure if they'd crack or not, they might after a while of the sun baking them, and repeated standing on them.
I can't remember where we got the metal for the frame of mine, but the bars is just rebar that was cut to length, hardware stores should have it, or you can find a professional welder and get a quote, they have everything they need to make them. I was quoted $150-175 for each feeder I wanted made. With the metal though, I do not recommend putting the salt blocks in there, it will eventually rust out the bottoms


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