# Horns and hay feeders



## melissamiller (May 2, 2011)

Hello everyone! Long time no post for me!  Anyway, my two NDG does Pickle and Olive are now over a year old, and I've decided its long past time to get a hay feeder (since they mostly push it off the platform where I offer it to them, or sleep in it, or poo in it, etc.),

However my girls have horns and I'm paranoid about so many hay feeding solutions and horror stories of goats getting their feet trapped in feeders, horns trapped in feeders, hanging themselves, etc. So what recommendations do you have for horned Nigerians in terms of a hay feeder? :whatgoat: I was thinking hay bags may be a solution, but any cautions you can think of? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

Melissa and the girls
http://urbangoatherder.com


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I have horned goats.... and a quick out door feeder can be made from attaching a piece of fencing to the pen fence make a pocket for a flake of hay, or attach a piece of fencing in the same manner against the inside of the barn wall, just enough slack in it for a flake of hay. I recently started using square buckets attached to walls with round holes cut in the sides, just big enough for noses to reach the hay inside.


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## Shellshocker66 (Mar 19, 2012)

I've been experimenting with different types of hay feeders for my mixed group of horned and non horned goats. I have made the buckets Liz is talking about. They are so lazy they hate working to get the hay out. I've made hay bags out of old feed bags, even with the horned goats if they get stuck in the bag they can rip it apart and get away. They all love the feed bag hay bags for some strange reason and it's a cheap feeder, and replaced easily with the next bag of food. I just cut a small appox 6"x6" hole in the bag, then use hay bale string to hang it over a post or tie it up under their shelters.

I've also purchased a commercial hay bag with several holes. They love it when I first put out the hay but loose interest really quick and it sits there forever.

I'm going to make a wooden/wire feeder with a cover soon and see how they do with that.


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## melissamiller (May 2, 2011)

Thanks for the ideas! I think I'll try the feed bag one, that sounds cheap and easy!


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## dixiegirl3179 (Jan 20, 2010)

The breeders I got my babies from do something similar to the feed bags, but they use the reusable grocery bags. They just cut a whole in the side and stuff it full of hay. I made one, but the bag tore. I ued a really cheap reusable grocery bag though. I'm going to try again with one that's a little more sturdy.


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