# Brainstorming for hay feeder ideas



## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

Anyone wanna help me brainstorm? We need hay feeder ideas. We fed square bales last winter, but our hay feeders were 2 containers strapped with bungee cords to a piece of goat panel attached to tposts. Needless to say the goats tore down the containers constantly and the feeders were way too tiny for that number of goats. So, we are trying to prepare for this winter. We now have a cow that we got last fall (he was in a corral with his own hay feeder last year but this winter he will be with the goats) so we have to account for him now too. He is not mean and doesn't try to attack the goats, but they don't like him and he thinks it is funny to frolic near them and then when they start running chase them a little ways. Or just walk slowly behind them and watch them trot to get out of his way. He doesn't do this constantly but yeah. So, he will need a hay feeder that the goats cannot get stuck in (because you know they will try to kill themselves any way they can), but that he can eat out of. Then the goats in his pasture (11 goats) will need their own hay feeder (we have an area enclosed with a single wire to keep the cow out). Then the pasture with 9 wethers will need a hay feeder.

So here's the thing. Round bales are wayy cheaper than square so it would be ideal if we could use them. We do not have a tractor but we can drag a bale with our pickup using a pallet contraption/straps. However we cannot lift it in the air. In the past we just laid a round bale in the pasture with the netting on but the following things happened:

The goats ate a huge hole out of the side and then the bale collapsed on a goat. Thankfully she was okay (I think the hole protected her from getting squashed and also we got it off her right after it fell).

Two goats got their horns tangled in the netting and somehow tied their heads together and couldn't move.

Goats almost killed themselves getting tied up in the netting.

They tore up the bale and wasted half of it.

Also it got rained on.

Also we didn't have a cow.

So, here is what I was thinking. Either we find a way to fork out (if that's even possible?) a round bale into the small v shaped feeders (which I guess we would use a tarp as a roof on..)

Or we find a way to feed whole round bales without picking them up.

I've seen the wrap a bale in panel methods but the thing is, could the cow eat through the goat panel? What about covering it? Think the goats would climb that? How are you going to tighten it once they eat it down?

We had the idea of making a square of goat panel using t posts, then bringing in the sides of the square as the goats ate. But then we didn't know how we would get the bale in there.

Anyone have any ideas on round bale feeding that won't kill goats and that a cow can eat from too?

Or, is it possible to break up a round bale and feed parts of it in smaller feeders?

I attached some pictures of what the pasture looks like. That big circle is where a round bale was last year.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

It is a pain but you can pull off hay from a round bale. Cow panels have bigger holes than pig panels. I guess re-wrap the panels and overlap panels as they eat it.


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707 (May 17, 2018)

Round feeders like this work well, however not covered so you would want to put it under a covered area or put something over it. And of course there is the issue of lifting it still.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I feed all rounds, but have a tractor with the hay spear. I set the bale on end and unwrap it then peel the layers off with a pitchfork. I feed 150+ does this way 2x a day. But, they are fed inside and no one has access to the actual bale. (Because of the suffocation risk and wasting of the hay.)


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## healthyishappy (Mar 6, 2019)

Goats Rock said:


> I feed all rounds, but have a tractor with the hay spear. I set the bale on end and unwrap it then peel the layers off with a pitchfork. I feed 150+ does this way 2x a day. But, they are fed inside and no one has access to the actual bale. (Because of the suffocation risk and wasting of the hay.)


How could they suffocate eating hay out of a round bale?


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707 (May 17, 2018)

healthyishappy said:


> How could they suffocate eating hay out of a round bale?


Collapses on them.


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## healthyishappy (Mar 6, 2019)

NigerianDwarfOwner707 said:


> Collapses on them.


:ty:


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Hoy, here we got a piece of a head scratcher! onder:

The goats will certainly try to get stuck, and then that cow - cute!!! :inlove: - will no doubt "play" with them, with horrible results ... onder:

I get as many as three (3) feeders. Those two for goats only are simple: 5 cm between vertical bars, no V-formed openings. But the one for the cow, that must keep goats out ... He is not so much bigger than they, and he is not at all as keen on jumping and climbing as they are, being a heavy grassland species, not a light, mountain climbing, one. A fence that keeps the goats out, will hinder him, too. An opening big enough for his nose will certainly allow a goat to get in trouble.

My first thought was the usual feeders for round bales, and then you add the head scratcher of not being able to lift them. This really turns out to be a CrossWord For Trolls! Is there maybe room enough to make a ramp, and roll the bale upwards with the help of the pickup? Unload the bale on top of at least two ropes or straps, fasten the lower one to the feeder, and pull the upper one with the pickup. Could that be an option? Then the bale will of course fall down into the feeder on its side, but the goats will have access to some of the hay. (Unless you get _very_ skilled, making the bale tip over in the last moment!)

I agree, that net is a death trap, in many ways! Just imagine what it might do if eaten!

Yes, a tarp on top of something steady, like wooden boards, is a method I used for years. Tie the boards together with strings, and open to shove aside when refilling.

Hmmm.... How do we solve the problem of not letting the goats walk on the ramp to get onto the tarp?

The hay should be falling down onto the inside of the bars when the animals eat. This has never been a problem here. Sometimes I have had to climb into the feeder with a hay fork to adjust it. Commercial round bale feeders even have a cone in the middle, to avoid the hay/silage from staying in the middle. If the feeder is high enough, the goats will not be able to jump upon the tarp, and this should be arranged in a slope, so that both snow and occasional goats do slide off. If possible, calculate with some space outside the feeder, were at least smaller animals can feed under a tarp roof, out of the heaviest rain.

I say, this riddle would be much easier to solve with a hay spear and without that cuuute cow! :bighug:


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## Harriet_and_Hens (Apr 26, 2015)

I can't really help with the hay aspect, but that cow is absolutely adorable!!! What a beauty! :inlove:


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Yes, and that _innocent_ look! "Chasing goats? Me??? Oh, never ..."


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

Thanks for the replies everyone!

@Goats Rock are you able to unpeel the entire bale with a pitchfork? So far I have not been able to think of a feasible way to feed the entire bale.
Does anyone have experience with using a fork to chip off parts of a round bale and feed it in smaller feeders? Is there a certain way to do it where it is not like trying to mine for gold? Or does it depend on the bale how easy it is to remove flakes of hay?


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

My only experience says LOOOOTS of work! Especially if the hay-silage is frozen ...  In my opinion, much better to let the goats do this work; they need some therapy anyway! 

But, of course, if this is the only possibility ... What one must do, one must do!

And I was hoping for a nice new construction, for us all to learn from! 

(That cow, what breed?)


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

Anyone have any square bale feeder (for outdoors) ideas?

We were planning on making this:










With plywood on the ends and plywood under the rack. And strap the legs to tposts to secure it.

The problem is a cover. I was thinking a tarp with bungee cords, but they would probably chew that up....

Anyone who wants to put on their "how can they get hurt on this" thinking cap feel free lol


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

For square bales, I would prefer a 90° angle at the bottom.

As for my "how can they get hurt on this" thinking cap, I would definitely replace the net squares with vertical bars, roughly 5 cm apart. (Measure on your goats to find the best space. A nose shall go in nicely, but a newborn's head not.)

And of course I wonder how to get the strings out, once the weight of a big bale is on top of them...


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/big-bale-feeder

Leave the bale on a pallet, use welded wire panels or gates to create a square around the bale, move the panel in as the bale gets eaten. Cover to keep the bale dry.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

I should have clarified, the feeder plan is for the small square bales, that you can easily take apart to fill the feeder.


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## Barnes19 (Sep 8, 2013)

We have the same quandary with the round bales ... sans the above near-death events as we considered the netting a Total Death Trap at first sight and took it off even for cows.

Gosh your experience quite justifies my effort! I think everyone that's got capricious friends has had entanglements of some nature or other but that's a nasty string of events.

I've had some success with round bales and sharp long knives and slicing across the grain every 18" or so around the edge. Of course both a good knife-sharpening relative and a lot of elbow grease is required and I only ever got one good full-width biscuit off in a single session.

Remove as biscuits, proceed as for square bales with your feeder. 

Replace your square mesh panels (Think, "If I'm a goat, can I break a leg in this?" Then add some bossy older goat who wants your food.)

Convenient "Grill size" ... old Oven Racks! The size varies, some are not wide enough gaps. Ideally you get wires 1.5" or so apart, long slots the size of an oven, they seem ideal for your feeder design above (you'll probably need at least 2 per side). 

I don't know what direct recycling options are available to you in the US or wherever you are but in NZ we generally browse the local rubbish collection bins and ask the guard to keep an eye out for some in old ovens.

If they're not the right grill size for you, make some garden cloches, or use them as smoker hanging shelves ...


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## Barnes19 (Sep 8, 2013)

We do currently use the square bales by strong preference for handling ... fortunately we found a grower/harvester with decent quality mixed pasture square bales and one of the lower market prices just 8km down the road


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## Goat Whisperer (Dec 3, 2018)

Back when I was using round bales, we’d set it up on end on top of a pallet. Then I’d take 40” cattle panel sections and clip them together around the bale. As they start eating it down I shove some of the hay around, and remove a panel. Continue doing this until the bale is gone (with 7-10 days). If it is rainy I tarp it. 

I built some fantastic feeders using the 4x4 panels and it has been wonderful. Similar build to the feeder pictured. I’ll post pics when I’m able.


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## Goat Whisperer (Dec 3, 2018)




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## Goat Whisperer (Dec 3, 2018)

Other feeder- love this! Don't know how it'd work for a cow though?


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

I have tried lots of round feeder ideas the best one was a horse round bail feeder that i turned upside down. I then took 2 wire cattle panels with the wire spacing 4in X 4in. i then wired the panels together and cut them in a circle to fit the horse feeder
i then hung the cow panel circle above the ground with chains. It was the best feeder for not wasting hay. but the Nigerians got eye infections and we stopped using it, the lamacha's never had a problem with it.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

We did build a feeder last sunday, it is similar to the one @Goat Whisperer posted. It's for our herd that Calvin (the cow) is not with. I'll post pics when it stops raining. Now we just have to build a feeder for the other herd (behind a single electric wire so Calvin can't get to it).
Right now the plan is for Calvin to have a round bale on the ground with the netting removed. But there is still enough grass for him currently.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

Here's the feeder we built. It's a slightly modified version of this: https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/plans-for-a-1-bale-hay-rack.14900/
Water does pool on the tarp but you can dump it off. We may add a roof.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

Mine are much like 21goaties


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

fivemoremiles said:


> View attachment 164261
> 
> Mine are much like 21goaties


Cool!
Is the roof attached with hinges?


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

21goaties said:


> Cool!
> Is the roof attached with hinges?


Yes that is what the 2x4 is for. to give the hinges a solid footing
I have changed the latch so it will not hang down when i open the lid. when it hung down and i closed the lid the latch would get bent up. so now the latch is not attached to the lid but attached to the feeder. when it is unhooked it falls down out of the way. to close it i use a snap to hold it up in place.
to hold the lid open I lagged bolted a 2x4 on to the back to act as a latch to hold the lid open


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## NDinKY (Aug 3, 2019)

Here is what we built for this winter. The bins have holes to drain any moisture. Right now the doelings like to sleep in the bins. Hopefully it works well.

For our bucks, we use rounds with a horse hay feeder that doesn't have the hay saver. They're in with our horse and able to access the bale easily through the feeder.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

fivemoremiles said:


> Yes that is what the 2x4 is for. to give the hinges a solid footing
> I have changed the latch so it will not hang down when i open the lid. when it hung down and i closed the lid the latch would get bent up. so now the latch is not attached to the lid but attached to the feeder. when it is unhooked it falls down out of the way. to close it i use a snap to hold it up in place.
> to hold the lid open I lagged bolted a 2x4 on to the back to act as a latch to hold the lid open


Thanks for answering! If you have any other pics of it with the lid open or any other angles of it I'd like to see it.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

NDinKY said:


> View attachment 164263
> 
> 
> Here is what we built for this winter. The bins have holes to drain any moisture. Right now the doelings like to sleep in the bins. Hopefully it works well.
> ...


Cool! 
Any and all hay feeder pics are welcome and appreciated.


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## healthyishappy (Mar 6, 2019)

fivemoremiles said:


> View attachment 164261
> 
> Mine are much like 21goaties


Awwwwwww....... Look at those little cuties:inlove:


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

(thumbup)


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

Bump, if anyone wants to post a pic of your hay feeder/feeding setup, feel free!


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

I have made some improvements on my feeders. I added a lever so my wife can open the lid when it covered in snow and a latch to keep the lid from closing while we fill the feeder I will get photos tomorrow


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

I







I added a 2x4 to the top to make it easier to open when there is snow on the top.















I found that the latch would bend if the lid slammed down so i changed the latch so it would fall down out of the way when unlatched.
the lid must be latched down because in a heavy wind the lid will open and then the lid becomes a sail and will tip the feeder over.
I used two lids of the double feeder.


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## Moers kiko boars (Apr 23, 2018)

I have used wood pallets wired together around the large bale. I have kids, myotonics(fainters) , boers& spanish. So all heights and sizes..and a morgan horse. ( who thinks she is a goat! 
I took a saw and cut some of the wood sections out of the panel at different heights. So all can get to the hay. The horse eats off the top. Ive taken a bent trampoline..ran the metal legs in two bridges. Put clear plastic over this. Then the trampoline screen over that. Wired it to hold the material up against the bridge frame. I took dog tie outs that cork screw into the ground on each leg. To hold the bridge from being blown around. Its tall enough for goats & horse to eat under . Hay & livestock stay dry & eat hay.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

If you can use a chain saw, it is very possible to cut chunks out of the round bale and put them in a different feeder.

Cutting the round bale weakens it, and if the goats have access to the round bale after it is cut into, then they'll destroy it quickly. It also allows weather inside the tightly wrapped layers. So it is best if the round bale can be stored somewhere the goats and rain can't get to it easily.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

Bump! 
Feel free to post pics of your hay feeder!


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

I am about to build a hay feeder for round nails. I call it feeder 9.0 I have built 8 versions and every version I build I make improvements. I will take photos of the completed feeder


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Dang, I wish my guys could eat nails lol.
Sorry couldn't myself.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I need a good round bale feeder. I am tired of peeling he layers off to feed the goats. I hope your feeder 9.0 works well!


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

21goaties said:


> We did build a feeder last sunday, it is similar to the one @Goat Whisperer posted. It's for our herd that Calvin (the cow) is not with. I'll post pics when it stops raining. Now we just have to build a feeder for the other herd (behind a single electric wire so Calvin can't get to it).
> Right now the plan is for Calvin to have a round bale on the ground with the netting removed. But there is still enough grass for him currently.


We did finish building the other feeder. But, the round bale plan with Calvin failed. He may be a cow, but he's not gonna eat that wet nasty hay! Now it's a bed/goat playground. 
So, he is currently sharing the square bale feeder with the goats. (We tested and he can eat from the goat panel squares!). 
But we are going to build him his own soon.


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## knoxboers (Aug 23, 2017)

Here is what we have been using for a few years now. It is a simple plan included with the purchase of the panels from Premier1. We used 6 foot posts instead of 4 foot and added a roof easily bought from Lowe's. Hope this helps!


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

goathiker said:


> Dang, I wish my guys could eat nails lol.
> Sorry couldn't myself.


:heeheehighfive)(rofl)


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I read most of the replies but not all. Defiantly looked at pictures lol there's some very nice feeders here! 
So I don't know if there is really a 100% way that you will be able to feed the goats and the calf out of the same feeder. You could probably get away with it for the most part with him being small but eventually he's not going to be very small any more. I'm running into the same issue with my two calf's that I'm keeping with the bucks. What I'm doing is there is just 2 different kinds of feeders. One for the bucks and one for the calf's. I'm not even going to talk about my goat feeders because I'm really not 100% happy with them. Basically it's like most of these V feeders with 4X4 holed panels. There is still some waste although it has cut down BIG time from the feeders that are more like horse feeders. 
Anyways though for the round bale feeders and your goats. So I want to make kinda fence line feeders but not on a fence line. My thinking is they can dig threw it all they want but they get no more until it's gone. It's not pulled out and stepped on or pooped on, they have no excuse but to eat it. But here is a actual fence line feeder someone on here has so you get a idea of what I'm going to try to explain lol
https://www.thegoatspot.net/threads/fenceline-hay-feeder.200577/
So for far longer then I care to even admit I have been pondering how to make these into feeders that would work for me, not build a whole fence line just to feed them. For the most part I feed small square bales but i do get large square bales to feed sometimes. So I am planning (hopefully one day soon!) to basically make wooden panels if you will, that is like this fence line feeder but has two 8' long pieces and two 4' long pieces. That's how big a big bale is 8X4, I have no idea how big a round bale is. Anyways and as they eat on the big bale I can just keep snugging up the panels so they can reach the bale. Also if I had want them to graze I can just pull the panels out and they can't reach. 
For the calf, you could just pull some hay off for the calf and have his feeder. If the goats are not overly fond of him, my bucks are not thrilled with my calf's so I get it lol, they should for the most part just leave him and his feeder there, while he is there. 
Hopefully you can picture what all I just explained there lol if not I'm sorry I'll see if I can find a picture, possibly to explain it better


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## Coolbreeze89 (Mar 5, 2017)

I bought an old wood crib off craigslist. It was $30 because they lost the hardware. I added a plywood base to catch hay that drops (after this pic was taken I added 2x4 “rails” to keep that hay in and reduce the comfort of the plywood as a rest spot!). I have it inside their shelter now, so I wrapped the top with some no-climb fence to keep them from jumping in. I figure I can put a piece of plywood on top to block rain if I move it outside.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

Here are the plans for feeder 9.0. it is based off the wire feeder that premier one supply sells. I found that the welds on the wire would give out. but the concept was right. so i build my own.
three panels will weigh near 100 lbs so to move them i lay them on the ground and pull them.to the next bail. there are two panels that have no head holes in them. with out these headless panels the the feeder can collapse and fall on your stock and i have killed some before i made this change.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

After proving that door hinges, gate hinges, hinges i welded together don't work i found that twine worked well so i exchanged the twine for chain and i have never found the need to change.

I went through the same discovery processes with the chain that holds the two panel sections together.

I tried to make the feeder lighter but the sheep would bust the feeders up rather rapidly.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Paul FINALLY did as i had been askin forever now it seems and made me one from a ibc tote several weeks ago. Even the calves can eat from the holes in it. Hope is a year old now and does just fine. What goes into the tray i put back in the feeder and they think they got fresh hay lol! The "lid" can be rolled back and i use the caribeener to clip it to a low bar when i fill it. And i clip it onto a bar on the other side to keep it closed. There is VERY little waste.

He also made me ine for the cow pen from an old futon frame. Made it in the v and put 2x4 in the ends so it wouldnt crunch up in itself. It does need a cover though still.


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## Mike at Capra Vista (Nov 30, 2017)

Sfgwife said:


> Paul FINALLY did as i had been askin forever now it seems and made me one from a ibc tote several weeks ago. Even the calves can eat from the holes in it. Hope is a year old now and does just fine. What goes into the tray i put back in the feeder and they think they got fresh hay lol! The "lid" can be rolled back and i use the caribeener to clip it to a low bar when i fill it. And i clip it onto a bar on the other side to keep it closed. There is VERY little waste


Looks like s great feeder. You have probably already done this, but I would drill several holes in the bottom to let any moisture drain out.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Mike at Capra Vista said:


> Looks like s great feeder. You have probably already done this, but I would drill several holes in the bottom to let any moisture drain out.


That is on his honey do list lol! But even with the rain we have jad lately it really is not bad. The barns shied a lot of it i think.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

goathiker said:


> Dang, I wish my guys could eat nails lol.
> Sorry couldn't myself.


No, you don't. Occasionally, they DO ... mg:


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Coolbreeze89 said:


> I bought an old wood crib off craigslist. It was $30 because they lost the hardware. I added a plywood base to catch hay that drops (after this pic was taken I added 2x4 "rails" to keep that hay in and reduce the comfort of the plywood as a rest spot!). I have it inside their shelter now, so I wrapped the top with some no-climb fence to keep them from jumping in. I figure I can put a piece of plywood on top to block rain if I move it outside.


Very nice! If I had the need, I would buy it from you!


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

Trollmor said:


> Very nice! If I had the need, I would buy it from you!


It is so good to see you feeling good. Keep up the fight


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## CBPitts (Jan 29, 2020)

@Jessica84

We went off the idea of fence line feeders without the fence line too. I tried everything and every kind of hay feeder out there before touring several top goat farm in Oregon, Washington, and Northern California. They used some variation of a fence line feeder. When done correctly there is absolutely minimal waste.

These work for both horned and hornless goats. The space gap for hornless full size goats is 6" and horned is 8".

This is inside the doe barn. A huge plus is that we don't have to in to feed.










This is from their side. I waited until it was time to overbed before getting a pic so folks could that there really is no waste. I know how hard it is to believe but it's for real. 









This feeder is made on the same premise but is the field feeder that works for goats, sheep, and cows.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I like both of your feeders! Can I ask what you made the feed troughs are made out of? I keep spending my money on other things :hide: but I keep debating on making wooden troughs that are attached to the “fence” or just suck it up and buy the troughs from tractor supply. I’m thinking the wooden is going to be too heavy to move easily, and I don’t really want to pay what TSC is asking for theirs :/


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## KNemitzfarm (Dec 28, 2019)

Just wrapping the round bale with a cattle panel, and securing it with zip ties works great


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## CBPitts (Jan 29, 2020)

Jessica84 said:


> I like both of your feeders! Can I ask what you made the feed troughs are made out of? I keep spending my money on other things :hide: but I keep debating on making wooden troughs that are attached to the "fence" or just suck it up and buy the troughs from tractor supply. I'm thinking the wooden is going to be too heavy to move easily, and I don't really want to pay what TSC is asking for theirs :/


Ummmm . . . You can laugh but I was looking at the 6' goat/sheep trough at Wilco for $149.99 and then I went out and bought a few used food grade plastic barrels for $5 each and cut them in half lengthwise. My first frame was wood with the barrel screwed in but they were heavy so I eventually talked my Hubs into welding some out of 1" square tube. The tube is $10/30' stick so each 6' feeder cost us about $12 or $13 to make.

He also made the custom metal feeder in the field.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

CBPitts said:


> These work for both horned and hornless goats. The space gap for hornless full size goats is 6" and horned is 8".


Horned bucks?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Absolutely no laughing here! I love it! It looks good and it was WAY cheaper to make then going and buying the trough. Exactly what I need


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

(thumbup)


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## CBPitts (Jan 29, 2020)

Trollmor said:


> Horned bucks?


I only have a horned Myotonic buck but he has no problem getting in there.

Here's a thinking point, if they can manage to get their heads stuck in a cattle panel with 6"x6" holes, they can in and out of 6" high and feet wide gap.


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## Coolbreeze89 (Mar 5, 2017)

I'm so excited! I saw this feeder at TSC but didn't like the $220 price. I noticed it had quite a few dents on one side (structurally intact, just cosmetic). They gave it to me for $125. I needed something I could move around easily myself. This has been great!


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

CBPitts said:


> Here's a thinking point, if they can manage to get their heads stuck in a cattle panel with 6"x6" holes, they can in and out of 6" high and feet wide gap.


That's what I thought too (for horned goats)


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## CBPitts (Jan 29, 2020)

21goaties said:


> That's what I thought too (for horned goats)


One of the facilities I toured before building this feeder raises show Boers. Massive goat bucks with thick necks and big horns. They had no problems with these feeders.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

CBPitts said:


> I only have a horned Myotonic buck but he has no problem getting in there.
> 
> Here's a thinking point, if they can manage to get their heads stuck in a cattle panel with 6"x6" holes, they can in and out of 6" high and feet wide gap.


I don't think it would be as big of a problem. I have had them put their heads threw and get stuck, and it's just the width that is really a issue, their horns don't really get stuck on top and bottom rods (whatever they are called) it's the side ones that's a issue........at least for mine. But that's why I want the long fence like and not like the ones that everyone gets their own little hole to stick their heads threw, plus I broken necks with those and key hole type feeders. But again I haven't made these just yet, and I plan to make out if lumber so unscrewing a board and moving up or down isn't a big deal.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

Bump! 
Post a pic of your hay feeder(s)! :cute:


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## TexasGoatMan (Jul 4, 2015)

OK 21goaties, here is an ole ******* idea. Why not get an old pickup bed with axel and get a friend who can weld to make a frame and mount it on the bed so that it will tilt and attach a spear on the frame. Mount a trailer tongue to the bed/axel so it is pullable with the pickup. Have a hand crank winch attached to the tongue and the cable attached to the frame so you can crank it down and backwards into a tilt position. With trailer/spear combo hooked to the pickup. You can pushed the spear into the roll bale of hay with the pickup and then turn the handle on the winch and winch the round bale of hay backwards lifting it off the ground and into the air and you can then move the roll bale of hay where you want it. Let the winch down and release the bale and pull the spear out of the hay and put a panels around it. I have seen several of these portable round bale trailer with the spear made. I didn't do a good job describing it but I know it works. It a poor boy's round hay mover. But for one roll of hay at a time it sure the heck beats forking hay every day. That doesn't answer your question on feeders but should give you a cheap idea on handling roll hay.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Very good idea's.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Coolbreeze89 said:


> I'm so excited! I saw this feeder at TSC but didn't like the $220 price. I noticed it had quite a few dents on one side (structurally intact, just cosmetic). They gave it to me for $125. I needed something I could move around easily myself. This has been great!
> View attachment 171569


I'm going to TSC in the next day or two and looking for banged/scratched up feeders - seriously lol!!!

Our neighbor sold out of sheep last fall and he gave us a bunch of random stuff including hay feeders, a few my husband convinced him to let us pay for. Super nice man who we have loved (recently lost him :'( ).
So we have this one... my husband put the wood on there temporarily, but is not safe, babies can put head through the top and 2x4 is just too thick. So in the next couple of days I'll be going to TSC to get a goat panel for another project and planning to have him cut one to fix this to make a V and maybe some type of cover, although this is just a day time pen - if it's raining we can clean it out as these goats would go in the barn...









I really love these feeders that we got from him.



















I'd love to get more of those, but I know they are probably a lot of $$$ new.

I'd think as far as waste goes - going with anything that has a tray to catch hay would be better than no tray. I love the idea of having them eat through a fence, but we just don't have the setup for it.

We have a big V hay feeder in the doe shelter we bought used from a friend years ago, it has some goat wire fence on the inside of it to help with waste - what they drop is used for bedding, but still minimal waste. I don't know where i have a picture of it.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

TexasGoatMan said:


> OK 21goaties, here is an ole ******* idea. Why not get an old pickup bed with axel and get a friend who can weld to make a frame and mount it on the bed so that it will tilt and attach a spear on the frame. Mount a trailer tongue to the bed/axel so it is pullable with the pickup. Have a hand crank winch attached to the tongue and the cable attached to the frame so you can crank it down and backwards into a tilt position. With trailer/spear combo hooked to the pickup. You can pushed the spear into the roll bale of hay with the pickup and then turn the handle on the winch and winch the round bale of hay backwards lifting it off the ground and into the air and you can then move the roll bale of hay where you want it. Let the winch down and release the bale and pull the spear out of the hay and put a panels around it. I have seen several of these portable round bale trailer with the spear made. I didn't do a good job describing it but I know it works. It a poor boy's round hay mover. But for one roll of hay at a time it sure the heck beats forking hay every day. That doesn't answer your question on feeders but should give you a cheap idea on handling roll hay.


Thanks for sharing that idea! We ended up building smaller ones and using square bales but I was just bumping the thread so that others could get ideas if they need them.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Goats jump about double as high as sheep. But, of course everyone in here knows that!


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I tried the grill racks from old stoves, they break apart very easily. I use old metal cage type dog crates, I take the crate apart and put them on the cattle panel fence with zip ties, snaps or whatever i have. Those work well. Futon frames work, too. I take them apart and use the 2 that make up the part that holds up the mattress. I attach them at the bottom and make a wooden frame to cradle them. Or, I can use just half of it and attach the bottom part to the cattle panel and wire it at the top with fence wire from each end to the fence.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

fivemoremiles said:


> I
> View attachment 165395
> 
> I added a 2x4 to the top to make it easier to open when there is snow on the top.
> ...


@fivemoremiles just curious, how are these feeders holding up now (if you still have them)?


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

we use them every day. today i moved one to another pen with my tractor. I have had to make some minor repairs but i like them lots


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## Carmen in NC (Nov 16, 2019)

i did not have time to make or get a better hay feeder so I ran to walmart and got 2 of this and is been working GREAT.. lol






nothing fancy just a wire hamper, it works great with minimal waste...


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

fivemoremiles said:


> we use them every day. today i moved one to another pen with my tractor. I have had to make some minor repairs but i like them lots


Thanks for replying! 
Any repairs to the lids? We are still using tarps to cover ours but want to add lids.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

I had a 60 mph wind take a lid off. as long as i remember to lock the lids before a blow they are fine


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

Have you seen the price of lumber?? up nearly 100% in a year. glad i am not building them now.
I did build two sheep round bale hay feeders this year out of metal.


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## littleheathens (Apr 27, 2019)

In one pen we use a collapsible wire dog crate on it's side so they have access on the two sides and bottom; they eat out of the bottom where the holes are bigger. We could try rotating it so the big holes are blocked, the babies do get in. We also put the tray that slides in the bottom of the crate on top as the lid. There's no overhang but it helps some with rain. The crate door is on top so we just open that and drop in hay. This works for flakes or loose hay but not entire small bales. Since our kids are often the ones feeding it's fine.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

fivemoremiles said:


> I
> View attachment 165395
> 
> I added a 2x4 to the top to make it easier to open when there is snow on the top.
> ...



@fivemoremiles , if you have time to answer, I was just wondering if these are still holding up?


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

They are holding up well. I have had to make minor repairs but like one feeder had its side wall warp. and the kids would get in the feeder.so i took the warp out by screwing two 2x4s to the sides ang that took out the warp of the plywood side.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

fivemoremiles said:


> They are holding up well. I have had to make minor repairs but like one feeder had its side wall warp. and the kids would get in the feeder.so i took the warp out by screwing two 2x4s to the sides ang that took out the warp of the plywood side.


Thanks! Any problems with the lids?


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

i was moving one and it slid off the forks of the tractor and knocked the lid off.
Wind storms are a worry 
any wind over 25 mph will tip them over if i dont have them locked down. here the wind comes out of eather the north or south in the summer. so i face the feeders east in the summer, In winter.they are facing north.


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