[joecool911]

I asked before about wasting hay. Now I'm looking for a hay feeder design that will limit waste.

I bout some premium hay that has almost no stems. They waste it too. Not only does it cost more, but what is wasted must be removed. I took 8 wheel barrows out of their pen today.

If I make them eat what has fallen on the ground for a day, they clean it up pretty good. But then they are not getting hay each day. But they will clean it up pretty good. If I give them a flake each day they don't ever clean up.

There must be a good feeder design that limits their ability to get their feet I the feeder and catch what falls.

 

[imported_ashley]

Rex has some pics on here that I am planning on using as my feeder design. A "V" type feeder works well for us. There are some great ideas on line if you google it, you can make them easily with a ranch panel...It also helps to have a horse that is a pig that cleans up after the goats

 

[fivemoremiles]

go to premier catalog they have good hay feeder plans. the plans are hard to find on the web sight but they are there

www.premier1supplies.com

 

[TDG-Farms]

I prefer rail feeders. Its more or less a standard horse type fens with a slanted base on the outside of the fence. Have a couple of crappy pics of a couple of mine on my site. http://trinitydairygoatfarms.webs.com

 

[AACmama]

My husband just built our boys a new feeder based on the Premier plans. Thanks FiveMore! He used 4" x 4" mesh fence paneling (from a damaged and discounted panel at the feed store). We were concerned that the mesh might be a bit small for our boys (220-260 lbs), but it seems to be perfect. They are able to pull out polite mouthfuls quite nicely. The decrease in waste should pay for materials this winter alone. Sounds like so much of the Eastern Washington orchard grass fields have been converted over to corn for ethanol...sigh. We were grateful to be able to get some but scarcity pushed the price for grass up so high.