Anyone tried a net top for a ring feeder?

[soloequestrian]

Getting sick of them wasting perfectly nice haylage but wondered if there are any drawbacks to the topper nets - do they stay in place for instance. I don't want to slow their rate of intake, just cut down on the waste!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Dustygirl]

We use the giant nets that go over the whole large bale haylage. Put it over the top then tip the bale and tie and tuck ends underneath. Then metal feeder around. Has cut down the wastage to almost nothing. Works really well.

 

[xxcharlottexx]

Same as dusty girl... lasted twice as long!
My horse like to sleep on it and my friends horse used to wee in it. Now that they can't pull large chunks out with having net and ring feeder round, problem solved

 

[happyclappy]

I plan on getting one so am pleased to her good reports

 

[FfionWinnie]

I've got one and also a big bale buddy.

My optimum is the big bale buddy and a ring feeder on top.

 

[soloequestrian]

Do the bag style ones not get really loose when they get towards the bottom of the bale? They look like they have tiny holes too?

 

[3Beasties]

Has anyone got a link to the nets please?

 

[JanetGeorge]

The nets are great - minimal wastage - and more of mine will eat around them than the square bales. I don't use a ring feeder with them - FAR too much work 'cos I'd have to keep moving the ruddy thing. I WOULD like to know what my yearling geldings did with one of theirs the other day - I've searched the field - which is only 6 acres - and no sign of the ruddy thing!

 

[Dry Rot]

Being a human magpie, I got some off cuts of fishing net from a net maker at a local fishing port. It was very cheap, also new. (I wear old clothes and smile nicely).

Or try Ebay for fishing net and make sure you omit any reference to horses!

 

[FfionWinnie]

Do the bag style ones not get really loose when they get towards the bottom of the bale? They look like they have tiny holes too?

The one I have is green canvas stuff. I use it inside a ring feeder because I find when its getting lower its too easy for my cob to interfere with the contents in many ways, other than actually eating it! Using both means very little waste. There's always some tho!

 

[honetpot]

I have bought the premade ones but I got a set of hockey nets off ebay which in some ways are better and I can double them up to make even smaller holes.
You have to weave the string through the bars of the ring, the weight of the net makes it drop down as they eat up.

 

[Dry Rot]

Just popped back to say I net my feeders to stop the hay being blown away! It gets windy up here.

 

[happyclappy]

Fishing net was on my list as well as possibly trailer nets.

 

[soloequestrian]

Update on this: made a net with two old haynets. Works well except that recently two of the horses have got their front rug clips stuck on the net. They're the twist clips - Amigo and Rhino rugs - one got bent and the other got riped off, sewed back on and then ripped off again. Ho hum. I've stopped using the net for the time being, thinking of making some sort of clasp cover but wondered if anyone else has had this kind of problem?

 

[now_loves_mares]

We have the net that lies over the top. The holes themselves don't go over the edge of the ring feeder, you use the very long ties to loop around the net and feeder, then it slides down as the bales shrink. The net doesn't quite reach the edge of a full bale, so I don't think they would get stuck unless they literally lay on top of it. Mine all have trigger clips though so can't say for sure with the T-clips.

This is the one we have, but I don't think in this picture it's a full size bale. Mine lies completely flat over the top of a new bale.

http://www.robinsonsequestrian.com/toppa-net-black.html

Edit - have a pic on my phone that would show what I mean but can't remember how to get photos up here now?

 

[Gift Horse]

Update on this: made a net with two old haynets. Works well except that recently two of the horses have got their front rug clips stuck on the net. They're the twist clips - Amigo and Rhino rugs - one got bent and the other got riped off, sewed back on and then ripped off again. Ho hum. I've stopped using the net for the time being, thinking of making some sort of clasp cover but wondered if anyone else has had this kind of problem?

I use a big bale net bought from ebay £40. My horse has Amigo rugs but he hasn't got them caught (yet, touch wood). I think a piece of fabric with a Velcro closure would stop it happening - one of those hi-viz straps that Velcro around breastplates/reins might do it.

 

[MagicMelon]

I use the giant hay nets that go over the whole bale. Ive got 2 different types of round feeders - one which sits on the ground and splits in half so I just roll the bale in and sit it up on a pallet, then put net over (after taking off the mesh) then pull the feeder together again. The other is off the ground side on so the tractor guy who delivers it just holds the bale in the air while we take the mesh off and put the net on, then puts it onto the feeder. Works well, although one of mine has began actually chewing through some of the net and has created 2 big holes in it which I've had to sew up with baler twine...