Does anyone use free standing hay racks in their field ?

[BBH]

Am trying to reduce the waste of last year when it all blew away or got trampled in the mud. There will be four in the field and taking haynets down twice a day is a pain.


Best place to buy them ?

 

[soloequestrian]

I use a round sheep feeder. I had four horses round it last year and it worked well, even the most subordinate got his fill! It split in two, or rolls, to move. It was much cheaper than the cattle feeders and now I have it I think it's probably a more useful size too.

 

[saintdomino]

I'm using two old tractor tyres bolted together to feed hay from. Can be rolled around when not in use and cost nothing! No chance of horses injurying themselves either.

 

[vallin]

We use water buts with a hole cut in the bottom (we did have hose piping round the edges, but it came off and none of them have cut themselves on it!) We then just tie them onto the fence and move them regularly.

 

[KarynK]

I use a sheep feeder as well but I split it in two and use a sheet of mesh to make them into half moon shapes, they are held down with metal pins. They can all feed happily from one or the other. This year I am going to use the ground protection sheeting so that the ground round them doesn't get too muddy, but they can easily be moved and it saves all that waste with them cr*pping peeing and laying on that expensive stuff!!!!!

I buy big bale haylage which is delivered and I feed it 50:50 with big bale hay, so if not in the feeders it would blow away.

 

[kerilli]

there is a company that does a raised metal feeder with a tray under a V-shaped mesh holder, very tidy actually, high enough that horses can't reach in the top and pull the lot out onto the floor (as we know they love to...)
will try to find one...
haven't found it yet, but impressed with this one...
http://www.tricknclick.com/feeder.htm
this is cool too:
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl...t%3D42%26um%3D1
this is the sort of thing i meant, but bigger (this one's for goats!)
http://www.northstargoats.com/Mvc-022f.jpg
determined to find 1 now as i need one really...
aha!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?V...e=WDVW&rd=1

 

[KarynK]

Sorry didn't say where you can get them! Scats countryside stores stock them as do most agricultural merchants, they are around £100 new for galvanised steel, try Ebay or if you have a local farm sale you could try there. I have youngsters so I put chicken wire round the bars to stop them sticking their heads and feet in!!
Or there is this on ebay, but you would have to do something to stop them eating it like a metal band round the top?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330342698369&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
This might be a cheaper option?

 

[Maizy]

You could try one of these? Not sure on prices tho?

http://www.mcarthur-group.com/products.a..._Feed_Equipment

 

[KarynK]

You have to be careful with these as they are too big for a horse to lean over the top of which means they have to put their head in them!!! So if they panic the whole thing could go for a fast walk across the field at best, at worse you could end up with a bad injury. They are also much more expensive than the sheep ones.

If you are going for the bigger ones like these with horses I would go with the ones that are inverted and horse safe like this
http://www.mulberrygate.com/images/feeder_horse.jpg

 

[KarynK]

This would be blooming prefect but it's American!! http://www.hay-feeders.com/images/hay_feeder06.jpg

I have seen plastic bulk crates at a plumbing store they are bulk pallets and they might let you have one??

Or even this smaller horse safe version
http://www.badgerlivestock.com/photos/weldy_r4u_horse_feeder-2-300c.jpg

Come on UK manufacturers get with the programe!!!!!!!

 

[BBH]

http://www.hay-hutch.co.uk/


Thankyou everyone for your help. I also found these and am gonna go for the large one.

 

[gaynorwills]

Hi i have been using some for the last 2 years which have worked really well they are round ,stand off from the ground with a grill on the bottom to allow any dust to fall though but still enable horses to eat with heads down , they are light weight so i have been able to move around to stop the feild becoming boggy in any one place and to stop the boys having to stand in a muddy area they have saved me a great deal of money over the last 2 winters ,not able to get a picture to come up at the moment but any questions my email is gaynorwilliams71@btinternet.com i can send a picture this way as well . The email address where i got them is irondesigns@btconnect.com There size is 1 meter height 770mm dept 450mm