Feed frustration

[travelmad]

My tb is cranky now it's winter and when fed (lives out 24/7) attacks his bucket... Has always been eager for food, but last 4 weeks gets over excited, on 3 legs, then pawing as he eats, kicking bucket, standing in bucket etc. I think it's pretty much a winter thing, it's cold, he's more possessive of feed.

Anyway the idiot now spills loads of his feed, and he is on a very very expensive feed! Given that it's muddy he can't always eat the bits that he knocks out and the cost of wastage makes me want to strangle him (don't I sound like a nice owner!!)

Any thought on how to stop him? / what to feed him in so he eats?

At mo he is fed in medium size tub grubs, flexible enough that they don't break when he kicks and stands on them, and I have tried putting them inside a tyre but he somehow still messes it all up!


I should say he has plenty of grass and lots of hay.

Second q re hay...

Yard don't like us putting lots of hay out loose as it leads to such wastage, so they get hay morning and evenings, quite large portions, just not a round bale to constantly eat.

Any Ideas of large hay feeders that would not cost a fortune as then they could have even more hay infield? I did make one from pallets and it was great... But he attacked and broke it!

I am thinking of just telling yard to screw it and put a round bale of haylage in.... But can anyone tell me how slowly I need to introduce haylage to them given they are on hay?

Sorry lots of questions!

 

[lee1984]

did't see you had already try'd the tire thing.

 

[criso]

have you got a fence you can put one of those feeders you hook over a door or fence. Would mean bucket is well out of reach of his legs.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

A couple of old tractor tires bolted together, make good ring feeders for hay. But they are rather heavy, to move.

If he is on his own I have seen pics of wheelie bins being made into hay feeders (hole cut near bottom and bin lashed to a post).

I used a hayhutch which is great as means I can put hay out in the evening ready for when my mare is turned out in the morning, knowing it will be clean/dry and frost free.