Feed going missing WWYD

Good luck!

I've only ever had it once in 13years. I had a rough idea who it was and I was right. I just left a note something along the lines of 'I know you are stealing my feed, please don't'. Sounds polite but my suspicions were that it was a 13year old girl which turned out to be correct. Quite sad, it ended up her dad went bankrupt and owed he yard's thousands. Pony ended up getting taken by the yard to pay the bill.
 
buzyizzy said:
I left a trap for them this morning and won't be back at yard until tomorrow afternoon, so will see what happens.
Click to expand...

I am dying to know what happened :) I would be extremely forthright with anyone who tried this on with me, it is unforgivable to me, how are they!
 
Put a padlock on it, preferably one with a combination code. Write the code and put it somewhere in your car in case you forget it. I usually use the last four digits of my home phone number! Easy. If you have a bin that doesn't have a facility to put a padlock get your Dad or OH to drill some holes and use a chain. You need to stop this in its tracks.

I've had this in the past. I put a note saying "I know you are stealing. Leave my feed alone". It soon stopped.
 
there is nothing worse than working hard to feed your own horses for someone to think it is ok to "borrow" your stuff.

Good luck - hope you catch them :D
 
I reeeeeallly want to know that you've caught them. Preferably with something that stains their thieving little fingers if you didn't have the heart to mousetrap them!
 
Put a snake in the feed bin. A real one would keep mice at bay, but a toy rubber one, especially if you rig up a bit of elastic between the lid and the snake to make it move, might result in an audible alarm of theft.
 
When you let us know if you caught the thief in your trap, please can you let us know what the trap was? I want to know if you went for painful, colourful, noisy or all three! And what the reaction was :)
 
I left a large plastic spider in my bins once. Whilst I didn't get the satisfaction of *knowing* someone had been surprised, it did make me smile to think they might have. I know it had the jump-scare factor because it's in my cellar now and occasionally still gets me (and I don't dislike spiders!)
 
I really don't understand the mentality behind people who do this! I rarely/ don't run out of feed so don't have too much of an issue but friends will borrow Alfa and just send a text to say 'Hi, borrowed 2scoops'... Don't mind that do much, it's the thieving that's the problem! Please do let us know the outcome!
 
Keith_Beef said:
Put a snake in the feed bin. A real one would keep mice at bay, but a toy rubber one, especially if you rig up a bit of elastic between the lid and the snake to make it move, might result in an audible alarm of theft.
Click to expand...

lol if I found that you would hear the scream for miles. On the theme of terrifying the wits out of the thief, how about something sinister like a clown mask in the bin, that would also scare the pants off me :)
 
Sophire said:
I really don't understand the mentality behind people who do this! I rarely/ don't run out of feed so don't have too much of an issue but friends will borrow Alfa and just send a text to say 'Hi, borrowed 2scoops'... Don't mind that do much, it's the thieving that's the problem! Please do let us know the outcome!
Click to expand...

If they regularly "borrow" two scoops then I hope they regularly put it back :)

I had a friend at uni who used to "borrow" shampoo. In the end I filled an old shampoo bottle with cheap washing up liquid, and let her at it :)
 
WandaMare said:
lol if I found that you would hear the scream for miles. On the theme of terrifying the wits out of the thief, how about something sinister like a clown mask in the bin, that would also scare the pants off me :)
Click to expand...

Or one of those Jack-in-the-box things, that springs out at you (life size) when you open the lid ....
 
Rowreach said:
Or one of those Jack-in-the-box things, that springs out at you (life size) when you open the lid ....
Click to expand...

Brilliant, then you could spot your thief wandering round the yard trembling with a look of shock on their face.....not that we're mean or anything..
 
buzyizzy said:
I moved into my new yard on 9th April and kept my feed, which is Thunderbrooks Chaff, in a bin in the corner and didn't have any go missing. Then last week, when YO was away at Badminton, my feed started to go down rapidly. I spoke to her deputy and we moved my bin to outside my stables with my mucking out stuff. For a few days it seemed ok, but this week it's been ridiculous. There is a note on my bin to the effect that the food belongs to my two horses and not to use it, but whoever it is, has taken no notice. Last night I went to feed mine (they have various supplements with it) and there was barely enough for one of them :(
I have to buy another bag today, which I shouldn't have needed for at least another week. I have taken pictures of how I have left my bin contents, and when I go back to it, everything is moved, so I definitely am not imagining it. Thankfully, it would appear there are now places at the yard with the track system that I was hoping to move to in March before the snow came and put everything back, and it's not even the money, it's the pure and unadulterated cheek!!
One livery, who is above suspicion because he is sure he is losing stuff too and my gut tells me he is being honest, has offered me his wildlife camera to install near my bin. He's going to use it for his stuff first as he has had bedding and supplements go missing, and then we shall see if it is the same person nicking my feed. We haven't told the YO about the camera which I feel a bit uncomfortable about, but I don't know what else she can do. I am sure others have experienced this, but it's the first time for me. What did you do?
Click to expand...

Can you put a chain through the handle and the lid and lock it, though going to this extreme would make me go to YO to sort out and put some pressure on everyone to say feed is going and those culprits better stop or notice will be given to leave the yard if they are found.


So glad we don't have this issue.

Maybe put some ink on the handle to find out who it is.

Stick a mouse trap in the feed bin

use a wheelie bin and lock it
old chest freezer and lock it
using this too http://www.blacklightworld.com/Anti_Theft_Powder.htm

attach the purple bit to the actual bin then the cord to the lid as soon as lid lifted it pulls the pin out and the alarm goes off.

Last resort take it home and bring the feed bowls up each night for the next day.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top