Field hay feeders - what worked best this winter?

[TallSue]

Title says it all really. There were lots of ideas posted during the winter for feeding hay in the field, just wondering how they worked now winter is over. I fed on ground but it was very wasteful and am hoping to have a better system next year.
Good and bad experiences please.

 

[Goldenstar]

I don't think there's any perfect answer to this problem .
But I use hay hutches and they have worked very well they do pull a bit of hay out of them but they have defiantly cut my waste verses putting it on the ground .

 

[SusieT]

use a big bale buddy - find it pretty poor tbh, still lots of waste. would like to get a tombstone feeder but unsure what they're like

 

[Merlod]

I had a couple of 1/2 tonne square bales delivered by the farmer. I left the strings on the keep the bale compressed so the horses could only take small mouthfulls and not scatter/stand in it. I went in everyday and removed the outer strings when they were coming near the edge when they hay had been eaten away, before there was a danger of them being loose or on the ground. It was free, easy and worked.

 

[FfionWinnie]

I use a big bale buddy then a sheep ring feeder round it as on its own its prone to be used as a cob mattress/toilet or whatever else she can come up with. In the fields I just use sheep ring feeders and a net on the top.

 

[Gift Horse]

I have a big hay net that goes over a round bale. I really like it - I feed the bale on a concrete yard and under an overhang it gets damp but not soaked. I have had very little hay wasted since I bought it.

Edited to say horses are not shod atm, I would be worried about using with shod horses.

 

[Achinghips]

I have a big hay net that goes over a round bale. I really like it - I have the bale on a concrete yard and under an overhang so it doesn't get soaked. I have had very little hay wasted since I bought it.

This! I don't have an overhang to keep it dry but with a copd lad, that was great !

 

[KittenInTheTree]

Round feeder, moved to a different spot in the field occasionally to avoid poaching. Still using it now as the grass isn't fully in yet and my two horses are both still growing.

 

[JanetGeorge]

I tried the big round bale nets when the ground was drier - they were good (though a few of the youngsters took them for walks!) Over the winter, have just used big square bales. I dump them over the fence with the tractor front-loader - and let the horses make their own entries. The fn will start when I can get into the fields to remove the plastic wrappers - which get pretty much buried. I've only managed to do two fields so far - and it was back-breaking. But I've looked at EVERYalternative - and none would work for me (I'm feeding 3-4 big bales a day!)

 

[millikins]

The farmer who supplies my hay lent me a plastic tombstone ringfeeder designed for cattle. It is a truly wonderful thing, less waste, less squabbles, little pony gets chased off and has to wait for a space, nothing for them to get caught up on/in. So wonderful I've just paid him well over the odds for a 2nd hand feeder because I can't find one like this to buy new.

 

[FfionWinnie]

The farmer who supplies my hay lent me a plastic tombstone ringfeeder designed for cattle. It is a truly wonderful thing, less waste, less squabbles, little pony gets chased off and has to wait for a space, nothing for them to get caught up on/in. So wonderful I've just paid him well over the odds for a 2nd hand feeder because I can't find one like this to buy new.

Is it enduramaxx or perhaps solway.

The enduramaxx ones are mega expensive but very useful. I have some cattle hurdles from them and so much easier to move by myself.

 

[WelshD]

I'm on my second or third winter with wheelie bins and they have been a revelation, very little mess (pic was going in to last spring I think and you can see the 'mess' around the wheelie bin) they do knock them over occasionally but you can always attach them to a fence or tree stake

My sheep have theirs against the fence with the handles of the lid facing out so I can flip the lid and fill them over the fence, there are dog leads attached to the fence that get fed through the handle and clipped back on themselves meaning the bins dont get tipped

 

[Jnhuk]

I have a big hay net that goes over a round bale. I really like it - I feed the bale on a concrete yard and under an overhang it gets damp but not soaked. I have had very little hay wasted since I bought it.

Edited to say horses are not shod atm, I would be worried about using with shod horses.

I have done this with a big bale buddy over it. Works well until getting to the end of the bale

 

[EstherYoung]

Round bale ring with a big bale net in it. Has cut my wastage right down whether I'm using round bales or small bales. And has slowed the two fatties right down too.

 

[millikins]

Is it enduramaxx or perhaps solway.

The enduramaxx ones are mega expensive but very useful. I have some cattle hurdles from them and so much easier to move by myself.

Think it is Enduramaxx. I couldn't find it on line and local farm supplies weren't able to supply. It has made my life (and the ponies') much better this winter.

 

[LovesCobs]

I used hay hutches and didn't have any waist, moved them when needed as well. The only difficult but was getting the hay through the gate way to the hutches!

 

[Celtic Fringe]

In our main field we fed off the ground - with megabales delivered by pick-up truck every 4 or 5 days and the sections spread in a line. This was wasteful in wet weather but it was mostly cleared right up if it stayed dry and all 6 horses are looking good.

In the small field part of it is an old stock yard with metal rails and hardstanding. We tied 3 old one-ton builders bags to the rails and fill those with hay. This cut down on a lot of waste as each horse had his own bag and simply sticks his head in and gets munching. Initially I was concerned that young cob would get his feet tangled in the bag but after trying to climb in it the first day this has never happened though he likes to fling the bag over the rails once it is empty.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Have to say my best hay feeder was a tattie box

Was gutted when it eventually was destroyed by a wrecking ball welshxdales scratching constantly on it

 

[Mongoose11]

We have a large, white water bowser (for cattle usually) cut in half and sat on a pallet. Basically unbreakable, easily dragged by attaching a lead rope to the pallet and large enough to feed 2/3 horses from.

 

[3Beasties]

Tractor tyres work well-

 

[goldenchestnut]

Upside down wooden pallets have worked really well for me the last couple of winters.

 

[Equestrienne]

Hi guys,

Thanks for this post - I'm just heading into winter and it's great to get different ideas. I have a big 40L plastic gallon drum that I cut in half. Nice and wide so space for hay and haylage, and less mess. It's deep and not much hay makes it over the lip and onto the mud.
I thought about sanding the edges but it really doesn't need it.