Hay in the field

poiuytrewq

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How do you do it?
I’ve been feeding loose on the floor, in the same area so as not to wreck lots of my small field. However it’s the last week become so poached that they seem give trampling most of it in then messing round bored/asking for more.
I’ve been putting more in a different area a few hours after turning out (once the initial piles are completely wrecked!)
This is causing another large area of mulched hay and mud though.
I bought some huge containers to feed from but they pull it all out.
Not looking to spend a fortune as there are 3 horses who don’t share so would need a few hay hutches or similar.
How does everyone else feed hay with minimal mess and waste?
I’d love to put a round bale out but again not sure if they would share and not just trash it into the ground.
 

MotherOfChickens

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can you put a net in the containers? I have holes drilled in mine that I can pull the string through and tuck underneath (you can always have two ends to the string so there is no loop)

other than that, mud mats/jelka mats to stop them poaching.
 

poiuytrewq

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I've got one of these
https://www.parallaxplastics.co.uk/equestrian-products/horse-hay-feeders/the-hay-saver-slow-feeder/
There is still some trodden into the mud but very much less than feeding directly on the ground
I bought this in preference to a Hay Hutch because I don't like the way they crane their necks with a HH, and this is also much cheaper
I love these and if I only had one or 2 horses I knew would share I’d definitely buy one!
I’m not sure I can, was going to say justify but more truthfully afford them!
 

poiuytrewq

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can you put a net in the containers? I have holes drilled in mine that I can pull the string through and tuck underneath (you can always have two ends to the string so there is no loop)

other than that, mud mats/jelka mats to stop them poaching.
I could yes, that’s not one I’ve tried. Might be a good plan as I could soak first.
How would you attach safely?
Preferably without drilling holes! Any idea?
 

HashRouge

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Could you hammer a few posts in and tie haynets? I prefer feeding off the floor but would be a cheaper, short term solution. I'm lucky because I've always fed my two off the floor and they generally don't waste much.
 

TheHairyOne

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Ive done:

1, posts with rings and nets (no fun with 6 horses!)
2, floor (massively wastefull and many £££)
3, crates made out of pallets (broke and pulled out)

I now have a ring cattle feeder, split into 2 halves with plywood on the back facing the prevailing wind staked into the floor to stop it moving. This then has a heavy duty plastic net wrapped around it secured with twine and cable ties to stop them just dumping it on the floor and to remove any chance of legs inside it. Used this set up for 4 years.
 
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Birker2020

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How do you do it?
I’ve been feeding loose on the floor, in the same area so as not to wreck lots of my small field. However it’s the last week become so poached that they seem give trampling most of it in then messing round bored/asking for more.
I’ve been putting more in a different area a few hours after turning out (once the initial piles are completely wrecked!)
This is causing another large area of mulched hay and mud though.
I bought some huge containers to feed from but they pull it all out.
Not looking to spend a fortune as there are 3 horses who don’t share so would need a few hay hutches or similar.
How does everyone else feed hay with minimal mess and waste?
I’d love to put a round bale out but again not sure if they would share and not just trash it into the ground.
I have a large blue tub that is half a barrel shape. I fill it with damp hay the night before horse is turned out and turn it upside down (sometimes over a smaller bucket if it doesn't get blown away in the wind during the day) and he is able to just tip it over with his nose in the morning. It keeps it dry and isulated.

I practiced with him the first time when he was in his paddock to make sure he knew what to do and literally showed him the hay, placed the bucket upside down and tipped it over with my hand. I only needed to show him the once. Within 2 seconds he'd realised what to do and got the hang of tipping it over with his nose and has never looked back. Same with the previous horse.
 

poiuytrewq

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Could you hammer a few posts in and tie haynets? I prefer feeding off the floor but would be a cheaper, short term solution. I'm lucky because I've always fed my two off the floor and they generally don't waste much.
No, I was tying nets to the fence posts at one point but we are on stone and the posts just pull out. I can’t even get plastic posts in often the ground is that’s hard. Which is a shame because I didn’t mind that option!
 

poiuytrewq

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Ive done:

1, posts with rings and nets (no fun with 6 horses!)
2, floor (massively wastefull and many £££)
3, crates made out of pallets (broke and pulled out)

I now have a ring cattle feeder, split into 2 halves with plywood on the back facing the prevailing wind staked into the floor to stop it moving. This then has a heavy duty plastic net wrapped around it secured with twine and cable ties to stop them just dumping it on the floor and to remove any chance of legs inside it. Used this set up for 4 years.
Do you have a photo by any chance?
 

Widgeon

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Ours have hay out of a tractor tyre each, on top of crushed rubble with a mat base underneath. It works really well. Just make sure you know where you want the tyres, because they are far too heavy to move without the aid of a tractor!
 

HollyWoozle

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My stepdad made some feeders out of wood and they have lasted several years with no breaks or damage. Each horse has one and the ponies (we have a mini) have shorter versions to suit their height. They do pull some out which we just accept - the ground around the feeders does get poached and trashed but we just sacrifice an area and move them if the ground is too wet or rutted and it works well. It was carnage for the ground when they had it loose and the feeders definitely make it much better.

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Squeak

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Would it be feasible to only put hay out for one day and spread it throughout the field so that it mimics their grazing? If you've got quite a few to feed it wouldn't work but for a couple of horses I found that it stopped them poaching one spot and I could spread it over the better draining parts of the field when it was wet and then use the other parts when there was less rain.

It didn't take that long to spread it out and they managed to pick it all up ok.
 

MyBoyChe

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Ive got old car tyres, my 3 are turned out individually so have 1 each. I leave the hay in a net and tie it round the tyre, works well. I would say that they are barefoot atm, not sure if nets on the ground are too risky with shoes on
 

scruffyponies

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One of my fields sits lower than the surrounding ground, so there is a small banking next to the fence on the outside. The fencing is stock netting, and this allows me to drop biscuits of hay between the fence and the banking along the fence line at intervals so that each horse gets plenty of chance to eat without being disturbed by his neighbour. It's much quicker than filling nets.

I guess you could do something similar by having a long sling of rabbit netting along the fence into which you could pop the hay.
 

Melandmary

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Thick posts with tie rings on and haynets. It is a faff but there is hardly any wastage. Not sure if this would work in the field though as mine is on hardstanding so the ground doesn't mulch up unless you put quite a few in and rotated feeding stations. Quite a cheap way of doing it as a decent thick post is about £13.
 

poiuytrewq

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I had a very heavy pallet crate which i found to my horror absolutely smashed to bits a few weeks ago, chunks of wood and nails every where, no idea what on earth happened but luckily no injuries!

I quite like the half sheep ring idea, means I get two for the price of one and can space them out.

I’d love mud mats, again probably can’t afford a decent area worth though unfortunately.
 

Zuzan

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I use lorry tyres that I've filled with big stones (could use sand bags or anything weighty) I tie bailer twine loops onto the tyres at 12 and 6 oclock with double ended trgger clips attached. I then clip haynet onto the tyre.
This keeps the hay in one place out of the soggy ground / stops it being trampled, is cheap as chips to do and means I can have several in different places.

I tie off the filled haynets by passing the rope down the inside of the haynet to the ring at the bottom and tie off there.
 
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