Hay Pillows etc

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Ceriann

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Does nayone use a pillow or soemthing like a freedom feeder? Mine are out 27/7 and i feed them off the ground (better for my older mare and her back problems). Whilst i dot piles around and they are getting lots of hay (with rationed haylage) they are now running out constantly between feeds (twice a day). I worry how long they are without food (not for condition as they look well enough) but because of bordeom and ulcers. Ive upped the piles a few times now and think its time to think about slowing down the eating as opposed to adding more.

So am looking into getting them soemthing to slow feed on top of what they get on the floor. I am very wary of big bale feeders and anything like bins etc (two of my mares are very capable of getting legs stuck etc) but like the look of the hay pillows ive seen on the internet (very strudy plastic with an open square with small holes). Has anyone used anything similar and if so where do i gets something like this (they seem to be more of a US thing)?
 
I found a 'haybag' in Canada which I liked but although it was not to expensive, shipping back to the UK was more costly than the net so I decided not too. I have used a small mesh hay net tied up with bale string at the rings then cut the spare off so no chance of feet getting caught, however I would caution against any type of net feeder on the ground for any GGs that wear shoes, a protruding clench can catch on anything. If you find something that works I'd be interested I have a piggy pony who guzzles his hay in a very short time!
 
Carlosmum said:
I found a 'haybag' in Canada which I liked but although it was not to expensive, shipping back to the UK was more costly than the net so I decided not too. I have used a small mesh hay net tied up with bale string at the rings then cut the spare off so no chance of feet getting caught, however I would caution against any type of net feeder on the ground for any GGs that wear shoes, a protruding clench can catch on anything. If you find something that works I'd be interested I have a piggy pony who guzzles his hay in a very short time!
Click to expand...

Ive wondered whether the bags work better in drier countries - i could see them disappearing in my mud swamp!
 
I haven't tried it yet, but I'm going to use hay pillows attached to the bottom of round tubs, like the big tubs you get sheep licks in. I have toyed with a few ideas, including using tyres and fixing some kind of netting/mesh to the bottom to stop hay falling through, and then adding the haypillow/net on top, but I'm going to try the tubs I think and if they are too light then I will go back to tyres.Mine are in a very wet field but enjoy grazing around rather than standing at their slow feeder all day, and it keeps them on the solid ground rather than the bog. I can let you know how it works if you like, hoping to try it this week.
 
If I want to keep mine busy but away from where I usually feed them I will use paddock pillows but not often.
Have you got anything really heavy, maybe a railway sleeper that you could fix a hay ring to, you could tie a net to it or even put rings at the bottom of posts though the area is likely to get muddy.
What are your DIY skills like?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLTHdVlDdoU
There are a load of differant varieties on you tube
 
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