Haybars - should I get one?

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Gorgeous George

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Sorry if this has been done to death but I just can't decide whether to get a haybar or not? George is a pig and although I don't have to worry about his weight too much, he just goes through hay at such a speed (to be honest I think he inhales it
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). So at the moment he has his hay in small holed nets, but when I watch him eat it worries me, he uses so much force and twisting of his neck that it can't be good for him or his muscles. The floor is no good as he tramples it and poos on it, so a haybar seems a great idea - but will he just go through it like no tomorrow? Finally do they have to be fitted in corners or can they be put on a flat wall - George likes to have his hay near the door so he can keep an eye on things outside!
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I'm thinking about getting some too - my horses are fed off the ground at the moment as a couple of them try to hang themselves in haynets and I'm getting bored with picking haylage out of their beds. Sorry to take over your thread GG but does anyone know if they are actually any good for keeping hay/haylage in one place or do the horses just pull it out over the top of the haybar?
 
I know some people absolutely love them but I did have them for my lot and one of mine just pulled all his hay out of his haybar onto the floor, Ella (big black mare) used hers as a bottom scratching post - unfortunately, it was obviously not designed for such a large rear and Mishky refused to eat out of his point blank, so I use his for rugs. If anyone wants to try one, I have one slightly bent full size and one pony size up for grabs.
 
I have a wooden board across one corner, cost an amazng £10 and also i have it high enough so that i can easily sweep out the bottom. I creosoted (sp) it but my mare never chews wood anyway!
A dappy girl at the yard has realised a YEAR later that not leaving a gap means there is a years worth of mouldy hay at the bottom of it.
 
I think the hay rack option may be good, I reckon I'm going to get one of those, in the corner. You can get corner ones. I shall not put it too high up incase of hay getting in eyes and breathing affected.

Should be good for soaked hay too.
 
I am liking your home made hay bar idea! How high did you take it? As I've got at least 6 stables to put them in it will be a much cheaper alternative! Did you put the board at an angle like the hay bar or just do it straight on the wall? I will admit I have thought about making mmy own but was wondering how easy it would be as I'm not very talented with a drill & saw...
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i just put batons on the wall and put it across the corner under her window so she can still peep out! Its about 1m high with 6inch gap underneath for sweeping
 
Haybars are rubbish,not worth what i paid for mine.My stallion used to pull his hay out into his bed and thought the haybar would stop this,but it hasnt!!!
Complete waste of money!
 
I have never seen a hay bar for real, only pictures- so shoot me down if i'm wrong. Everything has it's disadvantages, but I can't help think that when a horse has its head "in" the haybar that it is breathing in a lot of dust as there doesn't look like there can be much air circulation in a solid container? for the same reason if the haybar is used by 1+ horses it looks like a great breeding ground for respiratory bugs. Just a thought, and as I say, I've never actually seen one in use.
 
I guess you could be right HT.Have never really given it much thought until now.There is quite a bit of dust in my stallions haybar if i dont get chance to clean it out.If you keep on top of it and clean it out regulary its not to bad.
Would not recommend anyone getting one,but each to their own!
 
I did the same home made haybar! Just two batons screwed to wall and a triangular shaped piece of wood screwed to the batons. cost very little to make and dead easy. in it's third year now with no damage!
 
I did think about getting one but the ££ put me off! Instead I got a massive rubber bucket (although with the amount he gets I could do with 2 large buckets
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). I put his soaked hay in the bucket and every so often give it a wash out - works wonders
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I just use a big bucket, similar idea but I can clean it easier, its too low to be used as a scratching post and its much much cheaper!
 
Hmmmmm.... I'm thinking I might let myself attack my stables with a drill this weekend if it's THAT easy...
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What sort of wood did you use? Obviously it needs to be fairly robust with horses giving it a battering every day
 
go to your local builders merchants and buy a big rubber bucket made for carrying bricks. They're about a fiver and hold plenty of hay. they're also indestructable
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I've decided not to buy HayBars. I haven't had one, but I love the idea but the price of them
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So I'll either make some or just buy some XL TubTrugs, which will actually be a lot better for soaked hay anyway.

To those who have made their own can you get some pics of them, please??
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I love my Haybar!
As you can see Beau still drops a bit but not much:

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I cant feed Beau from the floor as he trampes it all in his bed, and I dont like feeding him from nets.

However Trish I find when I have Lance in my stable the hay soon vanishes...he is a pig!
 
We got hay bars for all four of ours two years ago and they were great for two of the girls, but not good for the other two, one won't use it at all and drags all her hay out, so now just feed from the floor (she has a sheep living with her now who couldn't reach the hay bar anyway). Amber did pull her hay out, but we have blocked her window and that seems to have solved that one.
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most of the horses ive seen with them drop a large amount of hay on the floor / around their bed

it does have to be in the corner so no good for horses who dont want to face the corner of their stable a lot.

i was tempted last year but my mare eats fast and id rather she had her hay in a small holed net and it lasted her longer than her woofing it down and then standing bored with nothing to eat.

i think the price is ridiculous too.
 
I have a genuine haybar for my horse. (He is the only one who uses it so no preblem with spreading germs.)

It is positioned about 6 - 8 inches above the ground, so all of the dust and short bits of haylage fall out of the bottom and I sweep it out every day. Therefore, there is not dust for him to breath in.

When I first fitted mine, my horse just pulled out the haylage and spread it over the stable. However, I screwed a tie ring to the wall in the corner of the haybar (about a foot from the bottom) and now tie his small holed haynet onto that. No he gets the best of both worlds - no strectching and twisting to pull hay out, no wastage and eating with a low head position.

I'm sure you could make something yourself for a fraction of the price of a real haybar, but I couldn't be bothered with making one!
 
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