Home made hay bars...advice/dimensions please!

[Fee Fo]

Hello

I spent the majority of the last horrid winter filling b!()()dy hay nets!! NEVER AGAIN!! Besides that, I want to feed hay from ground level. I have 2 lovely large boxes which I can easily use a corner of for haybars/troughs.

I'm not sure about a hay bar shaped trough made of wood as I don't think I want that slope pointing down into the corner of the box. (I want to breed from my mare next year, so thinking ahead to the trouble a youngster could get into! A corner like that could easily see a youngster cast in it.)

Just trying to work out what dimensions would be best. I think the safest way would be to simply cut across the corner with wood creating a corner manger approx 5.5 foot across and approx 2.5 foot deep. Would I need to put a wood base in to raise it off the concrete? I plan to empty it every day anyway.

What do you think all? I only want to do this once, so any advice welcome so I can make an informed decision!

Thanks everyone.

 

[dsth]

I feel exactly the same, the filling of the hay/haylage nets took ages last winter especially when your hands are freezing! My lady that i used to exercise for (I dont have time now) has 3 Showjumpers and she made her own wooden "Haybar" in corner of each stable, placed 2 vertical bits of wood either end nailed to wall of stable and slid the wood down between them, the main bit of wood could be slid in and out if ever needed or if you wanted to remove completely i guess, wood was about 2 ft high and 3 ft across, she used to pack the hay or haylage down quite tight inside, sorry the dimensions are poor, I intend to get my husband to devise something very similar for this winter to make things easier its ok if you only have 1 to do etc Plus one of mine like to be really rough with his net and the knot in the morning is sometimes so hard to undo occasionally impossible!

 

[holmedown]

I made my own - really cheap ! one sheet 8x4 stirling board - 3/4 inch so thick - makes 3 - (2ft high 4 ft wide).
Just cut (or ask nicely at Jewsons!) for them the cut it into three. Get some battons (2 for each) and some screws and off your go. I have mine fixed just off the groud so you can sweep the seeds or whatever throught the bottom gap

 

[Tnavas]

I made my own - really cheap ! one sheet 8x4 stirling board - 3/4 inch so thick - makes 3 - (2ft high 4 ft wide).
Just cut (or ask nicely at Jewsons!) for them the cut it into three. Get some battons (2 for each) and some screws and off your go. I have mine fixed just off the groud so you can sweep the seeds or whatever throught the bottom gap

For those thinking of a haybar with a foal in the box, it is possible for the foal to fall in them.

Try using instead a plastic barrel cut in half across the middle - 56gallon size - it's big enough to keep all the hay in and light enough that if the foal ends up in it it will tip over and eject foal. You can use one for the hay and one for feed.

If you shake up the hay out of it's slab when you put it in the bin it won't get dragged around the box

 

[lloyd]

the high low hay feeders are a great idea , we use them and would recommend them.