Homemade slow feeder/ Hay feeder. Can i see them please!

GLEEK

GLEEK

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Hi

I am thinking about next wnter already! I am considering makng my own slow feeder/ hay feeder for n the field. Mine live out 24/7. I have looked at the paddock paradise site etc but wanted to see how you have all made your own

Thanks
 
No photo but I have a rail across a 2m doorway with hay & oat straw piled the other side. They get about 15kg of hay daily and unlimited oat straw this way. (15.2 & yearling to make 15.2)
 
Just get a tombstone feeder? 200quid, safe, effective, designed for this. I wouldn't use wood for this as it's just too likely to break uunder normal usage
 
SusieT said:
Just get a tombstone feeder? 200quid, safe, effective, designed for this. I wouldn't use wood for this as it's just too likely to break uunder normal usage
Click to expand...

I have a sheep feeder that has had wire mesh added to it, to stop the horses putting their legs through the bars.

Horseshayfeeder.jpg
 
I'm going to try home-making a hay hutch. I reckon a plastic normal household dustbin (seems to be the same plastic they are made of!) with holes cut in (and smoothed off), and stood in a tyre to stop it toppling.
But I haven't got round to it yet, so still grumping daily at wasted muddy trampled hay... doh!
 
Pallets cut in half or a third, tied with baler twine( not expense spared) then I tie my small holed hay nets in it. When I can find the right sized piece of concret reenforcing gird I to go inside I am going to try that instead of hay nets.
Not perfect but cheap.
 
These are good ideas too. I want to try and tricle feed the hay. I have one horse that eats a very full haynet in about 15mins. When i wached the video of the horse eating out of one of the slow feeders it was only getting a couple of strands at a tme. I did put a big round bale of hay in a round holder for the horses before (i have 2 a 16hh ID mare and a 15.3hh standardbred) the bale lasted 1 and half days. Hence why i need to try and slow things down!!!!

The video i was on about
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVQ_hFXYUAc&feature=player_embedded
 
This is my problem susieT the ID would eat until she popped! She doesnt stop until its gone. This is why i am needing to make it a bit more difficult or time consuming for her!
 
We have 2 truck tyres stacked and bolted together and with holes drilled in the bottoms/ sides so water doesn't sit in them. Packed full of haylage to keep it some what contained. I have one for each horse and they love them. They can't hurt themselves on them (easily) and they were free. Most places will give you old tyres for nothing, plus i can roll them around the field :)

Similar to this http://www.axeholmeshires.com/tirefeeder/
 
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Hmm. My DIY feeder seemed to work quite well until it was banned by my YO within the week, as the two piggies trashed the ground around it, even though I moved it around the field.

100_1160.jpg


It is a compost bin with a second opening cut into it. I tried hanging a large haynet inside to slow down the eating, but I never had the time to perfect it. This gives you an idea anyway.
 
Has anyone ever tried those star shaped weights you just put on the top of the hay inside a bin or barrel?
 
What we use is two big tractor tires, one on top of the other, place a wood board between them so the hay doesn't go to the floor.
And then just fill with hay and they will munch quite happily!
:D
 
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