design ideas for sheep hay feeder?

[newton the goat]

Does anyone have any blue prints for a homemade hay feeder? We just had a quick solution of netting stuck to the wall, but in their hast to get the hay, they have ripped pieces off the wall and now the hay is all over the floor !! I have seen many on pint rest but I was wondering what works for everyone else.

 

[norseofcourse]

I like the Premier1 design, the plans are free on their website. It uses mostly 2 by 4's, and it's pretty easy to build. I used sheep/goat panels for the grate part instead of Premier1's panels, easier and cheaper to get locally. I've built two of them so far, the single sided style.

 

[mysunwolf]

We use a wooden pallet attached at an angle to the barn wall by two boards. I had to add a few slats to keep the hay in better and keep heads out. It looks a little like this (not my photo):


We've also used livestock panels tied to the fence at an angle as well, here's an example photo (also not my photo):

 

[Latestarter]

There are also several threads on here about this particular subject with other pictures of what folks have done/used.

 

[misfitmorgan]

We tried the livestock panel thing and it isnt very good honestly...though it is quick to make. They rub all their neck hair off, waste a lot of hay, and if you put them to low they will climb in them and try to nap in them...full of hay.

I'm with @norseofcourse the premier1 style seems the best, but i would skip buying their panels as well. The sheep/goat panels at TSC are half the price of the premier1 panels and you could make 4, 4ft feeders or 2, 4ft double sided feeders from one TSC panel for $52.99 compared to $122 for 2 premier1 panels plus freight shipping.

 

[Nathan Justice]

Does anyone have any blue prints for a homemade hay feeder? We just had a quick solution of netting stuck to the wall, but in their hast to get the hay, they have ripped pieces off the wall and now the hay is all over the floor !! I have seen many on pint rest but I was wondering what works for everyone else.

My neighbors that I petsit for when they are out of town uses a Cattle panel cut up into four pieces and has it tied together into a square and the goats have to stick their head through it and it causes them to waste less hay! I plan to do this with my goats too!

 

[secuono]

I use cattle panels bent into a V and hung up for the sheep & horses.
The goat panel at TSC is $65 w/tax, so trying to plan out new feeders to get the most out of a panel.

 

[babsbag]

Cattle panels are great until you have lambs or kids and then they either crawl in and sleep in it or they get their head in the hole with a mature animal and get smashed. I have never had one injured but they scream enough to make me nervous and I stopped feeding that way.

I use the panels with 4x4 squares on a Premier 1 feeder that I built and I also have one with Premier 1 panels. The Premier Panels don't rub the nose raw like the 4x4 squares do. Also, if you have kids with horns they will easily get stuck in the panel with the 4x4 squares. The Premier panels are $$ but my next feeder will use them.

 

[Alibo]

I did the cattle panel thing in a triangle and fit a whole round bale in it. Then tore it down after the donkey was bleeding from the nose and I had been out there to save our lamancha too many times!. She would get her horns stuck and then the others would beat her up! And smashed all my knuckles twice pulling that fat head out! Not worth the hassle in my opinion but it did save some hay waste!