[Cinderhills]

Last winter we didn't have a hay rack and just used the floor.  This was awful as there was so much hay wasted and they used to lie on it and make it very dirty.  After about 6 months of searching we bought an 8ft hay rack on wheels with a lid from ebay.

I was so excited and come winter we thought it would be great.  Well, it does work quite well but we still get so much wasted hay on the ground.  On the plus side it's not as bad as without it, and they don't poo or lie on the hay, but after keeping it in one position for a couple of weeks and moving it there was a lot of muddy hay to shift from the floor.

Does everyone have this problem, or is there something I can do to prevent so much from getting on the ground?

[ellisr]

My OH makes ours from wood with a lid that slides off so you can pop a full bale in then a piece of weldmesh lies on top and the sheep can only get a mouth full at a time so it cuts down on wastage. There is still a little they drop but it is really not a lot compared to other systems I have seen.

[daddymatty82]

feed them less so result will be less wastage but its a very common problem i think best to do   is move it week by week just 8 ft at a time may work

[seldomseen]

Goats are notorious for this, ewwwwww dont want that bit, I had something like that last week lol
I have found a little at a time helps, ok it takes alot of time but small handfulls every 2 hrs has helped no end with one of the the fussy goats I have.
I didnt need bedding straw this year as the pen is full of wasted hay......

OR or just thought, if they are anything like goats, put the hay where they are not supposed to have it, where you think they can get to but is not in its usual place, they think they are being naughty and eat it lol

[Fleecewife]

We keep our hay hecks in one position so the dropped bits make a small pile.  Once a year we move the heck and take the dropped bits - now liberally treated with dung and urine - to a muck heap to rot down a bit more.  Then it's used as manure on the veggie patch - great stuff and all part of the cycle of the smallholding.
I know it is annoying when they drop any, what with current prices or all the work it takes to make the stuff.  We fill ours a whole bale at a time (too many sheep to mess about  ) but we wait until every last bit has been eaten so they pick up the dropped stuff too.  There is a fair bit of wastage but as you say, far less than feeding on the ground

[VSS]

You could try lining the inside of the rack with weldmesh where the mesh is a bit finer than the mesh on the hay rack. Hold it in place with cable ties.

We have done this with all the hay racks in the lambing shed and it has made a huge difference to amount of wastage - virtually nothing now.

[Cinderhills]

Thanks everyone for your feedback.    I like the idea of this weldmesh stuff.  Will see where I can buy some from.

[andywalt]

Here is our 8` feeder but it has a feed tray underneath so it catches any hay that drops, i have to say very little waste, it also loads from the side so its very robust, move it every 3 days and that stops the ground from getting to churned up


andy

[Cinderhills]

Thanks Andy.  Ours has a tray too and helps a little.

I love how nosey your lambs are!

[andywalt]

they are growing so fast now!!  I am just wanting the warm weather and the grass to grow......

[humphreymctush]

I use a ring feeder. The sheep tend to keep their heads in it and eat so they dont tend to drop it on the ground that much.