Author Topic: Goats 'wasting' lots of hay - solutions ? (Read 4465 times)

HappyHippy · « **on:** July 07, 2013, 01:29:59 pm »

I have an open topped hay feeder (the kind that hangs on a gate or wall) and my goats seem to get more of their hay on the floor than in their bellies $:-\$
Is there an alternative ? Can I put something over the top to stop them pulling it out ? I've got square weldmesh (around 3 inch squares) I was wondering about making a flip up top to go on the rack ...... any thoughts ?

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #1 on:** July 07, 2013, 02:25:21 pm »

We do this to stop our Badger Face doing the same thing. Wire the "lid" at the front to create two hinges, turning and tucking in the ends so it's not sharp. A field hayrack for sheep works in a similar way with the addition a of a shelf under the rack to stop it getting pulled out onto the field. Expensive, though.

kaz · « **Reply #2 on:** July 07, 2013, 02:42:07 pm »

I've seen a friend with goats, wire on a piece of ply to make a lid that can be lifted to fill the rack. Goats love to throw hay all over the place and they don't eat it once it's on the floor.

shygirl · « **Reply #3 on:** July 07, 2013, 02:46:16 pm »

we buy in little bales of haylage for our goats during the summer when a big bale is too much. the area they are in doesnt have enough forage for them 24/7.
the bales are plastic wrapped so i only cut open a small square in the middle so they can eat but the rest stays in the wrapper on the floor. they waste very little this way. in the winter they get fed in haynets and aslong as they are kept tightly full, they dont get caught up with the horns. an empty haynet isnt ideal for horns goats though. so i tie up 3 at a time.

BadgerFace · « **Reply #4 on:** July 07, 2013, 06:04:21 pm »

I made a weld mesh lid for my goat hay racks. Used Jubilee Clips as 'hinges' and a trigger clip (the sort that screws to the wall to hold buckets) to hold it shut. Quick and simple.

HappyHippy · « **Reply #5 on:** July 07, 2013, 10:05:23 pm »

Excellent, thanks folks

Daisys Mum · « **Reply #6 on:** July 08, 2013, 12:13:36 pm »

My girls don't waste it but they don't eat it either, I put fresh in every day and the pony gets what the goats haven't eaten.

plumseverywhere · « **Reply #7 on:** July 08, 2013, 01:56:17 pm »

MIne ignore the hay in the summer, I assume because there is so much to graze and browse? Winter though I feed it in the sheds, they will pick up large lumps that they drop but the rest kind of ends up as bedding. I use haylage nets, tightly packed, for the unhorned as i find the holes are smaller than the hay nets so a) safer (wouldn't use near kids though) and b) less gets pulled through and wasted.

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #8 on:** July 08, 2013, 04:23:00 pm »

I have one lidded rack and one open. the open one is situated very high up so it's not easy for them to get to the top - not impossible but not easy. There is always a covering on the floor though and I've seen it drop as they pull hay through the sides.

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #9 on:** July 09, 2013, 01:05:56 am »

mine waste a lot as well (mesh rack), tried a lid on but then they didn't seem to eat much and lost weight, but still managed to cover the floor with hay

. now just put a length of chunky wood in the top to slow things down. Frustrating to see so much hay wasted.
I have seen an idea where they put their heads thru uprights and eat there, when we re-make the pens I'm hoping to work something out like that.