You can see in our larger metal hay feeder most of the goats and sheep are eating from one feeder. The best option for your budget is up to you. Of course, you can always purchase hay feeders on Amazon, but most of the time, if they don’t offer a discount it will cost you more. ![]() I’ve seen hay feeders at other local frame stores. I purchased both of my metal hay feeders at Tractor Supply. Metal feeders are a great investment as they last long and withstand the tough love of your goats. ![]() They are sturdy, durable, and hold up well even with larger goats or goats with horns intact. One easy-access option is a metal hay feeder. Best Goat Feeders Store-Bought Options Metal Hay Rack Feeders It’s always a generalized guide because every goat and herd can differ. Homesteading is constantly evaluating and seeing what works and adjusting, so keep that in mind when reading this post and any other homesteading posts. We have two sheep now with our dairy goats and they don’t mind eating off the ground, which may be changing the behavior of our goats as well. For us, whatever is left in the winter months from my Nigerian Dwarf goats, I’ll scoop the hay off the ground and toss it over in the pig pen. I’ve learned over the years if they are hungry, the best way to get them to eat that wasted hay off the ground is to give them less hay. We all know hay costs aren’t going down anytime soon, so finding a feeder that minimizes waste is a win. When I feed them in the morning and evening and don’t fill the feeders up, they will eat more off the ground. Keep in mind happy goats waste hay no matter what feeder what I’ve found over the years is not to overfeed them hay. Round bales are a cost-effective option if you have a large herd. We use square bales when feeding hay because of storage space and eight goats. And if you are wondering what breed of goat is a notorious hay waster? I swear it’s the Nigerian dwarfs!Īll four of my does eat from one hay feeder, but any more than four, you will likely need another one. It doesn’t matter whether some of your goats have horns there will always be dominant goats. Our current herd is four does without horns and one doe with horns. If you are just starting out with goats, you probably only need one hay feeder, but even if you have a smaller herd like I do, you may need a couple more because you have one very bossy queen! We’ll also include some DIY and free options. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the various hay feeder options for goats and their pros and cons. Whether you are just getting started with goats or your current hay feeder isn’t working out, I’ve shared all my own tips and plenty of options depending on your homestead. But, oh boy, finding the perfect hay feeder feels like looking for a needle in a haystack, doesn’t it? The third thing is keeping a herd of 30 goats hooves trimmed but that is even going to get better with time but that is another post.Let me tell you, trying to figure out the best way to feed our cute goats can be quite the challenge, am I right? Like us, they need their greens for good health, and hay is a massive part of their leafy buffet. ![]() If one backs up and pees or lets the nanny berries drop, that hay is done for. Everyday all I could see was money laying all over the ground. We use about 2 bales a day and have paid $5.00 to $7.00 a bale depending on the market. ![]() I have tried everything for feeding hay but as you goat owners know they waste more than they eat. They don't mean to hurt you.they just think they are starving at all times and a bucket holds the answer to all of their food prayers. They always act like they are one grain from starvation and almost all of my goats have horns so I constantly stayed bruised or scraped. One, if you go into a pen with a feed bucket, you are mauled no matter how much they have ate. In the five plus years I have owned goats there were two, OK maybe three things I totally didn't like. Almost 0, yes that is a zero waste of hay. It is the most wonderful, awesome, beautiful hay and grain feeder in the world. I have found a plan and have built four of these feeders for our goats.
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