feeding hay / haylage in the stable

K

kirt's mam

New Member
Nov 10, 2008
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Northumberland
Hi All
I just wondered if anyone has any ideas or thoughts about the best ways to feed hay in the stable. My old TB has always had his hay and haylage fed on the floor (rubber matting) in the top corner of his stable as I think it's better for him to eat in a natural position. He has a lovely big stable so the pile of hay is well away from his bed etc. However, he does often drag big chunks of it onto his bed as he wanders about and then he can't possibly eat it (very fussy - would rather go hungry than eat stuff that might be 'contaminated'!).
I'm trying to keep an eye on how much he is actually eating just now so I've resorted to putting up 3 nets, 2 with haylage and 1 with hay so I can see how much of each he eats. I don't really like using haynets though, I would much prefer him to eat with his head down - he has been fed like that for years.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can feed him off the floor (or at least lower than a haynet) without him wasting stuff?

cheers
 
I don't like nets, either, so I use a cut down wheelie bin to feed my TB. I really need to get some photos of it! At the time, I wanted a HayBar, but found them too expensive, and having it all in the bin means that I can wheel the hay to wherever we are (i.e. if I'm grooming outside or bathing).
 
I got mine from the local council (and ordered it as a replacement bin, as I didn't think they'd be too enamoured with me for using it for hay! :eek: ) I think it was about £20, and it's one of these "green bins" rather than household waste bins - it has vents in it that allow air to circulate. My OH cut it down with a power saw: we took off the lid, and cut it on a slope down both sides, and the front of it is cut to about half way down the bin, so that he can get his head right in.

I think B&Q and most hardware stores sell wheelie bins, too :)
 
lol. Mine is so petrified of wheelie bins he would rather starve than put his head in one.:eek:

I use small hole nets, he doesnt paw them anyway, and have them very low on long strings so they are only 6inches above the floor. He doesnt have shoes to get stuck in them either and they are doubled netted.
 
Skippys Mum said:
Sez, does that stop him lifting it out and dragging it all over the place? (woman with spare wheely bin here;))
Click to expand...

There's always some debris, usually some on the floor around the bin, a bit dropped over the stable door or dunked in the water bucket, but it doesn't seem to be any more than you would get with a net. When I've fed hay loose on the floor, it ends up dragged all over and used as a toilet, so I don't get anywhere near as much waste using the bin, and most of it can be gathered up and put back in.

Funnily enough, he's still slightly worried by bins at the side of the road when we're hacking out :rolleyes: When I started using the bin, I expected him to start investigating other peoples bins, just in case they were using them to store hay :D
 
Sez, your wheelie bin is an inspired idea! Sorry to be a pain but do you think you could get some photos, I would love to see how it looks as I would like to make one myself :D
 
No problem, I will try to get a couple of pictures this evening. I do have a rough drawing that I did in Paint, but it's on my Photobucket account and it's blocked on this PC. I think this is the right link...
bins.jpg
someone will have to let me know if that works, because the picture just doesn't appear for me whatsoever!
 
I like the look of Haybars - but our Joe can't have one as he is overweight and vet told me to feed him with a net (he prefers the floor to be honest!). Storm used to eat off the floor - I gave up with nets as she just pulled it all into her bed for midnight snacks! hahahaha. I make her have nets now tho, as she'd bee ginormous if not.
 
my boy has hay in a manger thing..

125.jpg


040.jpg


can see it in the corner. he also has a slice left on the floor (which sometimes ends up spread around his bed)

sometimes the hay is cut short though, and it's hard to get hay through the manger so he has a wide holed net. im not a fan either but he prefers it.
 
kirt's mam said:
Hi All
I just wondered if anyone has any ideas or thoughts about the best ways to feed hay in the stable. My old TB has always had his hay and haylage fed on the floor (rubber matting) in the top corner of his stable as I think it's better for him to eat in a natural position. He has a lovely big stable so the pile of hay is well away from his bed etc. However, he does often drag big chunks of it onto his bed as he wanders about and then he can't possibly eat it (very fussy - would rather go hungry than eat stuff that might be 'contaminated'!).
I'm trying to keep an eye on how much he is actually eating just now so I've resorted to putting up 3 nets, 2 with haylage and 1 with hay so I can see how much of each he eats. I don't really like using haynets though, I would much prefer him to eat with his head down - he has been fed like that for years.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can feed him off the floor (or at least lower than a haynet) without him wasting stuff?

make youre own hay bar!!!
my OH made me two this year using wood and rubber matting they worked out at £15.00 each and are much stronger and easier to clean than the original ones my neds love them!!:D
all you need to do is go on the hay bar site for dimensions and insperation and he literally made them in one night!!!:D
Click to expand...
 
Tyler gets his haylge on the floor. I do slightly prefer it this way, however the fact he drags it through his bed stands on it then looks as if to say 'I have no haylage' is just ridiculous lol.

I would have it in low haynets if it was safe or have a haybar if we were allowed one in the stable.

Jen
x
 
Dear All
thanks for all these suggestions - I'm going to have a look at the Hay Bar in more detail as it would go nicely where he currently has the pile of hay. I just wasn't sure he would want to put his head into something which is solid. It might end up being a wheelie bin tho
:)
 
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