The two hay feeders I built for the horses are approaching the end of their first half life. No major repairs have been needed thus far, but nothing made of wood lasts for long in a rain forest (hence the steel shelter). Like any good engineer I am already working on an improved design to be implemented next summer. Two treated posts will be required to hold the whole thing up, but otherwise it will be made entirely of steel. For anyone interested in the construction of slow-release hay feeders, this site recently came to my attention. There are some great ideas here, though none of them appropriate for the wet coast (with the exception of this huge round bale net -- brilliant!).
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4 comments:
Ohhhh I liked that link! Really innovative.
Liked the old feeder too - what are you planning on changing about it? Do you or David know how to weld, or are you going to hire it out?
The Barb Wire just finished up a pretty good series on equine gastric ulcers. This post about prevention meshes nicely with your hay feeder, I think. Sort of the opposite end of the spectrum from your problem, but the same solution.
It's weird how we (in general) cause so many of our horses' problems by treating them like humans. The road to hell, etc.
What a neat link, and the ideas are fabulious!
I liked your feeder as well, making it steel next ..great for wet ,huh!
Good idea, using steel! And wow, that bale holder is awesome!
Do you have problems with the goats climbing up or pulling on them, or do they get enough from what the horses drop? Plus, they're small, I keep forgetting how tiny they really are! If the net is shoulder high to you and the horses, the goats probably can't even reach it!
I love making stuff and modifying it for my own uses, it's really satisfying - especially when you end up saving a huge percentage over that top-of-the-line store bought one that really doesn't suit!
Funder: Weld? I think I learned how to solder in grade 6. Seriously, though, I don't think any welding will be necessary. You'll see in the next week or so.
Brandy: We hang the nets so that the goats can reach them on their hind legs, about shoulder-high for the horses. Any lower and they would be goat traps for sure. I shudder to think of the trouble they could get themselves in to.
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