Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Saw
- Sheet of plywood
- Hammer
- Nails
- 2 8-foot 2-by-4-inch pieces of lumber
- 1-foot-long 1-by-2-inch pieces of lumber for slats
Instructions
Decide how large you want your feeder to be. A standard square (actually a rectangle, but farmers call them squares) bale of hay will fit in a feeder that is 40 inches long by 22 inches wide by 18 inches deep.
Cut a piece of plywood to form the base of the feeder. Cut the plywood 40 inches long and 22 inches wide. Affix four 18-inch pieces of 2-by-4-inch lumber to the corners of your plywood and fit a rectangle using more 2-by-4-inch lumber around the top (joining all of the corners). Either nail these top rail pieces together so that all of the boards are vertical or so they are horizontal--it is really a matter of personal preference.
Nail slats of 1-by-2-inch lumber to the base and top boards between 7 and 10 inches apart, depending on the animal you are feeding. Figure out how far apart the slats will need to be for your specific animals to easily access the hay; this measurement will determine how many slats you need in your feeder.
Nail your feeder to your barn or stable wall or build legs for it out of more 2-by-4-inch lumber at a height you prefer for your animals. Attaching the legs at an angle, sawhorse style, will keep it from tipping over. Alternatively, some farmers have had success suspending feeders on chains or cables from the ceiling or a beam. This method keeps the feeder from being turned over.