Homemade Goat Hay & Grain Feeder

Homemade goat feeders, for hay and grain, can be made with a few basic tools and supplies. In putting up your feeders, keep in mind your goats' basic behaviors and likes and dislikes. The type of hay feeder that would best suit your goats' needs will depend on whether your goats still have their horns or not. Either way, simple feeders can be constructed.
  1. Split Pipe Grain Feeder

    • To make a grain feeder, take the largest sewer PVC pipe you can find. Look for schedule 6 or larger in size. You'll need two end caps as well. Using PVC cement, glue the caps into place. Then using a table saw, cut the pipe in half lengthwise. This gives you two semi-circular troughs. If the grain feeder is likely to be out in the rain, you might drill in a few drainage holes.

      This trough can be mounted on a wall. It can also be mounted on a railing or along a fence. Wherever it's mounted, the trough should be above tail height to discourage the goat from trying to defecate in his grain feeder. And in mounting it, you might hang it at a slight angle to make it easier for the goat to eat from it. If mounted along a fence or on a rail, and if mounted high, consider adding in bars for the goat to climb on to reach the feeder.

    Hay Feeders

    • For hornless goats, a popular hay feeder is the keyhole box design. Using plywood, make a box with an open top for putting in hay. On the face of the box, cut out a hole in which the goat can stick in his head. Remember that goats won't eat hay once it's been on the ground, and so keeping the hay in a box will keep it clean and therefore edible. If, however, your goat has horns, he won't be able to use this design. He'll constantly get his head stuck inside the box and have difficulty pulling his head out.

      For goats with horns, consider a wall-mounted hay box. The easiest way to make this is to build it on the ground and mount it later. Make what looks like a ramp. It'll be mounted on the wall with the pointed end down and with the top (or back end) completely open for inserting hay. The top of the ramp should be made of wooden slats spaced apart for the hay to stick out. The sides can be plywood or more slats. At the point, use a 2-by-4 for stability.