How to Build a Hay Manger for Cows

No design for a hay manger for cows is right or wrong, but some designs work better than others. Hay is expensive and it makes sense to do all you can to prevent it being wasted. The main objective of feeding from a manger is to keep as much hay as possible off the ground to prevent it being soiled by cow droppings or mud. This manger can be made from treated wood or old oilfield pipe and a welder, and it is designed to be movable so it can be pushed around if the ground around it becomes churned up and muddy.

Things You'll Need

  • 4-by-4 lengths of treated lumber
  • 2-by-4 lengths of treated lumber
  • 1-by-2 lengths of treated lumber
  • Tape measure
  • Marker
  • Saw
  • Cold chisels
  • Hammer
  • Nails
  • Electric drill
  • Bolts
  • Pliers or wrench
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Instructions

    • 1

      Draw a plan of the hay manger with dimensions. It is basically a rectangular box with a V-shaped hay container inside it. Make the manger high enough for your cows to comfortably get the hay without having to lift their heads upward. The height of the bottom of the manger will be in the center of the measurement between the top and bottom of the framework. Saw the lumber to lengths as you work.

    • 2

      Construct the framework. Nail the lumber lengths together to make two rectangular frames. Make a rectangle with 4-by-4s for the bottom and a rectangle with 2-by-4s for the top. Join the top rectangle to the bottom rectangle with vertical 4-by-4s. Notch the lumber to make it narrower at the joints where necessary using a hammer and cold chisel. Drill holes with an electric drill and bolt the two rectangles to the top and bottom of the upright posts.

    • 3

      Measure, mark and cut two pieces of 2-by-4 for each side of the rectangular frame. Drill at each end and bolt them crossed over each another onto the framework at each end of the rectangle in an X shape. Bolt or nail a length of 4-by-4 lumber across the length of the rectangle from the top of the center of one X to the other.

    • 4

      Measure the distance from the top of the frame to the center cross bar. Cut the 1-by-2 pieces of lumber to fit here and nail them to make bars running from the top down to the center cross bar. Space them 1 to 3 feet apart. Toss hay into the V-shaped basket you have created and let the cows in. They will push their heads through the bars to get to the hay.