How to Make a Goat Feeder

Feeders for goats can be made from materials you may already have around your farm. You can buy commercial feeders, but many farmers find that these feeders leave a lot of room for waste by the goats and they therefore prefer to make their own feeders. Consider your goats, their breed and size and your space before building a feeder.

Things You'll Need

  • Heavy duty PVC pipe
  • Reciprocating saw
  • Drill
  • Screws
  • 2-by-4 construction lumber
  • Nails
  • Hammer
  • Fence or farm staples
  • Woven-wire sheep fence
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Instructions

  1. Grain Feeder

    • 1

      Cut a piece of heavy duty PVC pipe in half lengthwise, using a reciprocating saw. The pipe should be at least 4 inches in diameter and 3 or more feet long

    • 2

      Drill two or three pilot holes in the back of the PVC pipe for your screws.

    • 3

      Cut pieces of plywood with a jigsaw to make them fit into the ends of the pipe. Glue the plywood pieces in place at the end of the pipe with PVC cement. Wait until it dries thoroughly before mounting or feeding.

    • 4

      Find a place along a barn wall to place the feeder. Make sure it's tall enough so that the goats can reach it with their heads but can't get their hooves into it.

    • 5

      Secure the feeder to the wall by placing 2-inch screws into the holes and screwing them into the wall with a screwdriver.

    Hay Feeder

    • 6

      Cut 12 pieces of 2-by-4 lumber. Cut four pieces of 2-by-4, each 24-inches long. Cut another four 2-by-4's each 36-inches long. Cut four pieces of 2-by-4, each 48-inches long.

    • 7

      Make boxes out of the boards by laying 2 of the 36-inch long boards 2-feet apart and placing 2 of the 24-inch boards at either end. Screw 4-inch screws through the ends of the 36-inch long boards into the ends of the 24-inch long boards. Repeat with the other set of 36-inch and 24-inch boards.

    • 8

      Attach one box to the other by screwing the ends of the 48-inch long boards into the inside corners of each box.

    • 9

      Staple sheep and goat fence around the outside of the frame using heavy duty farm staples.

    • 10

      Cut off any excess wire.

    • 11

      Mount the feeder onto a wall in the barn using screws, or place the feeder in the barn yard on top of concrete blocks.

    • 12

      Place flakes of hay or a whole bale inside the feeder. The wire will allow the goats to get enough hay to eat, while preventing them from pulling so much through that the hay gets trampled all over the barn yard.