How to Build a Feeder for a Goat in a Barn

Wasting hay is a common pastime for goats. They burrow into a bale, searching for the choicest morsels to eat. Along the way, they drop good hay onto the ground where it gets trampled, making it inedible. A goat feeder keeps the hay off the ground and forces the animal to eat more and discard less.

Things You'll Need

  • Box of 3 inch nails or screws
  • 4 by 4-foot sheet of plywood (¼-inch or ½-inch thick)
  • 1 4-foot length of 2 by 12-inch board (treated or untreated)
  • Measuring Tape
  • 4 8-foot, 2 by 4-inch boards (treated or untreated)
  • Skil Saw
  • 1 4 by 4 inch welded wire panel, 48 inches high
  • Bolt cutter
  • 10 1½ inch staples
  • Hammer
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Instructions

    • 1

      Nail or screw the 4 by 4-foot sheet of plywood to the 2-inch side of the 2 by 12-inch board, forming an "L." Set structure upright with the 2 by 12-inch board as the feeder base. Place the plywood next to a wall for support while finishing this project.

    • 2

      Measure a 4-foot section from one of the 2 by 4-inch boards using a measuring tape. Cut to length using a Skil Saw. Place lengthwise along the center of the base and secure with nails or screws.

    • 3

      Measure from the left front edge of the base to the top outside edge of the plywood. Cut two 2 by 4-inch boards to that length.

    • 4

      Nail or screw one end of the board to the top front edge of the base and one end to the top of the plywood, creating an angled brace. Repeat on the other end of the feeder.

    • 5

      Cut one 2 by 4-inch board in half, creating two approximately 4-foot lengths. Using nails or screws, secure one length to the inside of the brace piece at the front edge of the base, creating a vertical post. Repeat on the other end of the feeder.

    • 6

      Measure from the plywood to the outside front edge of the vertical post. Cut two lengths of 2 by 4-inch board to that measurement.

    • 7

      Attach one end of the board to the top outside edge of the brace with nails and screws, and one end to the top outside edge of the vertical post. Repeat on the other end of the feeder. The side of the feeder should resemble a backward Z inside a rectangle.

    • 8

      Measure from the outside edge of one vertical post, across the front of the feeder, to the outside edge of the other vertical post. Cut one 2 by 4-inch board to that measured length. Attach horizontally to the two posts using nails or screws.

    • 9

      Cut a 4-foot wide section from the welded wire panel using the bolt cutter. Slide the panel into the feeder so that the bottom rests on the outside of the vertical board attached to the base and the top rests on the inside of the vertical board attached to the posts. Secure at the top and bottom using 1½ inch staples and a hammer.