Ideas for a Goat Hay Feeder

Although the popular image of goats is that they will eat anything, you have to be careful when choosing food for them. Goats tend to prefer brush to grass, feeding on trees rather than the grass on your lawn. Even though a goat will eat paper, avoid using paper as sustenance since paper does not provide any nutrition. Additionally, avoid food meant for pets such as cats and dogs. Hay is standard goat fare and you should deliver it using a suitable hay feeder.

  1. Hay For Goats

    • Find hay that does not contain mold. Hay with weeds may be less expensive than weedless options and may actually benefit your goats since the weeds tend to contain more nutrition for the goats than grass. You can also feed your goats alfalfa hay.

    Hay-Feeder Design

    • Your goat should be able to access the hay feeder easily and also not be able to drag the hay out of the apparatus. A goat̵7;s hay feeder should also be designed so that your goat cannot defecate or jump in it. According to Cornell University̵7;s Department of Animal Science, each goat requires 12 to 18 inches of headroom. Also, locate the hay feeder in a dry area.

    Making Modifications

    • There are hay feeders designed for goats and there are also feeders aimed at bigger animals such as horses and cows. You can modify the bigger feeders so that the holes are smaller and use them as goat hay feeders. The smaller holes help prevent wastage of hay.

    Keyhole Warning

    • Using a keyhole opening in a hay feeder is one way to help prevent hay wastage since the opening helps hold the goat̵7;s head. However, there are certain dangers to this technique. Make sure that the keyhole opening is low enough that your goat doesn̵7;t choke if it falls down. Also, the goat can̵7;t see and can get hurt while feeding if another goat rams it from behind.