Slow Feeders Perfected

I have been meaning to post an update about my slow feeders for a while, but with one thing and another (Ramsey!!), I hadn't gotten to it.  With drought and horrifically high temperatures affecting much of the country (including here), hay is going to be in short supply this year.  I know we are all getting worried about this and our drought conditions, while bad, are not as severe as many other areas.   I thought it would be a good time to offer this for anyone thinking about how to get the most out of every bale of hay.  Click on the link above to check out my original post about slow feeders then come back here for the perfected and horse tested version....

The biggest trouble I had with this project was finding the right grate material.  I finally settled on the heavy steel "hog panel" with 4x4 inch squares available at Tractor Supply (I borrowed a couple of these grates from my feeders to cover my window opening when Ramsey was born)....

This has proven to be the perfect feeder material, the only trouble with it, is that the panels are only sold in large sheets that have to be cut down to size.  Since I wanted to make several feeders, it wasn't really a problem, but it could be if you only want one or two feeders.  I did find a place that would sell just the feeder grate, but the cost for one feeder was more than the entire hog panel.  If anybody knows of another source for this type of grate, I'd be glad to hear about it. 

Once I found the grate I wanted, I discovered that the grate dimensions were a bit different from my box dimensions.  I found a way to make them work with my original feeders, but I changed the dimensions and design of the boxes that I have built since then so that the grates fit perfectly.... 

One hog panel can be cut down to make eight 2x4' grates.  Larger or smaller feeders could be made depending on your needs.  Just cut the grate to whatever size you want and build the box around it.  I made the ends of the boxes solid so the grate can't slither out of the box and added a hinged lid so that the horses can't pull the grate out....

  

To fill the box, just open the lid, lift out the grate, fill the box with hay, put the grate on top of the hay and close the lid.

The boxes are made to hold an average sized square bale and works well for 1-2 animals depending on whether or not the horses will share.  I made several of these for my riding buddy and her 4 horses (along with Gabe, who stayed with her for a while).  They all tested them out thoroughly and the boxes worked beautifully.  They dramatically slowed down the rate of consumption which meant that the horses never had to go for long hours with nothing to eat.  There was absolutely no hay wasted and after a short introduction period, the horses actually seemed to prefer the boxes over eating loose hay off the ground.  I have spent quite a bit of time watching the horses eating out of these and it seems to mimic real grazing, which they like.  

If anybody would like to try building one of these and you need better pictures or exact dimensions, let me know.  I'll try to help.  I am also thinking about offering some of these for sale locally.  I don't think I can ship them so you would have to come here to get them.  Picking them up comes with the added bonus of getting to meet Ramsey and Emma.  I am asking $175 each.  If anyone is interested, let me know. 

Slow Feeder

My riding buddy has been using small-mesh hay nets to feed her horses, which is working very well for her.  However, she wanted a box type slow feeder that would be free standing and could be moved to different locations.  We looked at a lot of different feeders and there are some interesting designs out there, but we were both appalled by the price tag attached to them.  The other thing that I did not like about all of the feeders I saw is that they have solid walled construction that does not allow any air flow through the feeder.  Having severe breathing problems myself, I am hyper aware of air quality and ventilation and I don't like the idea of the horses having their noses in the feeders all the time.  I don't care how clean or high quality your hay is, it is by nature a breathing hazard.  We put our heads together and came up with a version of a slow feeder that I think will work well.

The base is actually a wooden sled with runners made of treated 2x6.  Everything else is rough-cut hemlock.

If you just wanted a small work sled to pull behind a horse or lawn tractor you could stop right here.  (Note Tessa in the background, She and Emma got to hang out on the lawn this afternoon, much to their delight and Tanner's consternation.  He spent the whole time repeatedly trying to get my attention to tell me that the horse's weren't where they belonged.)

We decided to leave one inch spaces between the boards of the sidewalls to allow for airflow.  We also left a 1\4" gap between all the boards on the bottom to allow rain to drain out. 

Since all special treats need to be enjoyed in moderation, the girls eventually had to leave the Spring grass.  And since their version of helpfulness also needs moderation, it was incarceration time for them.  (Note relaxed, happy Border Collie) 

Almost done...

I wonder what sort of bribes might be required to get past the inspectors this time.  Emma is going to be a particularly tough sell, there is nothing she hates more than being locked up.  Makes her soooo mad...

The key ingredient....

I left the ends of the side posts high in case we need to come back later and add something to keep the horses from pulling the lid out.  It has some heft to it and not much for a horse to get a hold of so we decided to try it as is for now.  If it works, I'll go back and cut the ends flush with the top of the feeder. 

 

We had a hard time finding the right grate for the top and finally settled on this welded wire fencing with 1x2" squares.  Product testing will show whether or not it will work well.  We used my favorite star-drive screws so the lid will be easy to take apart and replace the grating if necessary.  

Ready for inspection...Hopefully Riding Buddy's inspectors won't be too hard to buy off.

  

The total cost of materials was about $40-50 and the whole thing can be dragged around by brute force or pulled with a sub-compact tractor, maybe even a large lawn tractor.  The total dimensions are 2'x4' and 27 inches high, which is a good size for average horses.  For minis, goats or sheep, the sidewalls could be made shorter.  This design has the added benefit that when not being used to feed hay, it could easily be used as a work sled to haul stuff around your farm, either with real horsepower or the mechanical type.  With only a very minor adaptation, the side walls could be made detachable so the whole thing could revert to being a flat sled if needed. Versatility is a great thing.

This was an easy and fun project and would be a great place to start if anyone is interested in tackling an easy, useful, carpentry project.

NOTE: we did this project on Sat. afternoon and I wrote this post that evening.  Later, I got an email from Riding Buddy letting me know that the squares on the grate are too small and did not pass inspection.  We are going to try some vinyl lattice with larger openings and more flexibility.  We had our doubts about the welded wire, but thought it was worth a try.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  I'll post a picture of the new, improved lid once we find the right material.  Any suggestions are welcome.