Nothing But Net

I know I have talked about this before,  but I have had several people ask me for more info about the hay nets that I use.  Since answering those was all I had time to do, I figured it could be a blog post....

Over the past few years, I've tried out several different kinds of small-mesh haynets.  There are now quite a few of them out there to suit a variety of needs.  The ones that I always come back to and use the most are the CinchChix nets with one-inch holes (or HayChix now, I think they changed their name).  I have no relationship to them, their nets are just the ones that I like the best so far.  If you happen to be in Canada and want to avoid exorbitant shipping costs, there is a similar net that I have heard good things about called NagBags.

These nets are a bit pricey, but I am still using the first two that I bought used from a friend. They must be at least five years old now and are still in decent condition. I've been very impressed with how well they hold up, which makes the price more reasonable as far as I am concerned.

As for whether they have trouble eating out of them....nope.  In fact, they will often choose the nets over loose hay.  I think it is more fun for them. As you can see, my crew have no trouble emptying a hay net.

I was given a couple of nets by a friend and I bought some of the smaller sized nets earlier this year.  I now have enough nets so that I can fill them all up on the weekend and have enough to get through most of the week, which I find extremely helpful.  It is a huge time saver and helps reduce my exposure to hay, which I am allergic to.

The bale-sized nets fit nicely over one tightly baled 50 lb bale of hay.  The mini sized nets will hold up to half a bale, but I generally put about a third of a bale in each small net, depending on conditions at the time. 

My big concern when I fist started using nets was safety and durability.  I was highly dubious at first because I come from the era of nylon hay nets with large 5-6 inch holes that are just the perfect size for a horse to get a hoof stuck in.  The small holes on these nets mean that not even the smallest hoof can get stuck in the net.

As for durability, my big worry there was how well the nets would hold together and whether or not the donkeys would chew on them. These nets do hold together very well.  My oldest net does have a small hole in it now, about the size of my fist, but it is still usable and it wasn't caused by wear.  One of the wild rabbits I was plagued with last year chewed through it - a whole barn full of hay and the darned rabbit had to eat that bale.  As for the donkeys chewing, the only part of the net that anyone has ever chewed on is the nylon draw-string rope that closes the end, these do seem irresistible.

This chewing damage does make the little closer gadget that secures the opening hard to deal with. 

However, on newer nets these gadgets have been replaced with a different system and I find that they work better.  Instead of that metal doohickey, the new nets now have these rubber "hoggles" and poly rope instead of nylon.

I was skeptical about these at first as well, but I find they are much easier to deal with and, unlike the nylon, no one has ever chewed on the green poly rope.  There is no accounting for donkey taste.

The rubber handle just slides down....

...and then I tie up the end.

These smaller nets come with a carabiner clip on the other end for easy hanging, or I can just toss them on the ground.  I like that I can feed them at ground level, which is healthier for the animals,  without having to worry about anyone getting tangled in a net.  I would only do that with barefoot horses though.  If your critter wears shoes, hang the net up or put in a box.  I also clip the nets into the bottom of my hay boxes when conditions are muddy and I want to keep the nets and the feed clean and off the ground. I guess that is why I keep coming back to these nets, I like their versatility.

This year, I am feeding the giant square bales.  They are 3x3x8 feet long and weigh about 900 pounds.  There is no stuffing one of those suckers in a net unless you have big equipment.  Instaed I peel off one flake at a time, which is the equivalent of one small bale, and fill the net this way....

It took a bit of practice, but I have a system now and it is not bad.  The garbage can makes all the difference.

The nets require little maintenance, but do need occasional cleaning.  I bring them in periodically and wash them by soaking them in the sink.  In really cold weather, I suggest having more than one net so that you can hang them up to dry thoroughly between uses.  They do get damp from all the constant nibbling and will get stiff with frost in sub-zero temps.  I just like to make sure that my nets are always clean and dry because who'd want to eat out of a soggy, smelly, icky net?

The nets do take a fair amount of abuse and do get tossed around and trampled.

I like the nets because they really do slow down consumption.  The large nets provide just about 24 hours of hay during a winter day.  This means that I can put them out once a day and know that my herd always has food available, even when I am gone to work for long periods.  This was one of my primary concerns because I have to be able to leave for long periods of time and still feel confident that everyone is happy and content at home.  For equines, happy and content means grazing for many hours a day and the nets provide that.

In my mind, good fences are more a matter of keeping animals happy where they are rather than building impenetrable barriers.  If animals are hungry and unhappy, they will find a way to challenge a fence no matter how stoutly built.  A hungry horse is a horse looking for trouble.  A horse with a full hay net is a happy horse. It doesn't take much to contain happy, well fed critters and keep them out of trouble.  I need that peace of mind when I am far away and unavailable.

Once my animals got used to the nets, they genuinely seemed to like them better than loose hay.  I think the challenge of getting the hay out provides some mental stimulation and it gives them the hours of "grazing" time that equines need to be healthy and happy.  

And the last plug for small-mesh hay nets...I never waste a speck of hay.

Hay Nets

After reading my post about small-mesh hay nets (click here if you missed that), a reader from California sent me these fantastic slow feeders.  She had them made for her mini donkeys, but no longer needs them, so she has very kindly and generously passed them on (Thank you D!!).  There are even a couple with larger holes for the horses in there.

The nice thing about these is that the holes are small enough that Ramsey cannot get a foot caught in one and they can be left on the ground like pillows, making for a more natural grazing experience.

The only trouble with them is that they must smell just a little bit like D's donkeys and Emma is not sure she wants anything to do with them.  I think that donkeys (like dogs again) are very sensitive to different smells. Whenever I am around strange horses or any other animals and then return to my own, I have to let Emma check me out and talk to her.  This was especially true when Ramsey was very little.  If I smelled wrong, she would move Ramsey away from me until I had passed the smell test.

Jack donkeys have a reputation for being unpredictably mean and aggressive.  I wonder if they really are so unpredictable, or if it is another case of our own inability to recognize what may be a threat to a donkey.  Donkeys are highly territorial and protective and jacks will fight to the death to defend their territory.  If a jack's owner were to go visit a neighbors stud or new dog and then approach the jack, an animal who probably relies more on scent than sight for identification, is it any wonder that the jack may react badly?  If we humans thought more about how our animals perceive things rather then assume their perceptions will be the same as ours, I believe there would be far fewer tragic accidents.   

Emma is very protective of Ramsey and after getting a good whiff of the new hay bags, she moved him away from them and kept him away.

From her point of view, these nets could have come from a herd of mean jacks who might threaten her baby.  She has no way of knowing that these cute little guys mean no harm...

For the last several days, I have left the nets hanging in my tack room to air out and absorb the smells of my own barn and this afternoon I hung one bag in the barn for her to get used to.  I have no doubt that she will accept them, it's just a matter of letting her do it in her own way and in her own donkey time. 

Several people have asked me about nets for horses and for mini donkeys.  I have little personal experience with these myself, but will share what I have found so far....

Cynthia from A donkey Diary has 4 mini donkeys and uses small mesh nets for them.  She highly recommends NAG bags from www.slowfeeder.com.  They appear to be very good bags that are safe for minis and are well made.

The paddock paradise website offers this hay net comparison chart, which is very helpful.  Some of the links seem outdated, but the info is good.

I know several people who have made their own feeders using hockey puck netting from Arizona Sports.  Lisa from Laughing Orca Ranch shared this and this on her blog.

The net I am using currently came from Chicks saddlery.  It works well enough, but I would not use it for the donkeys if I was not hanging it above my manger, which prevents them from getting their feet near it.   It is inexpensive and rugged, but should only be used if you can be sure to keep their feet away from it. 

Similarly, I purchased nets from Adams Horse supply.  They were inexpensive and work well for the horses, but I would not use them for donkeys or any small aniamls.  They stretch too much and hang too low when empty.  They hold a lot of hay, which is good for me as I only have to fill them once a day and the horses never run out of hay.  An OK choice for full sized horses who are barefoot, but do not use for donkeys or ponies...

And one last thing about nets: when you introduce them to your animals, make sure the net is IN ADDITION to their regular ration for the first few days.  If you introduce the net this way , the animal will see it as a treat rather then a frustration, they will appreciate it instead of resenting it.