Everything that is done with your own hands has many advantages: you always know the quality of the product, you can correct the flaws, but the main thing is the care that you put into your work. Breeding goats, you can make them a solid and reliable hay feeder. The correct arrangement of this item will help to significantly save your resources. In the article we will tell you how to do it and what it will take.

Primary requirements

Goats are not neat at all, but they are very picky about nutrition. They scatter hay, eating it, but they will not raise the fallen from the floor for anything. The fallen product is simply trampled and mixed with garbage on the floor. It is for this reason that goat feeders are arranged in a special way so that hay is not wasted. There are no strict rules for the construction of food units: each farmer proceeds from his budget and imagination. The main condition is for the goats and the owner to be comfortable. But there are a few nuances that should be considered.

Security

Goats should not be crowded at the place of eating. The pandemonium leads to conflicts and injuries, and there is also a risk that someone gets less food. Therefore, there should be a sufficient number of feeders.

They must also be installed not on the floor, but at a height of 1 m so that animals cannot jump in there: firstly, this reduces the quality of the feed, and secondly, it injures those below. Do not place feeders at the entrance to the barn, so as not to block it. Better to place them against the opposite wall.

Important! Make slots for feeding so that the goats are comfortable to eat and do not get stuck in the feeder.

It will be more correct not to use varnishes and paints, as well as impregnations when arranging food containers. But if it is necessary, then only safe, non-toxic coatings should be chosen, as well as those that will not peel and crumble.

Otherwise, there is a risk that goats who like to nibble the edges of the feeders will eat the paint. A gap of 3-5 cm should remain between the slot and the neck of the goat. The height of the slot in this case is calculated individually by the owner.

Simplicity

The containers should be large, roomy so that bales of hay are placed there. And if for small farms the bale weighs about 30 kg, then on large farms it can reach a weight of half a ton. This fact must be taken into account.

It should be convenient for goats to take out coarse food, but they should not have it in direct access. Small obstacles in the feeders help to avoid overspending hay. For example, if a feeder with slots, then only the head of the animal should freely enter.

If the kids are kept together with adults, then the slots for feeding are made in the form of a keyhole so that the young can stick its head in the lower part of the feeder. The simplicity of servicing the feeders, that is, convenience for the owner, is quite relevant for the item under consideration. Avoid the many covers, bolts and other obstacles that you have to spend your time on.

Did you know? Goats are notable for their quick wits, and all because they have a large and well-developed brain.

Feed safety

Any loss of feed is an overrun, as goats already eat a lot. Everything that falls into the water or on the floor, immediately ceases to be food for squeamish goats. If the feeder is very simple, then under it it is necessary to substitute a trough for collecting fallen hay. Mixers and concentrate for goats can be poured there.

Goats should not be allowed to climb completely into the feeders. They spoil the feed, dump it and stomp, which leads to large losses. Depending on the design of the sennik, either the slots between the gratings are not more than 20 cm, or they are suspended at least one and a half meters.

Necessary tools

Since home-made feeders are made from improvised materials, then the tool you need is the most common, carpentry:

• hammer;
• mallet;
• all kinds of hacksaws for wood and metal;
• chisel;
• jigsaw;
• plane.

You may also need a tape measure to measure the length and width of materials, a marker for marking. Of course, nails, screws, dowels, corners, etc. will be needed. If the food container needs to be painted or varnished, then brushes and paint and varnish mixtures will be needed. But usually this is not recommended. Sometimes in the process of creating a feeder, you may need a mesh netting for partitions, then pliers and wire cutters for metal are useful.

Did you know? Back in the early twentieth century, goat milk was recognized as the best substitute for breast milk. It also contains immunoglobulins that help fight diseases, even tuberculosis.

Recommendations for the manufacture of different feeders

Self-made sennikov implies the presence of auxiliary material, which is not always the same in size, and also has its own nuances like extra holes and rough edges. Of course, it would be ideal to go to the store and buy the necessary material. But in some cases you have to show imagination and ingenuity, trying to assemble a product from what is. The options below are for guidance only. You will get acquainted with the principles of the arrangement of various feeders, and how exactly you bring them to life depends on you.

Crib type

Material:

• boards;
• bars;
• plywood;
• nails.

Manufacturing technology:

1. The size of the feeder is calculated based on the number of animals and the basic requirements for their device (see above).
2. The lower frame of boards is knocked together, legs are attached to it from the bars.
3. Then form the bottom of the boards, tightly fitted to each other. They are nailed to the frame. Boards can be replaced with a thick plywood sheet or chipboard.
4. Next, make the upper frame and add the side rails.

Find out how much hay a goat needs for the winter.

Wooden

Hay feeder from boards. The technology is simple:

1. In the corner of the barn, two boards of the same size are nailed to the wall, one above the other.
2. One more board with an indent of 80–90 cm is attached above them.
3. For a herd of more than 6 individuals, it is better not to increase the length of the boards, but to make two feeders.
4. The arranged frame is sheathed with narrow slats or the same boards (depending on what is available).
5. It turns out a hedge with cells.

Since goats love not just eating, but stealing food, they will definitely like this imitation. The design in the photo was created on the same principle, but from the old disassembled pallet.

From fittings

This is a complex type of feeder, for its manufacture more time and skills for working with the welding machine are required. But the benefits you get are worth the effort:

• strength and durability of the structure;
• significant weight (goats will not be able to dump even an empty container).

Working process:

1. It is necessary to prepare the material according to the scheme indicated in the picture above.
2. Next, you need to fasten the metal parts together using a welding machine (first the base, then the legs, then assemble the upper part).
3. The finished product can be coated with non-toxic paint.

Important! The main disadvantage of the iron feeder is the complexity of the rounding of the protruding parts. If you do not pay enough attention to this problem, goats can get hurt.

French feeders

This is a variant of a solid feeder made of fiberboard or plywood. The design will be 65 cm high, 60 cm wide at the bottom, and 80 cm at the top. Based on these parameters, the parts are cut.

Materials:

• five sheets of fiberboard 60x150 cm in size;
• two wooden bars.

Manufacturing technology:

1. Bars are attached to the fiberboard sheet with screws. They will fulfill the function of legs in our future feeding trough.
2. Smaller sheets are attached to the ends of the first sheet, forming walls.
3. In the remaining sheets, windows are made, six pieces on each sheet, so that the goat can freely poke its head through.
4. Sheets with windows are attached to the bottom of the feeder (slots are directed upwards).
5. For stability, you can refine the design using metal corners.

Sometimes the bottom is constructed of sheet iron. The upper part of the tank will be open, which is convenient for replenishing feed. For safety, you can cover the top of the feeder with another sheet of fiberboard, stretch the mesh or build a more thoughtful design - hinged doors. Such a structure can be transferred to the yard in the summer.

The distance between the walls with the windows can be varied as you see fit. The lower bars, which act as legs, are best made of oak or larch - these are strong and resistant to external influences of wood species.

Did you know? Two-thirds of the world's population have never tasted goat milk, despite its obvious benefits.

Pipe feeder

The bunker catering unit is more suitable for bulk feed, but if you take a larger pipe diameter, you can also give hay.

Materials:

• PVC pipe for sewage;
• tee 45 °;
• two stubs.

The manufacturing technology is as follows:

1. We divide the pipe one and a half meters high (we do not take a large height for structural stability) into three parts: 20, 10 and 120 cm.
2. We insert the long part at the top of the tee, place the middle at the bottom, and insert the smallest into the 45 ° branch.
3. We install plugs at the ends of the pipes. The top cap must have a handle for ease of use (a small screw screwed into the cover is suitable).
4. Using clamps, we attach the product to the wall.

Plastic barrel feeder

If you have a plastic barrel lying around in the country, then this is an excellent material for making a container for hay.

Materials and tools:

• a barrel of PVC with a volume of 100 l;
• masonry mesh with a mesh size of 10 cm (piece 2 meters per meter);
• hacksaw, tape measure, marker.

Manufacturing technology:

1. We mark the barrels - divide it into two equal parts across the circle.
2. Now you need to indent 20 cm from the lid and bottom and apply radial marks on the side (half the barrel). It is important that the marks are opposite each other.
3. By marks we make a cut with a hacksaw.

Thus, it turns out a feeder with a trough already arranged below for collecting hay. We block the upper part (up to the ledge) with a net and use the canteen.

As you can see, it’s not at all difficult to equip a place for eating goats with your own hands. In our article, everyone will find an option for themselves that will be easy and inexpensive to implement. Hand-made feeding trough is one of the ways to save money and do everything in a way that will be convenient for you and your pets.