I feed in galvanized ex-water tubs also, but oblong shaped rather than round. We cut firewood for heat every winter, and out in the field cut the logs long enough that we can handle them, bring them home and cut them into wood stove size when we have time. I took some of the logs that were about 8" around and a little shorter than the galvanized tubs, and laid them in on top of the hay. It definitely slows down the eating, and tossing hay out, and it was really cheap. The disadvantage (which I'm willing to put up with in view of the cost) is lifting the logs up to put the hay under them. The tubs are about 2' high, 2' wide and 4' or 5' long. They are big enough to get quite a bit of hay in (I once put an entire 3-wire 100# bale of orchard grass in, strings and all, and it just fit. That was pre-log days, and 3 horses finished off the entire
bale in less than 24 hours. Couldn't afford to keep doing that!)
I don't know if the log idea would work with big round tubs, the logs might have to be pretty heavy to fit across, and the sizes would have to be staggered. From all the other postings on this topic, it looks like there are a lot of ideas and new products starting to pop up.
--- On Mon, 1/12/09, melanie.o@xxxxxxxxxxx <melanie.o@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: melanie.o@xxxxxxxxxxx <melanie.o@xxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: [RC] Hay feeding solutions To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Date: Monday, January 12, 2009, 10:31 AM
Ridecampers:
Since hay has become about as expensive as gold, I am looking for ways to waste less of it.
Specifically, since lecturing has done no good, how do I get my horses to stop throwing all the hay out of the feeder and tromping it into the mud???
I'm feeding a bale each into two 6' round galvanized tanks, spaced well apart. Since I don't live on my property, I only feed once a day and need to make sure that they have enough to free feed for 24 or more hours. I was thinking about some kind of a net over the top, but I have one horse who will climb into the feeder so can't take the chance of her getting tangled. I know a wooden top with holes in it is an idea, but am afraid of how heavy and awkward it would be to fit onto that big of a feeder.
