What is a hay feeder?

Forage is an important component of a horse's diet and thus a large portion of their diet may consist of hay. It is generally suggested that horses have access to forage 24/7, so hay feeders can play a key role in ensuring your horse has constant access to hay. Hay feeders come in many different shapes and sizes and range in price between $150-$3,200 (2021 prices). There are feeders designed to feed small quantities of hay and feeders designed to feed whole bales (ranging from small square bales to large round bales). Some are considered "slow feeders" because the horse can only grab a small amount of hay with each bite, and some are considered "free choice" feeders which provides the horse more access to the hay and allows them to take as much as they wish. Sometimes a hay net will be combined with a free choice feeder to slow the rate of eating and reduce hay waste at the same time. Hay feeders can typically be bought from livestock equipment dealers./p>

One major benefit to using a hay feeder is that it reduces the amount of hay lost due to waste. A study conducted at the University of Minnesota found that using round bale feeders results in significantly less hay wasted by horses. Nine different commercial round bale feeders were all found to reduce hay waste when compared to round bales fed directly on the ground. When the bales were fed on the ground, researchers found that 57% of the hay was wasted, compared with 5-33% hay waste when using different types of hay feeders. Furthermore, financially the feeders paid for themselves in 1-20 months when the amount of hay that would have been lost without the use of the feeder was considered. More details about this study are available on the University of Minnesota website. A similar horse study was conducted at Sam Houston State University with round bales and ring feeders (a specific type of round bale feeder). When hay was fed in a ring feeder, only 5.5% of the hay was wasted, but when the hay was fed without a ring feeder, about 35% of the hay was wasted. Another study at the University of Minnesota (read more) found that when hay was fed in small square bale feeders (such as basket, slat, and bunk feeders), less hay wastage occurred (1-5% wastage) compared to when horses were fed hay on the ground (13%). Because hay (and money) was saved with the use of any type of small square bale feeder, the feeders paid for themselves between 9-12 months. While hay wastage when feeding from small bales has been observed to be lower than that from round bales, it is clear that hay feeders can reduce the waste of hay in your pastures and dry lots no matter the size of hay bale you plan to feed.

Conclusion

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