Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
You frequently will see a fence-line feeder on a goat farm. This is a feeder made of heavy
wire mesh that hangs on the fence or is made up of a loose section of fence. These are fre-
quently homemade rather than purchased commercially.
Bag feeders
At livestock shows, you will notice that some people carry portable hay bags, which can be
filled with hay and hung on a bar as a temporary feeder. These bags have large openings in the
sides through which the goats can access the hay and pull it out to eat. Some are made entirely
of netting. Although these commonly are used for horses, many goat owners point out that
these bags can be safety hazards for goats that tend to climb up on feeders. A goat could be-
come tangled in the bag feeder and break a leg — or a neck — trying to free itself.
Wooden mangers
A popular type of manger is the keyhole manger, a wooden structure that allows each goat a
slot through which to place its head while eating. This design is useful because it discourages
competition and makes it more difficult for goats to toss the hay out of the manger. Some of
these feature a latch that comes down to restrain the goats in the slots.
Another type of feeder holds the hay in a rack slightly above the goats with slats sloping out-
ward at an angle of 63 degrees. The space between the slats is narrow enough that the goats
have to tilt their heads sideways to get them into the rack to eat. If the goat steps backwards,
the slats trap its ears. Goats soon learn to keep their heads inside the rack while they eat.
