NEW Frame Slow Net Feeder
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- Опубліковано 13 лют 2013
- Well, here the "NEW & IMPROVED" version of our last attempt. Chris went to a welding shop and had some heavier metal (1/2") cut and threaded, added a "union" at each end and we re-strung the net. This is a MUCH sturdier frame than the last. This one lasted them all night with nothing coming undone, out of place or breaking, so HOPEFULLY Whitey won't be able to "man-handle" this one to pieces like he has the others. FINGERS CROSSED! This "system" will easily hold 4 squares, and although I did not try it, I do know I can get a 5th bale in by turning them on their sides. So now the real test will come, and that is to start using it 24/7 to see how it holds up. This again, is using a 3/4" mesh net.
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Hi, looking for options to my gridwall slow feeder (which did a number on my horse's teeth). Currently, and possibly temporarily, I'm using the plastic lattice (we are not in a super cold climate) but I'm wondering how this system with the netting and steel frame held up over the long run now that it's been a few years since you made the video. Wondering if you had any issues with abrasions to your horses' lips/gums from the netting or anything like that and if you made any improvements that you'd share. Thanks in advance!
I need to build one of these but I feel like I'm overthinking it. Does the water drain out in the summer? Would you mind sharing how you constructed the box?
If you go back and watch the first 30 seconds of the video, you will see we have big holes at "floor" level on the box. You will see them both from the outside as well as the inside of the box. There is a false floor, so the hay is higher than ground level. The holes serve to let the water drain out, as well as to run the bungee cords through. The entire box was made using 2"x6"s.
Mona Stone thank you! I had missed that the first time through.
Thanks for showing your slow feeder. We have just started using a metal pipe frame in our boxes and wanted to share our experience. First ones we used the threaded ends with elbows but then needed to weld the last corner as the threading doesn't match up on the last corner. The welded corner did not hold up to the banging against the box. I'm wondering how your corners have held up for you (staying tight in the elbows) since you made yours two years ago?
I also attached the net a little differently. Instead of wrapping the para cord around the pipe, I cut the net long enough to wrap it around the pipe and then did a running stitch with the cord on the inside edge of the frame, weaving the cord through both layers of net (line the squares up on top of each other) going through every square. It was much easier and faster. I also burned the cut ends of my net to prevent unraveling. Time will tell if that helps. I used purchased hay net with 1 1/2" openings and cut them to the sizes I needed. Our boxes are 2' x 4' and 4' x 4'.
+Taft We actually only used ours that one year, but for the time we did use it, the corners held up well. The stitching of yours sounds like a good idea and likely used MUCH LESS para-cord.
Why did you quit using it? I thought this was the answer for us instead of using whole bale hay bags which can be a pain, but now they're chewing holes in the hay net so rethinking this.
+Taft The hay netting we used is a fairly heavy netting material. It is what they use to catch golf balls on a driving range. The only reason I stopped using it, is because we now have a mini mare again, and she is too short to feed out of the bunker, so until she is no longer with us, I will continue to use the hay bags we are currently using, hung from posts and trees.
Okay, thanks for responding. I'm going to ask you one more question about your box feeder, in you don't mind. I'm having the problem of the horses chewing holes in the net. When they use hay bags they don't damage them plus, they eat the hay even slower. I'm wondering if I should have wrapped the netting on the pipe frame looser than I did. Currently the netting is stretched on the frame taught, not tight but not excess sagging either. This is allowing the horses to pull the net as they pull the hay through. I'm going to replace the netting with a new piece and factor in a lot of excess net so instead of pulling on the net, they will have to push into it like they do when eating from a hay bag.
Do you have any thoughts on that? When you were using your box and hay net, were your horses tearing holes in it?
+Taft , I have read that people prefer to leave the netting looser. Mine was tight when I had all the bales in there at once, but after they had eaten it down, it was a little looser. I did not have much trouble with holes. Yes, I did have a few places that needed "mending", but I just used pieces of paracord to join the holes back together. It wasn't so many though that I would consider it to have been a problem. BUT, I must also say now, that I currently feed from bags with 1 1/2" holes and they still get holes in them, so it's just par for the course I guess. Because they are using their teeth, and because the holes are smaller than their "bite", there will always be the risk of holes being made in the net twine. That is why I prefer to use a stronger, heavier netting.
Does it seem difficult for the horses to get the hay out of the net?
+Domestic Horses Naturally, if you go to about 7:30 in the video, I show and explain that. It is more difficult to start with,(but it's supposed to be!) but it gets easier once they get the hang of it, and easier once the hay goes down a little creating more "give" in the netting.
Did it hold up? What kind of net are you using?
Yes, it held up quite well. Over the winter, they did get a few meshes that got a hole that I had to sew back up. It is a fairly heavy gauge mesh that I purchased from ebay. It is a 3/4" size mesh I believe.
Well I'm looking to build one just for one bale but I'm not willing to buy those whole bale nets since they are charging 130 Dollars for one. But I was looking into hockey goal or soccer goal nets which are the same spacing than the slowfeeder hay nets. Since you sewed your nets do you think it would be doable to make a hay net out of those hockey/soccer goal nets?
That's what I was thinking although I can't sew worth a damn. lol but I'll figure something out. Thank you for your help. BTW I love your Pinto. What breed?
AJ smitten Well it's not really sewing...it's more like lacing your shoes. You just run some paracord through the meshes to form the "seam". :-) Thanks for your compliment on my girl, "Cheyenne". She is a Tennessee Walking Horse.
Hah I knew it. I saw her and I knew she was. Although I didn't get to see too much of her but I just had a feeling bout her. They cross wonderfully with friesians ;) Make gorgeous crosses. A friend of mine just said he's gonna bring some of his native fisher net tying skills to the table, lol... So together we should get it done. And boy did I feel bad for you having to manhandle this box by yourself. Looked like it was super freezing.
🤔may i ask y not bust the beals open and fill??.. does leaving in beals slow down eatting peocess even slower??
I did open the bales, however, I covered them with the netting frame. It is eating through the small net holes that reduces intake for horses that eat too much and gain too much weight. It slows their eating so their hay will last longer, therefore making hay last longer. The horse takes longer to eat, so consumes less calories in the same time frame as they would "free feeding" without the net.
Mona Stone thanks for reply.. i jus saw when u put them in they had string.. in other video i seen them tear the beal open an fill.. .idk.. i figure u left on for even slower feeding... thanks agai n. noce video
If you watch at shortly before the 6 minute mark, I do remove the strings from the bales.
Mona Stone sorry missed that.. thanks again..
Also, I wanted to see how much I could get in there to make it last long. The other one was to see how well they would eat from it. :-)