# Need advice on a manger in my shelter



## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

I have a shelter that was built onto the back of my barn some 40-50 years ago. It's in great shape, is 16' x 19' with the east 1/2 of the south wall open. When I bought the place in 1999, there was a wooden manger on the north wall, that ran about 6 inches short of the east wall, to allow the door to the barn to open (it's on rollers up on top, you see.)
Originally, it was built for cattle. There is a catwalk from the loft door, and it made it really easy to drop down hay into the manger. I had to take down the top bar bc my horses were shaving off a portion of their manes when feeding from it, but it was PERFECT bc I didn't have to feed hay outside where the weather and horses would waste it.
Now, I have to rebuild it. I've taken everything apart and cleaned up the area. I've also done some web research. Here's one site that has been helpful, 
http://paddockparadise.wetpaint.com/page/Hay+Feeders+(hard-sided)
but...I really just want to put in a rectangular box to start, then, maybe I'll amend it later. I'm just not sure about how I fill it under their hardware cloth--I'm considering my horses's safety, and my own convenience. Has anybody here built one before? I'm thinking of using 2x4's, I have on hand two 12 foot 2 x 8's kicking around in my loft that I think could be used, and I figure that 1/2" or 3/4" plywood, to finish the sides. *ANY advice will be helpful, since I'm going to start this weekend. *Thanks in advance!! I get great advice here. **hugs**
P. S. DH and I built an awesome box house for our turkeys last year, and the base was a wooden pallet!! We are open for anything, and have NO pride!!
Here's our building project, for which we had no plans!!..very brave of us!








Here is the inside of it. I cut an old rubber mat to fit on the inside. The grey and red paint were gallons of mistint I had kicking around. I think my manger will be painted with a mistint pukey gold I accidentally bought last month!!


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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

Sorry.. No help here. I think it is to much work to make hard sided slow feeders, I would just stick a small mesh hay net in there, just me! I love that website to.


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## Cruiser (Aug 28, 2011)

I have seen a slow feeder that someone made for one horse. It was a plastic tote box (a box about 3 by 1 1/2 feet and 12 inches deep), they used a old dog crate side and added to bungee cords through holes in the bottom attached to the wire and down and hooked on to the edge of the bin. Of course if you have a heavier wire it would slid down as they eat. 

I use a bin with a small mesh bag (one I made out of a older fishing net), tied to inside of it, so they can't throw the bag around. If you have many horses, you could use a bins and a few hockey nets and put whole bales in it?


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Mine has boards (1 x 4's) spaced 4" apart on the face of the feeder, tall enough that a horse can't reach in over top. It needs a sloping piece of plywood on the backside to keep the hay sliding down within reach of the slats. The 4" was recommended by our dept of ag. for light horses, not drafts. Much less waste.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Thanks, I like the design bc it fits into my picture of what I should be building. Do you have any pics?


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Just so you know...getting started means, "I am measuring and drawing up drafts." I'll be using 2 8" diameter fence posts on the left side--there will be 2 boxes, each about 7' long. I'm thinking of expanding the width from 2 1/2' to 3'.
* If you have any ideas, this is the week to post them.* Thanks in advance! **hugs**


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

*UPDATE: Manger is done!!*

Here's my post:
http://www.horseforum.com/barn-maintenance/finished-my-shelter-manger-107672/#post1284913


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