# Slow feed hay boxes



## EncinitasM (Oct 5, 2014)

I have no direct experience but this faq addresses your concern.

Slow Grazer - Slow Hay Feeder

Keep in mind it's written by the people trying to sell the things.

Personally I can't see metal grating being the way to go. Even if it didn't cause sustained wear an excited chomp could chip a tooth.


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## TessaMay (Jul 26, 2013)

I used to volunteer at a rescue that used them a lot and recently made on myself. I haven't seen any damage to the teeth of any of the horses who have used them and my vet uses them without issue as well. Not saying that a horse couldn't manage to mess up their teeth on one, but it doesn't seem to be a common occurrence. 

This is where I bought my grate. It has smaller, square holes in it, rather than the rectangular holes the Grazer Boxes have. 

GRIDWALL PANELS & GRID CONNECTORS


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## EncinitasM (Oct 5, 2014)

Ok, Those gridwall panels look fine. The only thing I'd be worried about is them biting through a wire and then having the rough part cut their gums or tongue. Only way to tell is to try it I guess.


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## TessaMay (Jul 26, 2013)

Yeah, you have to make sure you get something strong like that, not something bend/breakable.


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## Light (Mar 4, 2012)

My horse wore a deep groove in her front teethe after only a week of the metal grate in the slow feeder. A couple of other horses did the same. Not as deep a groove though. Some horses would pick the metal grate up with their teethe and throw it to get it out of the feeder box. The ranch removed the grates. 

One of the boarders made a grate out of pvc tubes and so far has not had any problems with it. 

A friend of mine recently purchased a slow feeder that is the box and but it has a hay net that goes inside that they cannot get out of the box. It is working well for her. 

With my horse now I use an avocado bin, and tie a slow feeder net filled with hay in the inside of the avocado bin. it seems to be working. I tie the net into the bin in two places so she cannot throw the net out and then step on it and get caught or worse.


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## gssw5 (Jul 30, 2013)

I built slow hay feeder boxes and used metal grates on them, to make sure they could not lift the grates out my husband made the lid smaller then the grate, and secured the lid from the inside so they could not open the lid. The boxes worked great I did not observe any worn teeth.

I had two issues though nothing to do with the boxes. I found that my horses were breathing a lot of dust when pulling the hay out, the hay was dusty and since it was just set in the box nothing was getting shaken out. In my area it is difficult to find good hay and choices are limited. 

Secondly buying bales just became cost prohibitive for me, at the time I was feeding 7 horses and a couple of them were going through a bale every other day. I switched back to round bales and stuffing hay nets. 

I found the boxes are great for other things. Two of my horses are bucket tippers/flingers I put their feed buckets in the boxes and that solved that problem. They also make great little nurseries for baby chicks, ducks, and rabbits.


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## jenkat86 (May 20, 2014)

Thanks guys! My two ideas were this:

1) Mount posts in a tire or bucket with cement and attach a slow feed hay net to it. Make about 4-5 and put around the pasture. They are portable and low maintenance (I would think). But you are filling up lots of hay bags. Not too terribly difficult for me as I have found a way to do it rather quickly already. 

2) Make the boxes. I would need at least 3 for my pasture. It would save a lot more time during feeding, but It might create more work in bad weather. I don't want a whole bale of hay sitting out when it decides to rain...

I think I'm going to make one box, try it out and see if I like it. It might end up working well for a stall. Lightning- if you have any pictures of your feeder I would love to see it! And thank you, TessaMay for the link. I was a little unsure about where to buy the grate after discovering my local hardware store didn't carry what I wanted.


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## freia (Nov 3, 2011)

I built two slow-feed boxes, and have been using them afor about 2 months. Mine have the 3x3" grid panel as the metal grate.

I did notice that some of te epoxy paint coating hte grate is being scraped off, which tells me their teeth are hitting. I checked the teeth, and I can't see any damage. I've then sat and watched them eat. They pull the hay up to where they can reach it with their lips, then they grab it with their teeth to pull it out. Most of the contact with the grate is with their lips, but their teeth just seem to brush against the grate now and then. I have not seen them grab or bite the grate.


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## Horseychick87 (Feb 5, 2014)

I'm not a huge fan of the metal grates myself, so I'm a bit biased on them.
I prefer using an old rubber water trough, punching holes in the bottom and then using a slow feed net with hay in it in those. Keeps the hay off the ground but at 'proper' feeding level, allows dust/ dirt to sift out and if you add a couple of extra holes you can tie the net in to prevent it being yanked out.

However I will say that I always make sure the hay is out of the weather just in case a sudden storm blows in (happens fairly often in my area.)


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## Light (Mar 4, 2012)

This is the outside of the feeder. It is really just an avocado bin. I fill a hay net and tie it inside. I have actually started to get away from feeding in the nets a bit.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

^All the purposes haha!

I have a slow feeder like what you're looking for, OP, in my horse's stall. Seems to work just fine.


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