BAEN Message Board

Opinions about slow feed net brands?

Posted by Lee on 5/3/2012, 10:39 am
67.181.11.175

I want to get a California bale size hay net. I am currently using the smaller ones that hang on the fence and want to go to the larger bale size.

I really don't like keeping the smaller ones filled since I have to do it so often and I tend to get welts on my arms from the grass and I figure it will be easier to just slip a bag over the bale while it is on end, tie it off and move it to the trough on the hand cart. I am going to put a couple of eye bolts in either end of the trough to tie the bag to so the Haflingers won't be tempted to make off with the bag when it is low on hay...and they will....anything to play around with is fair game,

I talked about doing this once before but had to put it on hold for a bit, now back to that project...what brand do you like. I am leaning toward the cinch chic bale size nets. Opinions?

I have a big galvanized water trough that it will be placed in for outdoor feeding. Right now using the smaller freedom feeder bags indoors. No room for the bigger feed bag indoors, thus the delay in going ahead with purchasing the hay bag, I didn't want to put the hay outside and risk having a bale get ruined in the rain. If I had known we were having such a dry winter I would have done it sooner! Oh well..going forward now.
Unplanned dismounts, a way to get down and dirty..
Banta

I like the Cinch Chix bale nets....

Posted by Tauna on 5/3/2012, 10:46 am, in reply to "Opinions about slow feed net brands?"
63.249.97.149

They sure do make life easier! Though I wish I had waited 'til they offered the smaller-sized holes they now have. I have the 1 3/4", and it's much too big to really slow-feed. Eventually I hope to get probably the 1" (my mare is a very easy-keeper). Knowing Halingers, I'd recommend either that, or at biggest, the 1 1/4". It is nice to put out a bale and not have to think about hay for a few days!
Santa Cruz Mountains, Ben Lomond
http://ironfreehrs.com/

Cinch Chix bale nets!!

Posted by Sally on 5/3/2012, 10:55 am, in reply to "Opinions about slow feed net brands?"
208.53.70.167

I love mine. I recently bought 2 of the 1 1/4" bale nets and they are working great, but I'm going to order a 1" net to try. I recently sold my original 1 3/4" nets to a stable out in Nevada that had a problem with most of their hay blowing away before the horses could eat it. They are very happy with how they are working out. Securing the nets inside a trough or produce bin is the way to go.

For the Halfies, I'd definitely order the 1" net. They'll have it figured out in no time

If you come across anyone else....

Posted by Tauna on 5/3/2012, 10:59 am, in reply to "Cinch Chix bale nets!!"
63.249.97.149

Who wants 2 of the 1 3/4" size, let me know. I'd love to sell mine and get the 1". I need super-slooooow feeders, too!
Santa Cruz Mountains, Ben Lomond
http://ironfreehrs.com/

I'll see if they want some more

Posted by Sally on 5/3/2012, 11:16 am, in reply to "If you come across anyone else...."
208.53.70.167

I paid $50 for them new and sold mine for $30 each since they were over a year old and used. New they are now $60. Figure out what you want for yours and I'll let them know!

$30 is good...

Posted by Tauna on 5/3/2012, 11:32 am, in reply to "I'll see if they want some more"
63.249.97.149

I think I paid $50 each, too. Mine are just under a year old - still in great condition.
Santa Cruz Mountains, Ben Lomond
http://ironfreehrs.com/

Re: $30 is good...

Posted by Sally on 5/3/2012, 12:27 pm, in reply to "$30 is good..."
208.53.70.167

I sent an email asking if they wanted 2 more

I've got 4 that need to go!

Posted by Annie on 5/7/2012, 9:59 am, in reply to "If you come across anyone else...."
168.71.218.3

hahahaha. Shoot.
A good ranch horse will side pass to the truck bed and stand quielty while you open the ice chest and grab a beer.

Re: I've got 4 that need to go!

Posted by Sally on 5/7/2012, 10:18 am, in reply to "I've got 4 that need to go!"
208.53.95.164

Thanks, Annie! I'll pass the word on to the stable. These horses don't need to have hay intake restricted (just not blown away before they can eat it), so the larger openings are perfect for them.

Another great slow feeding product is The Hay Pillow

Posted by Sally on 5/3/2012, 11:04 am, in reply to "Opinions about slow feed net brands?"
208.53.70.167

Not a full sized bale net, but the hanging bags hold close to 20 lbs. of hay and the mesh comes in various sizes that are guaranteed to slow even the most food obsessed horses. I have been using mine for close to 6 months and they have held up beautifully. Click on the videos and you can watch my 3 horses eating from them

The Hay Pillow

Oooh I like that!

Posted by cshunter86 on 5/3/2012, 9:19 pm, in reply to "Another great slow feeding product is The Hay Pillow"

So far Brig has managed to destroy every slow feeder I've bought. I'm using a Classic Equine hay bag with baling twine making the holes smaller, heavier nylon body he hasn't demo'd yet!
Humans were given two legs -
One to put on either side of a horse.
Citrus Heights, CA

Re: Oooh I like that!

Posted by Sally on 5/3/2012, 11:53 pm, in reply to "Oooh I like that!"
208.53.70.167

We tried The Hay Pillow with my warehouse manager's mare who we call "Kelly The Slow Feeder Slayer". That mare has trashed a Nibble Net in the past. She attacked it with hooves and teeth and the bag is still unscathed. They are tough!

I'll have to put it on my shopping list

Posted by cshunter86 on 5/4/2012, 10:15 am, in reply to "Re: Oooh I like that!"

And try one out!
Humans were given two legs -
One to put on either side of a horse.
Citrus Heights, CA

yep that's what they call me

Posted by KellyW on 5/4/2012, 10:55 am, in reply to "Re: Oooh I like that!"
206.81.103.17

tough to slow down when the food tastes good
Napa, California

Re: yep that's what they call me

Posted by Sally on 5/4/2012, 11:21 am, in reply to "yep that's what they call me"
208.53.70.167

I'll keep all slow feeders away from you!

it would be best

Posted by KellyW on 5/5/2012, 9:19 pm, in reply to "Re: yep that's what they call me"
207.200.116.7

Napa, California

The site doesn't seem to work in Chrome

Posted by Gail Ivey on 5/4/2012, 12:15 am, in reply to "Another great slow feeding product is The Hay Pillow"
66.245.25.244

Can't get the videos. Those look very cool, though.
"Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for." -
Socrates

works on my computer in Chrome

Posted by Sally on 5/4/2012, 8:15 am, in reply to "The site doesn't seem to work in Chrome"
208.53.70.167

Hmmm

Interesting...

Posted by BarbaraC on 5/4/2012, 9:18 am, in reply to "Another great slow feeding product is The Hay Pillow"
148.87.19.218

Do you see in the video how the chestnut horse is having a tough time deciding to try the net? My old guy would not try very hard at first, and it was tough for me to see him like that. He gives up too easily if he thinks he has to work too hard for it. So, I ended up having to pull some hay through for him.

To the OP:

I would recommend that there be one bag per horse if someone goes this route. If they are in the same paddock and there is still one bag per horse, they will play merry-go-round with the dominant horse pushing everyone else off the bag he thinks is 'the best.' I have found that spacing the bags far enough apart so they can eat without feeling crowded works best if they are in a shared paddock situation.

I don't have this kind of bag, but I use the Busy Buffet bags, and have had really good luck with these, over several years worth of use.

In general, I am really glad for the savings in money=hay, as there is so much less waste, and they don't stand and pee in it either.
Gateway to Almaden Valley/Southwest San Jose
Saving one dog's life may not make a difference, but it makes all the difference in the world to that one dog.

Re: Interesting...

Posted by Sally on 5/4/2012, 11:20 am, in reply to "Interesting..."
208.53.70.167

The chestnut gelding in the video is Slow N Easy - he is a major food wimp in that the others easily push him off his food. The hairy grey on the right is "Little Hitler", who is at the top of the food chain. Watch the video carefully and you'll see the body language at work - every time the grey turns his head at Easy, he backs off. I have more than one bag out there, but they like to group up on the same one.
.
.

Ohhhhh....hahahahaha!

Posted by BarbaraC on 5/4/2012, 12:32 pm, in reply to "Re: Interesting..."
148.87.19.218

I didn't realize those were YOUR horses....well, in that case, never mind. LOL...Little Hitler, Slow'n'Easy...how aptly named they are!

Yes, I do see the body language, and it's a lot like my old guy with his 17hh 1700 lb buddy, the Irish Dork-horse. He sometimes tries to dominate the water trough, but both my daughter and I have observed, that shortly, he loses interest, or is on to the next dorky thing, and my old guy knows to wait it out and he'll get what he's after.

I love watching them interact.
Gateway to Almaden Valley/Southwest San Jose
Saving one dog's life may not make a difference, but it makes all the difference in the world to that one dog.

Here's another video of Easy and Robo eating from a hanging Hay Pillow

Posted by Sally on 5/4/2012, 2:23 pm, in reply to "Ohhhhh....hahahahaha!"
208.53.70.167

Taken a few months earlier without "Little Hitler"

This is a 1" diameter mesh net, so smaller that the other one in website video. Easy eats out of it just fine, even though I have no need to restrict intake on him. Robo Cop, on the other hand can stand to shed a few lbs.

[url=

Heheheh...

Posted by BarbaraC on 5/5/2012, 5:53 pm, in reply to "Here's another video of Easy and Robo eating from a hanging Hay Pillow"
148.87.19.194

Robo definitely has a better technique and is faster at pulling the strands through. Easy is very cute.

Thanks for sharing!
Gateway to Almaden Valley/Southwest San Jose
Saving one dog's life may not make a difference, but it makes all the difference in the world to that one dog.

Re: Opinions about slow feed net brands?

Posted by RobynB on 5/3/2012, 11:34 am, in reply to "Opinions about slow feed net brands?"
71.146.139.88

It's probably not quite what you want anyway, but I had a terrible experience with Nibble Nets. There are things I love about the product, but I will never order from them again. Email me if you want more info.

I've had great success with Freedom Feeders

Posted by emdemm on 5/3/2012, 2:14 pm, in reply to "Opinions about slow feed net brands?"
69.170.8.114

I know you are using the smaller one's but I've been using the large one's for years and they hold up amazingly well and hold the big California bales no problem. I've been really happy with them. I liked the Cinch Chix one's as well but ended up returning them because the holes were just too big for me...would definitely try them again with the smaller holes.

Thanks for the imput

Posted by Lee on 5/3/2012, 6:39 pm, in reply to "Opinions about slow feed net brands?"
67.181.11.175

Ordered the 1 inch hole net. The Haflingers have the larger hole twig seeking behavior down so pat it is scary, this should keep their little lips busy!

I will post photos of my Rube Goldberg feeder when it is complete.
Unplanned dismounts, a way to get down and dirty..
Banta

For large west coast bales, Cinch Chix all the way

Posted by Fancy That on 5/7/2012, 12:44 pm, in reply to "Opinions about slow feed net brands?"

I use mine all the time when I go horsecamping. I never have to "feed" AM and PM. She just gets her entire ration in the Cinch Chix net and she stays preoccupied and happy while we are away from home.

She shares it with our other horse too. We put it perpendicular to the corrals underneath, so each mare gets half the bag

Everyone we camp with always wants one after they see our set up
P.S. Our horses are all barefoot, and when we "share", it is horses that live together and feed together nose to nose with no problems I would never use any of these bags with shod horses.
Equine & Pet Portrait Artist
http://www.elainehickman.com
***Morgans Do It All***
Gilroy, CA
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