“It’s an easy-to-use hay feeding system that saves time and money and represents a whole new concept in slow feeding horses and other livestock,” says Russell Getz, Robesonia, Penn., about the new hay feeder he and his wife Mary invented.

The patent pending hay feeder is designed for horses and donkeys but can also be used for goats, sheep, and possibly llamas. It’s available in 2 models - one for small square bales and one for 4 by 4 through 5 by 6-ft. round bales.

Both models make use of a chain-link fence with 2-in. sq. openings. The fence secures the hay and automatically retracts onto a spring-loaded shaft as the hay is consumed, keeping the fence tight against the hay.

The small bale model has a tensioning shaft fitted with a winding wheel that keeps the fence tight against the bale as the hay is consumed. The round bale holder uses a winch equipped with a handle.

“The only time you have to use the winding wheel or crank the handle is when loading the bale,” says Getz. “You crank the handle to relieve the tension and lock it so that you can open the fence. Once you’ve loaded the bale, you unlock the shaft and the spring automatically winds up the fence. Otherwise, no daily labor is required for either model.”

He says the new feeder design solves a lot of problems associated with feeding hay to horses, whether individually or in a group. “We’ve tested the feeders for 2 years and find they offer a lot of advantages. The hay is available 24 hours a day, waste is considerably less, the horse is more content because it eats slowly, and boredom is reduced.”

Getz says the chain link fence mimics the natural grazing habit of horses. “The horse has to pull hay through the the chain-link openings and work to get the hay, which makes it more like grazing. It eats a little bit with each mouthful and can’t eat a lot at a time, so it always has something to do and doesn’t get bored.”

The small bale holder is available as a wall-mount unit. Or, it can be equipped with legs and a trough extension and legs, allowing access to both sides of the feeder. An optional roof is available for outdoor use. Another model option is through-the-wall installation, allowing the feeder to be loaded from outside the stall. The same feeder can also be mounted between stalls for access from both sides.

A front-end loader is used to load bales into the round bale feeder. The chain-link fence is supported by a hinged track mounted under the roof. “You open the track to load the bale, and once the bale is loaded, you pull the tracks together to latch the fence in place,” says Getz.

Feeding horses in a group with the round bale feeder decreases the bossiness and feeding frenzy associated with feeding time, since hay is always available, says Getz. “Usually you have a boss horse who tries to get all the hay. With our feeder he’s not the boss any more because all the horses take their place around the feeder and are constantly able to get food.”

He says the feeder probably won’t work for cattle because of the slow feeder-type design.

The base model small square bale holder that bolts to a wall sells for $795 plus S&H. The base unit with trough extension, legs and roof sells for $1,040 plus S&H. The round bale holder sells for $2,095 plus S&H.

Getz is looking for a manufacturing company to produce the feeders. “For now I’m building these units myself and can supply a limited number on a per order basis,” he says.

You can check out the feeders on FARM SHOW’s YouTube channel.

Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Russell and Mary Getz, 1576 Milestone Rd., Robesonia, Penn. 19551 (ph 610 488-6285; gruberhome8@gmail.com; www.gruberhomestead.com).