I had been researching round bale feeders I came across round bale hay net. My husband came up with a nice DIY round bale feeder/shelter a few years ago. It keeps the hay dry and reduces waste somewhat, but I need a round bale feeders that reduces waste AND slows them down!!!
My 3 mammoth donkeys can eat a round bale in 5 days, 😲! They aren’t even the huge mammoth donkeys, they are only in the 14hh range. They eat more than the 3 horses I used to keep… those thinking of buying a mammoth donkey because you think it will be less expensive than a horse consider that.
But anyway, I needed a hay net need that could do those 2 things. First thing I did was check amazon (ofcourse!) and then google. I found 4 hay round bale hay nets to consider.Â
The Texas hay net was almost $300! I decided that was more than I wanted to spend. The Tough one net was the less expensive, but it got terrible reviews. Its out! The Tech Equestrian had some good reviews, its very inexpensive but several bad reviews stating the net didn’t fit a 4 by 5 bale, which is what I buy. If I bought smaller round bales I would try it though.
The hay chix round bale net got pretty good reviews and was under $200. So I researched it farther and decided to give it a try.
The Pros and The Cons
There are always some cons with bad right? The hay chix round bale net is no exception, and I’m hoping this review can help you decide if the net would work out for you.Â
Pros:
- It does reduce wasteÂ
- Slow their eating way down!!Â
- It fits our bales
- After over a month of use it appears to be sturdy. No holes from the aggressive eating mammoths!
- No ones gums or teeth are damaged. The netting is soft, not wiry like some cheap flake hay bags.Â
CONS:
- The cost seems high. In reality, it’s already paid for itself on my farm though!
- You need 2 people to put it on.Â
- It needs to be enclosed somehow to prevent being stepped on once its eaten down
When the hay inside the net gets eaten down, my herd steps on it and wastes just as much as they did without. Our DIY hay shelters work well but I wanted something more portable. You can buy a hay ring to prevent this. I did not want to invest in a hay ring, so my husband came up with a way to hold the hay in that was easier to move around.
Hay Chix Discount Code
Normally I order everything I can from Amazon because its easy and I get free shipping but hay chix sent me a 10% off when I signed up for their email list and free shipping. So I saved a little bit. After I ordered I received a hay chix discount code for 20% off to share with friends! So here you go, friends!Â
Hay Chix Discount Code for 20%
Keeping the Herd Healthy and Lean
Fat horses and fat donkeys are not healthy. It’s important we keep them lean. Fat does so much damage to their systems. Slow feeder hay nets are just one of the things we can do to help keep them trim. I also have a review and video on hay bags for flakes and a square bale if you need smaller bags too Hay Bags {The best and the worst!}
Hope this review on round bale hay nets helps you!
*** I am not an affiliate with hay chix but I am an affiliate with Amazon. Anything links used for purchased through amazon from my site may pay me a small commission at no cost to you. This helps me pay for the website upkeep and donkey training and care videos you have access to on Youtube for free. Thanks for your support in my efforts to help donkeys and their owners.