The performance of goats depends on the quality of food. One of the first steps in home improvement for them is the equipment of feeding troughs. What are the requirements for designs for food and how to make them yourself, read below.
Basic requirements for feeders of any type
The main criteria that troughs must meet:
- security;
- ease of use - the owner should be able to disinfect in a short time;
- the feeder should have a fairly simple device, while protecting the feed from spilling.
Security
Basic safety requirements:
- no sharp corners, chips, protruding screws, nails, fittings, etc .;
- the lattice details of the structures should be smaller in width than the head of the animal, so that it cannot get stuck in it;
- there should be 1 food place for each individual, otherwise the number of clashes in pursuit of the most delicious food will increase, which will significantly reduce productivity;
- high-quality material, which will be quickly cleaned of impurities.
Important! Metal feeders carry the potential danger of goats. If there is rust in it, the animals develop reticulopericarditis.
Simplicity of design
The simpler the construction is to maintain, the less energy will be required from the farmer, which will optimize their work with the farm. At the same time, the feeder should not be flimsy, so that it would not have to be redone and repaired every time. It is worth considering that the goats are quite frisky animals, so unstable containers will be immediately turned over. 
The simplest variation of the feed tank for hay - suspended nursery. They are made of a chain-link mesh with cells 10 × 10 cm in the form of boxes with an uncovered top. In such a container hay is placed through the top, and the animals reach it through the cells.
Feed safety
The feeder device must reliably protect the feed from spilling. Goats are fastidious animals, so they will not eat food that has spilled on the floor. On the one hand, this is good, since eating food mixed with genital litter and excrement can lead to the spread of diseases among the livestock. On the other hand, a large amount of feed spoils, which leads to serious costs.
Did you know? Since 1925 in Trinidad, on the island of Tobago, there is such a form of entertainment as the goat race. The races are held every year in the first half of April.
The construction of the feeder should be at a height of 150 cm from the floor level, then goats will not be able to jump on it. The gaps in the feeders for adults need to be no more than 20 cm. Through such a manhole, the animals will not be able to get inside the structure and spoil the food. For kids, the gap should be done even less, or use other variations that are suitable for all age categories of animals.
Types of feeders
Materials for arranging feeders are selected depending on their intended purpose.
In total, there are 3 types of feed tanks:
- for coarse food;
- for grain and compound feeds;
- structures of the combined type.
Rough Feed Feeders
Classic variations for roughage:
- crib made of wood;
- french feeders.
The specificity of the manufacture of such structures associated with the characteristics of the feed. Mostly it is hay and it makes up a large part of the diet of animals. On this basis, the design should have a fairly large size. Hay is most commonly sold in bales. For small farms, these are bales of 20-30 kg, industrial scale - up to 500 kg. The area for the feeders is measured by these bales.Bulk feed feeders
The diet of goats also includes grain and animal feed. For such a meal, separate containers are diverted. The easiest way to make them out of PVC pipes. 
Combined feeders
These tanks are universal models and are suitable for a wide range of feeds. They are made most often from plastic barrels. 
How to make a feeder with your own hands?
First you need to make a drawing. If the construction is complicated and you are doing such work for the first time, then it is better to first make a mock-up of cardboard on a reduced scale, and only then bring the project to life on the selected material. General provisions for calculating the parameters are reduced to an orientation on the number of goats.
All animals should be able to simultaneously absorb food without interfering with each other. Alternatively, you can make several designs. Each goat must be 15–20 cm in length, and 30–40 cm in an adult individual. The height of the front side of the feeder is 50 cm from the floor and above.
Did you know? Goats were tamed about 9,000 years ago.
From the tools, to perform the following variations of feeders, you will need:
- screwdriver;
- drill;
- level;
- roulette;
- hammer nail;
- electric or manual jigsaw;
- marking pencil;
- Bulgarian;
- welding machine;
- sweep disc - for smoothing seams after welding.
Wood hay
It is rather simple to make a manger for hay. For the manufacture of such capacity, designed for 6 adults, you will need the following materials:
- 6 beams with a length of 100 cm and a size of 5 × 5 cm;
- 4 boards 180 cm long 2 cm wide - the top and lower laths;
- 16 boards with a similar width of 50 cm in length - border dividers;
- 4 boards 60 cm long 2 cm wide - side slats;
- DSP plate 40 cm wide, 160 cm long - bottom;
- nails.
Sequencing:
- Prikolite 2 bars from the corners and in the central part on both sides of the chipboard. The height from the floor to the place of fixing the plate is 50 cm.
- Attach the lower rails at the bottom mounting level.
- Knock the top and side rails.
- Secure the delineators at a distance of 20 cm from each other along the entire length of the bottom.
Video: how to make a goat feeder with your own hands
Of reinforcement
Not everyone will be able to carry out this design, as skills of work with the welding machine will be required. From materials for construction, designed for 4-6 adults, you will need:
- 7 m of reinforcement with a cross section of 20 mm;
- the grid the chain-link with sizes of cells 10 × 10 cm - 40 cm wide, 1 m long
Did you know? The unusual rectangular shape of the pupils in goats allows them to effectively protect themselves from predators. Peacefully, pinching grass, the animal, without raising its head, has an overview of 340 °.
The sequence of actions:
- Drill 4 holes in the wall - 2 at a height of 50 cm, 2 at a height of 1 m.
- Using a grinder, cut the rebar into pieces: 6 pcs. 50 cm, 4 pcs. 40 cm, 2 pcs. on 1 m.
- Fix the fittings 40 cm each in the wall.
- Weld the frame parts of 1 m above and below to the mounting installations.
- Fasten the netting net to the bottom, thus erecting the bottom of the feeder.
- The next step is welding of the demarcation parts of 50 cm along the entire perimeter of the frame at a distance of 20 cm from each other.
- Strip all seams with a grinder and a sweeper circle.
This design is suitable not only for adults, but also for kids. 
French feeders
This type of feed fixture reduces hay consumption. In total, it is a box with slots on all sides. These cuts are made in such a way that only the head can be inserted into the animal. So goats will have less opportunity to scatter hay. If the design is carried out in a portable version, it can be used all year round, and it is suitable for various types of feed.
For the manufacture of such devices will require the following materials:
- 4 beams of 5 × 5 cm in height and 80 cm high;
- 2 sheets of plywood 45 cm wide, 50 cm high - side walls;
- 1.30 m wide plywood sheet 50 cm high - front wall;
- 4 stainless steel corners - to secure the bottom;
- 1 plywood sheet, 1.25 m long, 40 cm wide - bottom.
You will be interested to know how much hay a goat needs for the winter and how to prepare it.
The sequence of actions:
- Make round holes in the side walls with a diameter of 20 cm at a height of 10 cm from the edge, in the central part.
- In the front wall also make holes with a diameter of 20 cm at a distance of 5 cm from each other at a height of 10 cm from the edge.
- Fasten the corners to beams at a height of 30 cm.
- Screw the bottom to the corners.
- Knock the front and side walls.
Pipe feeder
To make such a feeder for one individual you will need:
- PVC pipe with a cross section of 15 cm in height of 1 m;
- 2 plugs (removable and deaf) with the same diameter;
- tee 45 °;
- 3 clamps - to fasten the structure to the wall.
Important! Selecting pipes for the feeder, keep in mind that every extra centimeter of diameter reduces its stability.
The sequence of actions:
- Make a marking on the pipe - 10 cm, 20 cm and 70 cm.
- Cut it into pieces, cut the cuts so that there are no chipping.
- Insert a 70 cm long pipe into the top opening of the tee.
- Insert a length of 20 cm into the bottom opening of the tee, and a length of 10 cm into the side.
- The bottom of the close the blind plug.
- Cover the upper part of the pipe with a removable plug.
- Fasten the structure to the wall with clamps and fill in the feed.
Plastic Barrel Feeder
For the production of devices will require:
- a barrel with a diametral section of the bottom 50 cm, 70 cm high;
- a piece of chain-link mesh with cells 10 × 10 cm, width 52 cm (50 cm + 2 cm on the allowances for fastening) and a height of 50 cm;
- 3 bricks.
Learn more about how to feed a goat.
Sequencing:
- Cut the barrel at a distance of 20 cm from the neck.
- Determine the center of the tank and cut its front wall, leaving the front side 10 cm high (measure from the bottom).
- Priburite, the resulting construction to the bricks with a drill.
- In the central part of the feeder, fasten the mesh netting.
- Treat all joints and cuts, so that there are no burrs.
In such a design, you can lay hay on top, and feed in the front of the feed. The main thing to take care of a reliable "foundation", so that animals can not turn it over. 
One of the basic elements of goat farm arrangement are devices for different types of feed. They must comply with all the rules of hygiene, safety and be easy to use. You can make feeders with your own hands from the materials at hand, using the above recommendations.
