When it comes to care and management of miniature donkeys, one important consideration is the cost of your business. What we have found to be a true money saver has been the addition of a hay feeder which has cut down on waste and the size of our manure pile!!! The hay feeder can feed around 6 miniature donkeys at one time!
Problem
We used to feed our donkeys hay on the ground every morning and evening. We would flake off some hay for every miniature donkey and all the donkeys wanted to eat but when the hay became soiled, they would obviously stop eating the hay. Here are our general issues with ground feeding:
- The collection of wasted hay underfoot is a breeding ground for insects, mould, and infection – particularly bad with damp or wet conditions
- We feed high quality hay which is a pricey commodity and it was expensive allowing so much hay to go to waste
Solution: Hay Feeder from Aaron at JR’s Harness & Saddle Company, in Narvon (near Lancaster), PA
After searching for a supplier of hay feeders we quickly realized that shipping would be a big issue – it would have been very cost prohibitive. Fortunately, we stopped into JR’s on the way to Sensenigs Feedmill in New Holland (where we buy our grains – see blog post) and Aaron the owner had this small hay feeder (see pictures).
Appealing Features
- Perfect height for the donkeys
- Legs unscrew making it portable – if you have a big car you can load this into your trunk
- Very durable – made from stainless steal, sturdy, and well made
- Drain holes in the corners (we keep the feeder under the barn overhang to prevent uneaten hay from getting wet
- Pays for itself within a year in hay savings!
We cannot speak more highly of this hay feeder and strongly recommend visiting JR’s Harness & Saddle Company for your hardware feeder needs.