Horse Stall Feed Bin Alternatives

[MikePA]

Our stalls have the typical vertical bars with the square opening in one lower corner through which we dump grain into a feed bin that we've mounted to the inside wall of the stall.

The leftover grain residue attracts flies...a lot of flies despite the automatic, battery powered, fly spray dispensers we have in each stall (on the opposite wall from the feed bin).

My wife wants me to remove the feed bins and replace them with a bucket hanger on which she will hang, what else, a bucket into which we will dump the feed. The removable bucket will be easier to clean than the fixed in place bin (even though it has a removable drain plug).

Your comments and suggestions?

[lmassom]

My first question is: Why do you have left over grain? When ever I see left over grain, I know I have a sick horse or at least one I need to keep an eye on (my very old mare can go off feed for a while with out an apparent cause).

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> Why do you have left over grain? </font color>
I should have made that clearer. There's no leftover grain. It's the residue from the grain (sweet feed, in combination with senior feed, for some of the horses) that attracts the flies. (I edited my original post.).

[lmassom]

<font color="blue"> </font color>

OK, I understand. I see nothing wrong with using buckets, but do you have the plastic corner feeders?

Don't know if this will help. When I put these in, I put studs in (the kind that have wood screw threads on one end and reguler bolt threads on the other) and then used wing nuts. This way they could be removed for cleaning.

We have the stall feeders where the door opens up and you put your hay and grain in and close it back up. We get residue in the bottom and just pick it out once a week or so. I really think you'll just be chasing your tail with the fly problem. It's livestock you're going to have flys unless you get a full barn mist system.

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> but do you have the plastic corner feeders?</font color>
Yep, we have the plastic corner feeders. Attached is a picture of the feeders we have.

I'll propose replacing the lag screws with the studs and see if she thinks that would be easier, or just as easy, as a bucket.

<font color="blue">cowboydoc: I really think you'll just be chasing your tail with the fly problem. It's livestock you're going to have flys unless you get a full barn mist system. </font color>
I agree, but since she does 95% of the stall cleaning, I generally implement her suggestions. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] If it works, great. If it doesn't, I keep my mouth shut. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[RichZ]

Mike, I use buckets on hangers for my horses, and I feel it works great. When the horses finish their grain, I take the buckets out and store them, and I can clean them as often as neccessary. Sometimes daily, sometimes they stay clean for a few days, depends on how humid it is, and how much moist residue is left in the buckets. Also, I trained my horses to come when I call their names, but sometimes they take their sweet time coming into the barn. But if I hold up a bucket, and call out "supper time" or "breakfast time" they come running. It doesn't seem to work as well without the bucket. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[egon]

Flies:

I can remember being able to wipe my hand on the side of a horse in the middle of the field and seening a swatck of blood from the flies on the horse. No feed bins around.

Egon

Just as an aside vets have recommended not to feed grain in buckets because of dust and inhaling particles. Also it seems horses will invariably get injured by pawing at the buckets and get a hoof caught in them.

[RichZ]

That's interesting, Richard. My horses never do that. When the bucket is empty, they usually unhook it and drop it to the floor of the stall. I think that's their signal to me that they want a refill. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]