6 Best Anti Tipping Feeders For Goats With Kids That Prevent Feed Waste
Tipping feeders waste valuable feed. Our guide reviews the 6 best anti-tipping designs for goats and kids to ensure your herd stays fed and costs stay down.
You turn your back for one minute, and it happens. The brand new bag of expensive goat feed is now a muddy, trampled mess in the middle of the pen. A mischievous kid, full of spring, used the feeder as a trampoline, sending pellets flying everywhere. This isn’t just frustrating; it’s a direct hit to your budget and a magnet for pests.
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Why Goats Waste Feed and How to Stop It
Goats are naturally curious and hierarchical animals. They don’t just eat from a feeder; they investigate it, stand in it, and shove each other to get the best spot. This behavior, combined with their tendency to sort through mixed grains for their favorite bits, means a simple open trough on the ground is an invitation for waste.
The problem multiplies exponentially when you add kids to the mix. Kids are playful, energetic, and see everything as a potential toy. A low-slung feed trough is a perfect launchpad or a bed, and they have no problem tipping it over just for fun. The does will then refuse to eat the soiled feed, doubling your losses.
Stopping this waste isn’t about finding the heaviest trough you can. A determined goat can move surprising weight. The real solution lies in smart design: feeders that are mounted securely, limit physical access, and make it difficult for goats to push feed out with their noses. It’s about outsmarting their instincts, not overpowering them.
Key Features of a Kid-Proof Goat Feeder
When you’re looking for a feeder that can withstand a herd of does and kids, a few key features make all the difference. It’s less about brand names and more about practical design that accounts for goat behavior. The goal is to make it easy for them to eat but difficult for them to play.
Look for these critical elements in any feeder you consider. The more of these boxes it checks, the less feed you’ll find on the ground.
- Secure Mounting: A feeder that can be attached to a wall, fence, or panel is immediately superior. If it can’t be tipped, you’ve solved half the problem.
- Durable Material: Goats will chew, rub, and headbutt their feeder. Choose heavy-duty molded plastic or galvanized steel that resists both abuse and weather.
- Waste-Reducing Design: Look for a V-shape that funnels feed to the bottom or bars/grates over the top. These features prevent goats from "slinging" feed out with their noses as they search for the tastiest morsels.
- Kid-Proof Profile: A narrow trough is much harder for a kid to stand or sleep in. If they can’t get their whole body in, they’re less likely to soil the contents.
- Easy to Clean: Feeders with smooth surfaces and rounded corners prevent old feed from caking and molding. A feeder you can easily scrub and rinse is one you’ll actually keep clean.
Remember that there are always tradeoffs. A feeder with a built-in grate might save grain but be slightly more difficult to clean out. A permanently wall-mounted feeder is incredibly stable but offers zero portability. The right choice depends entirely on your specific setup, herd size, and management style.
Little Giant Hook Over Trough: Versatile Choice
The hook-over trough is a classic for a reason. Its simple, effective design makes it a go-to for many small-scale farmers, especially those who need flexibility. You can hang it over a standard wooden fence, a wire panel, or the wall of a stall in seconds, with no tools required.
Its primary advantage is getting the feed off the ground. By elevating the trough to chest height, you immediately prevent kids from using it as a plaything and reduce the amount of dirt and manure that gets kicked in. This makes it a fantastic option for temporary pens, separating a doe and her new kids, or for rotational grazing systems where your setup changes frequently.
However, its versatility comes with a durability tradeoff. The plastic hooks, while strong, can be a weak point for a large, determined goat. A big buck or a particularly rough doe could potentially break it. For does, kids, and smaller breeds, it’s an excellent, cost-effective choice. But for a permanent setup with larger animals, you may want to consider it a starting point rather than a final solution.
Behlen Country Wall Feeder: Space-Saving Design
When you need a permanent, bomb-proof feeding solution, a wall-mounted steel feeder is the answer. The Behlen Country feeder is a perfect example of this category. It’s designed to be bolted directly to a solid surface, completely eliminating any possibility of tipping.
Made from heavy-duty galvanized steel, this feeder is chew-proof, rust-resistant, and built to last for years. Its V-shaped design helps funnel feed towards the center, discouraging goats from pushing it out. By mounting it in a corner or along a wall, you reclaim valuable floor space in your barn or shelter, which is especially important in smaller kidding pens.
The main consideration is its permanence. Once you install it, it’s not moving without some effort. This makes it unsuitable for temporary enclosures or rotational systems. Cleaning also requires bringing the water and brush to the feeder, rather than taking the feeder to the hose. It’s an investment in infrastructure for a dedicated, high-traffic feeding area.
Tuff Stuff Trough: The Indestructible Option
Sometimes, you have that one goat—or a whole herd of them—that seems to exist solely to destroy farm equipment. For these situations, the Tuff Stuff trough is less a feeder and more a challenge. Made from heavy-duty, flexible rubber, it’s virtually impossible for a goat to crack or break.
On its own, this trough will still be tipped and used as a toy. Its real power comes from its potential as a DIY project. The simple, effective solution is to bolt it into the center of an old truck tire. The tire creates a wide, heavy base that is incredibly difficult for even the largest goat to flip. You can also build a simple wooden frame to secure it.
This is not an out-of-the-box solution. It requires a bit of extra work to become truly waste-proof. But if you’ve gone through multiple plastic or metal feeders that have ended up bent and broken, the Tuff Stuff trough provides an indestructible foundation for a feeding system that will finally stand up to your most destructive animals.
High Country Plastics Feeder for Fencelines
The fenceline feeder is a game-changer for efficiency and safety. This type of feeder, like the ones from High Country Plastics, is designed to hang on a wire or panel fence, allowing you to fill it from outside the pen. This simple feature saves a remarkable amount of hassle.
Feeding time can be chaotic, with hungry goats and kids swarming you the second you step through the gate. By filling the feeder from the alleyway, you avoid the mob, prevent spills from getting jostled, and can distribute feed evenly without competition. The feeder itself is held securely by the fence, making it untippable.
The main requirement is having the right kind of fence. It works perfectly with cattle panels, welded wire, or chain link, but it’s not suitable for multi-strand electric or barbed wire. While the heavy-duty plastic is durable, a large horned animal could potentially damage it with repeated headbutting. For managing groups of does and kids, however, the convenience and waste reduction are hard to beat.
Rugged Ranch Combo Feeder for Hay and Grain
For those looking to maximize space and streamline their feeding station, a combination feeder is an excellent choice. The Rugged Ranch model integrates a slow-feed hay rack on top with a grain trough at the bottom, creating a single, wall-mounted unit for all your feeding needs.
This design inherently prevents waste. The unit bolts to the wall, so it can’t be tipped over. The bars on the hay rack force goats to pull out smaller bites, dramatically reducing the amount of hay that gets pulled onto the floor and trampled. The grain trough is protected below, keeping it clean and contained.
The primary tradeoff is the potential for cross-contamination. Small bits of hay and dust will inevitably fall from the rack into the grain trough below. While most goats don’t mind, a particularly picky eater might turn up her nose. It also requires diligent cleaning to prevent a buildup of damp hay fines in the grain area. For most hobby farm setups, the efficiency of a single feeding station far outweighs this minor inconvenience.
Priefert Creep Feeder Panel for Growing Kids
This isn’t just a feeder; it’s a strategic management tool. A creep feeder is a system that allows small animals (kids) to access a special feed area while keeping larger animals (does) out. The Priefert Creep Feeder Panel is essentially the "gate" to this exclusive dining room.
You install this panel in the opening of a small, fenced-off corner of your main pen. The vertical bars are adjustable, allowing you to create an opening just big enough for a kid to slip through, but too narrow for a doe. Inside this creep area, you can place a simple, open trough with a high-protein kid starter feed. Since the does can’t get in, there’s zero risk of the trough being tipped or the expensive feed being eaten by the wrong animals.
Implementing a creep feeding system is the single best way to ensure your kids get the nutrition they need for rapid, healthy growth without having to compete with adults. It reduces stress on the kids and gives you precise control over their diet. While it requires setting up a dedicated space, the investment pays off with stronger, healthier kids that reach their target weight more quickly.
Ultimately, the perfect anti-tipping feeder is the one that best counters your specific herd’s brand of chaos. Observe how your goats eat and play, and match the feeder’s design to their behavior and your pen layout. A smart choice up front will save you countless dollars in wasted feed and hours of cleanup down the road.
