6 Best No Waste Feeders For Goats To Minimize Spillage That Save You Money
Reduce costly feed spillage with the right equipment. We review the 6 best no-waste goat feeders designed to keep feed clean and save you money.
You just filled the trough with expensive, high-protein goat feed, and what do you see? Two of your does are standing right in the middle of it, scattering pellets everywhere with their hooves. Wasted feed isn’t just an annoyance; it’s a direct drain on your farm’s budget. Choosing the right feeder can turn that frustration into savings, one meal at a time.
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Why Wasted Goat Feed Is Costing You Money
Every scoop of feed your goats trample, soil, or simply knock onto the ground is money thrown away. This isn’t just about the initial purchase price of the bag. That wasted grain becomes a magnet for rodents and birds, which can introduce diseases to your herd and consume even more of your resources.
Furthermore, soiled feed left in a damp corner of the pen can grow mold, posing a serious health risk to your animals if ingested. The cost of a vet visit for a sick goat far outweighs the price of a better feeder. Minimizing waste isn’t about being cheap; it’s about being a smart, efficient farmer. You’re protecting your investment in both feed and the well-being of your herd.
Tarter Bunk Feeder: A Durable Classic Choice
If you’ve seen a feeder on a farm, it was probably a bunk feeder. These long, low troughs are simple, effective, and built to last. Tarter’s models, often made of heavy-duty galvanized steel, can withstand the pushing, shoving, and general abuse that a group of hungry goats dishes out. Their V-shaped bottom helps funnel feed toward the center, making it easier for animals to clean up every last bit.
The primary advantage here is durability and capacity. You can feed several goats at once, reducing competition and ensuring everyone gets a chance to eat. The wide base also makes them very stable and difficult to tip over, which is a common cause of spilled grain.
However, their open design is also their biggest weakness. While they reduce tipping, they do little to prevent a determined goat from standing in the trough or using its nose to flick grain out. They are best suited for pellets and grain, as hay will be pulled out and wasted almost immediately. Think of it as a solid, reliable workhorse that solves the tipping problem but not the "hooves in the food" problem.
Behlen Country Wall Feeder for Small Spaces
When floor space is at a premium, a wall-mounted feeder is the perfect solution. The Behlen Country Wall Feeder is a prime example of a design that gets feed up and off the ground, keeping it clean and away from manure. By securing it to a stall wall or a sturdy fence post, you eliminate the possibility of it being knocked over entirely.
This design is ideal for smaller herds, individual pens for kidding does, or for separating a buck during breeding season. The contained shape makes it much harder for a goat to sweep feed out with its nose. It keeps the feeding area tidy and makes cleanup a breeze.
The main consideration is installation. You need a solid surface to mount it on, so it’s less flexible for rotational grazing systems using temporary fencing. Its smaller size also means it’s not practical for feeding a large herd simultaneously, as it would create too much competition at a single point. But for one to three goats in a defined space, it’s an excellent waste-reducer.
Sydell Adjustable Keyhole Feeder for Hay
Hay waste is a massive, often overlooked, expense. Goats are notorious for pulling entire flakes of hay onto the ground, using it as bedding, and then refusing to eat it. The Sydell Adjustable Keyhole Feeder directly tackles this problem with a smart, simple design that forces goats to eat more deliberately.
The "keyhole" openings are vertical slats that allow a goat to put its head in but restrict the side-to-side motion used to pull out and drop huge mouthfuls of hay. This means they eat what they pull, dramatically cutting down on what ends up on the floor. The best part is its adjustability. You can change the spacing of the bars to accommodate growing kids, does, and even large-horned bucks, making it a feeder that grows with your herd.
This is a specialized piece of equipment, and its price reflects that. It’s an investment, not an impulse buy. But if you’re feeding expensive alfalfa or high-quality grass hay, the savings from reduced waste can pay for the feeder surprisingly quickly. It turns your hay budget from a variable expense into a predictable one.
Little Giant Fence Feeder for Versatility
Sometimes you need a feeding solution that’s as flexible as your farm management style. The Little Giant Fence Feeder, often made of durable molded plastic, is the champion of versatility. With built-in hooks, it can be hung over a standard fence rail, a cattle panel, or the side of a stall in seconds. No tools required.
This portability is its greatest strength. Use it to feed a new goat in a quarantine pen, provide a special ration to a pregnant doe, or take it with you to a show. The deep, narrow design makes it difficult for goats to spill feed, and its smooth plastic surface is incredibly easy to clean and sanitize between uses.
The tradeoff for this convenience is capacity. These are not meant for feeding a whole herd. They are best for one or two goats at a time. Overcrowding one of these small feeders will lead to pushing and guaranteed spillage, defeating the purpose. Use them for their intended purpose: targeted, individual, or temporary feeding.
Rugged Ranch Goat Feeder for Large Herds
As your herd grows, so does the time you spend on chores. The Rugged Ranch Goat Feeder is designed for efficiency at a larger scale. It typically combines a V-shaped hay rack on top with a grain trough below, allowing you to feed both hay and grain in one location. This two-in-one design saves space and streamlines your feeding routine.
Built from heavy-gauge steel, these feeders are designed to serve a half-dozen goats or more at once. The hay rack keeps valuable forage off the ground, and the grain trough is often designed to be deep enough to discourage spillage. Filling one large feeder is much faster than filling ten small ones.
The main factors to consider are cost and size. This is a significant piece of equipment with a price tag to match, and it requires a dedicated space in your barn or pasture. It’s overkill for a couple of pet goats, but for a farmer with a dozen or more, the time saved and feed preserved make it a logical and cost-effective upgrade.
DIY PVC Pipe Feeder: The Frugal Farmer’s Fix
For the homesteader who is handy with tools and on a tight budget, a DIY feeder made from PVC pipe is a fantastic project. The most common design involves a large-diameter vertical pipe as a reservoir, with Wye or Tee fittings at the bottom creating access ports for the goats to eat from. This gravity-fed system protects the bulk of the feed from weather and contamination.
The beauty of this approach is its low cost and customizability. You can build it to the exact height and capacity you need using materials available at any hardware store. The small feeding ports make it nearly impossible for goats to stand in their food or rake it out onto the ground, resulting in minimal waste.
Of course, there are tradeoffs. PVC can become brittle in extreme cold and may not withstand abuse from a large, pushy buck like a steel feeder would. It also requires your time and effort to build. But for a small herd of does or younger animals, it’s an incredibly effective way to control waste without breaking the bank.
Feeder Placement and Cleaning for Herd Health
Even the best feeder in the world will fail if it’s used improperly. Where you place your feeder is just as important as its design. Position feeders in a way that prevents goats from dropping manure into them while they eat. Placing a feeder too low or right next to a favorite perching spot is an invitation for contamination.
Regular cleaning is non-negotiable. Leftover feed, especially if it gets damp, can quickly grow mold and bacteria, leading to serious health issues like goat polio or listeriosis. A good feeder should be easy to scrub. Once a week, empty out any old feed, scrub the feeder with a stiff brush and hot, soapy water, rinse it thoroughly, and let it dry completely before refilling.
Tackle tough cleaning jobs with this heavy-duty scrub brush set. The stiff bristles and ergonomic, non-slip handle make it easy to power through grime in bathrooms, kitchens, and more.
This simple routine does more than just prevent waste; it’s a cornerstone of good animal husbandry. A clean feeding environment supports a strong immune system and a healthy, productive herd. Don’t let a dirty feeder undermine your investment in high-quality feed and animals.
Ultimately, the perfect no-waste feeder is the one that fits your herd size, your space, and your budget. By moving feed off the ground and into a container that outsmarts your goats’ wasteful habits, you’re not just saving a few dollars on a bag of grain. You’re investing in a cleaner, healthier, and more efficient farm.
