FARM Infrastructure

7 Best Wall Mount Goat Feeders For Small Farms

Reduce feed waste and save floor space with a wall mount feeder. Our guide compares the 7 best models based on durability, design, and value for small farms.

Watching your goats toss a brand-new flake of alfalfa all over their bedding is a special kind of frustration for a small farmer. The right wall-mounted feeder keeps feed clean, off the ground, and reduces the costly waste that can eat into your budget. Choosing the best one for your setup means less time mucking out spoiled hay and more money in your pocket.

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Choosing a Wall Feeder for Your Goat Herd

The perfect feeder doesn’t exist, but the right feeder for your herd does. Before you buy, think about your daily reality. Are you feeding a couple of Nigerian Dwarfs in a small stall, or a dozen Kikos in a larger loafing area?

Your choice boils down to a few key factors. Consider the material—heavy-duty plastic is durable and easy to clean, while galvanized steel resists chewing and abuse from aggressive head-butters. Think about the feed type. A simple trough is great for grain and pellets, but you’ll need a slatted rack or basket design to handle hay effectively.

Finally, consider the design’s impact on animal behavior and your time.

  • Waste Reduction: Does the feeder have features like a grid or angled bars to stop goats from pulling out and dropping hay?
  • Safety: Are there sharp edges or gaps where a head or horn could get stuck? This is especially critical for horned breeds.
  • Ease of Use: How easy is it to fill and clean? A feeder that’s a pain to access will quickly become a chore you dread.

The best feeder is one that solves more problems than it creates. It should fit your space, match your herd size, and stand up to the daily wear and tear that goats inflict on everything they touch. Don’t just buy the cheapest option; invest in a feeder that saves you feed, time, and headaches down the road.

Little Giant 20 Qt. Wall Feeder for Versatility

Sometimes you just need a solid, reliable bucket that stays put. The Little Giant 20 Qt. Wall Feeder is exactly that—a no-nonsense workhorse for grain, pellets, or minerals. Its heavy-duty polypropylene construction can take a beating from even the most enthusiastic eaters.

What makes this feeder so practical is its simplicity. It mounts securely to a wall or fence post with heavy-duty bolts, preventing the tipping and spilling you get with ground feeders. Its 20-quart capacity is generous enough for a few goats at a time, making it ideal for small-group pens or creep feeding areas for kids. While it’s not designed for hay, it excels as a dedicated grain or supplement feeder that is incredibly easy to remove and scrub clean.

Tarter Goat Hay & Grain Feeder for Combo Feeding

Space is always at a premium in a small barn. The Tarter Goat Hay & Grain Feeder tackles this by combining a hay rack and a grain trough into one unit. This design is perfect for individual kidding stalls or for feeding a pair of goats in a compact shelter.

The top V-shaped rack holds a flake or two of hay, while the solid trough below catches dropped leaves and serves grain. This is a huge advantage for reducing waste, as the most nutritious parts of the alfalfa often fall to the bottom. Be aware, however, that some hay will inevitably get pulled into the grain trough, requiring you to clean it out before the next grain feeding. It’s a small tradeoff for the efficiency and space-saving benefits this feeder provides.

This feeder is typically made of steel with angled bars, which encourages goats to pull out smaller bites of hay. This slows them down and further minimizes waste. Its dual-purpose nature makes it a smart investment for anyone trying to maximize the utility of every square foot of their barn.

High Country Plastics Wall Feeder for Durability

If you have goats that treat their equipment like a chew toy or a battering ram, you need something built to last. The High Country Plastics Wall Feeder is designed for exactly that kind of abuse. Made from thick, impact-resistant polyethylene, it won’t rust, dent, or crack under pressure.

This feeder’s strength is its rugged simplicity. The smooth, rounded edges are a key safety feature, minimizing the risk of injury to your animals. It’s deep enough to hold a decent amount of grain or pellets, reducing the chance of goats pushing feed out onto the floor.

While it’s a fantastic choice for grain, its true value is in its longevity. You mount it once and forget about it. For farmers who are tired of replacing bent metal troughs or cracked plastic buckets, the upfront investment in a durable feeder like this pays for itself by eliminating the need for constant repairs and replacements.

Behlen Country Corner Feeder Saves Barn Space

Every corner of a small barn is valuable real estate. The Behlen Country Corner Feeder is engineered to take advantage of these often-wasted spaces. By fitting snugly into a 90-degree corner, it frees up flat wall space for gates, waterers, or other equipment.

This design is brilliant for kidding pens or smaller stalls where floor space is tight. It keeps the feed trough out of the main traffic area, reducing the likelihood of it being contaminated with bedding or manure. Its molded plastic or steel construction is tough, and the deep basin holds a good amount of grain or pellets for one or two animals.

The primary tradeoff is capacity; it’s not meant for a large herd. But for targeted feeding situations—a doe and her kids, a buck in his own pen, or a goat needing a special diet—this feeder is an incredibly efficient use of space. It turns an awkward corner into a functional feeding station.

Brower Poly Hay & Grain Feeder for Easy Cleaning

Cleaning feeders is a chore no one loves, but it’s essential for herd health. The Brower Poly Hay & Grain Feeder is designed to make this task as painless as possible. Its one-piece, molded polyethylene construction means there are no seams, cracks, or corners where old feed can get stuck and mold.

The smooth, non-porous surface is the key. Feed dust and grime wipe away easily with a damp cloth, and the entire unit can be quickly hosed out and sanitized. This significantly reduces the risk of feed contamination and saves you valuable time during chores. A clean feeder encourages better eating habits and is a simple step toward preventing health issues.

This model often features a hay rack over a grain trough, providing combo-feeding benefits. But its main selling point remains the maintenance. For the busy farmer who values efficiency and hygiene, a feeder that cuts cleaning time in half is a massive quality-of-life improvement.

Rugged Ranch Wall Feeder Minimizes Hay Waste

Hay is one of the biggest recurring expenses on a farm, and watching it get used as bedding is painful. The Rugged Ranch Wall Feeder is specifically designed to combat this problem. Its front panel features a wire grid with small openings, forcing goats to pull out just a mouthful of hay at a time.

This simple design feature dramatically changes feeding behavior. Instead of grabbing a huge chunk and dropping half of it, goats have to work for their food, eating more of what they take. This not only saves you money on hay but also keeps their living space cleaner, reducing your mucking-out workload.

The all-steel construction is sturdy and chew-proof. While the initial cost might be higher than a simple open trough, the return on investment is clear. By significantly cutting down on wasted hay over the course of a year, this feeder effectively pays for itself. It’s a smart choice for anyone looking to run a more efficient and cost-effective operation.

Fortiflex Feeder: A Simple, Multi-Use Option

Sometimes, the simplest tool is the best one for the job. The Fortiflex Feeder is essentially a reinforced, heavy-duty bucket with mounting hardware. It’s affordable, incredibly tough, and versatile enough to handle almost any task on a small farm.

You can mount it in a stall for grain, use it for minerals, or even as a water bucket. Its rubber-polyethylene blend is flexible enough to resist cracking in cold weather but rigid enough to hold its shape. Because it’s so easy to install and remove, you can move it between pens as your herd’s needs change.

This isn’t a specialized hay feeder, and it won’t solve major waste issues. But for a straightforward, durable, and budget-friendly option for delivering grain or supplements, it’s almost impossible to beat. It’s the kind of basic, reliable equipment that forms the backbone of a practical small farm.

Ultimately, the best wall feeder is the one that fits your barn’s layout, your herd’s size, and your management style. By prioritizing durability, waste reduction, and ease of cleaning, you can choose a piece of equipment that will save you time, money, and frustration for years to come. A smart feeder choice is a small investment that pays big dividends in the daily rhythm of your farm.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a wall mount goat feeder?

A wall mount goat feeder is a feeding rack or bin attached directly to an interior barn wall or fence post to keep feed off the ground. Mounting the feeder elevates hay and grain, which prevents trampling, reduces parasite transmission from manure, and stops mold growth. Most units are built from galvanized steel wire, heavy poly plastic, or sealed pine to withstand herd pressure.

What does a combination wall mount goat feeder do for small farms?

Combination wall mount goat feeders feature an upper hay rack paired with a lower catch tray designed to hold loose grain or pellets. This two-in-one design catches loose hay stems that fall while goats chew, which cuts total forage waste by up to thirty percent. Small farm owners use the bottom pan to feed daily grain rations or free-choice minerals without purchasing separate floor pans.

How high should you hang a wall mount goat feeder?

Hang a wall mount goat feeder so the rim sits at your goats’ shoulder height, typically between twenty and thirty inches from the ground. Standard breeds like Nubians require mounting heights between twenty-four and thirty inches, while miniature breeds like Nigerian Dwarfs require twelve to eighteen inches. Keep the bottom tray at least twelve inches above the bedding pack so deep winter straw does not bury the feeder.

How do you install a wall mount goat feeder on a wooden barn wall?

Install a wall mount goat feeder by driving heavy-duty lag screws with flat washers directly into vertical barn wall studs using an impact driver. Locate two wall studs spaced sixteen inches apart to support the feeder’s weight when full of hay. Drill three-sixteenths inch pilot holes, align the feeder mounting brackets, and tighten five-sixteenths inch lag bolts at all four corners so the unit cannot shift when animals jump against it.

Are metal or plastic wall mount goat feeders better for small herds?

Galvanized steel wall mount goat feeders are generally better for adult herds because metal withstands aggressive chewing and head-butting without cracking. Heavy-duty poly plastic models cost less, weigh under ten pounds for easy cleaning, and will never rust in damp barns. Choose metal if you keep aggressive horned bucks, or pick UV-resistant polyethylene if you need a lightweight feeder for temporary kidding pens.

How many goats can eat from one wall mount goat feeder at the same time?

One standard twenty-four-inch wall mount goat feeder provides enough room for two to three adult goats to eat at the same time. Dominant herd members frequently chase timid goats away from single feeding stations. For a small herd of six to eight goats, install at least three separate wall feeders spaced six feet apart along the barn wall to prevent herd bullying and ensure equal forage intake.

Why are goats wasting so much hay from a wall mount feeder?

Goats waste hay from wall mount feeders when the grate openings are wider than four inches or when hay contains coarse, unpalatable stems. Animals pull large clumps out of wide bars and drop unwanted mature grass stems directly onto bedding where they refuse to eat them. Reduce waste by switching to a feeder with three-inch wire spacing, hanging a drop pan underneath, or feeding finer-stemmed second-cut orchard grass.

Is a wall mount goat feeder safe for horned goats and small kids?

Wall mount goat feeders are safe for horned stock and kids only if the bar spacing prevents heads from becoming trapped between the rungs. Standard four-inch vertical bars frequently trap goat horns or allow curious three-week-old kids to jump entirely inside the basket. Use solid-back panel feeders, keyhole designs, or narrow mesh grids measuring less than two inches by four inches to eliminate head entrapment injuries in mixed-age pens.

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