6 Best Goat Feed Troughs for Farms
Choosing the right goat feed trough is crucial for preventing waste. Discover 6 top models with features designed to minimize spillage and save on costs.
You’ve just filled the feed trough, and before you can even turn around, a young doeling has both front feet in it, scattering expensive pellets all over the ground. That scattered feed isn’t just a mess; it’s money turning into mud. Choosing the right feeder for your small herd isn’t about fancy equipment, it’s about making every scoop of grain count.
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Why Efficient Goat Feeders Matter on a Small Farm
Feed is the single biggest recurring expense in raising goats. When you’re operating on five acres, you can’t afford to have 20% of it trampled into the dirt. An efficient feeder pays for itself quickly by ensuring the feed you buy actually goes into your animals.
Wasted feed creates more problems than just a hit to your wallet. Piles of spoiled grain or hay attract rodents and flies, creating a health hazard for your entire homestead. It also means more time spent cleaning pens and pastures, which is time you probably don’t have.
A well-designed feeder also manages herd dynamics. A long bunk feeder allows multiple goats to eat peacefully, while dividers can prevent a bossy doe from hogging all the resources. This ensures timid or younger goats get their fair share, leading to a healthier, more uniform herd.
Little Giant Fence Feeder: Versatile and Secure
This is the classic, clip-on feeder you see everywhere for a good reason. Its built-in hooks let you hang it on a fence panel, gate, or stall wall in seconds. This versatility makes it perfect for temporary pens, kidding stalls, or just separating a goat for special rations.
The Little Giant’s magic is in its shape. It’s deep and relatively narrow, which discourages goats from standing in it or using their noses to shovel feed out. By keeping the feed contained and off the ground, you immediately reduce waste and contamination from manure. It’s ideal for measured amounts of grain or supplements.
Don’t mistake it for a hay feeder, though. It’s too small for hay and goats will just pull everything out. Its main limitation is capacity; for a herd of more than two or three, you’ll be filling multiple feeders, which can be a chore. But for targeted feeding, it’s an indispensable tool.
Tarter Hay Basket Feeder for Minimal Waste
Hay waste is a special kind of frustrating. Goats will pull a huge mouthful from a pile, walk away, drop half of it, and then refuse to eat the hay they just stepped on. A basket-style feeder directly combats this behavior.
The Tarter Hay Basket, or similar V-shaped designs, keeps the bale or flake of hay contained and elevated. The metal bars or wire mesh force the goats to pull out smaller, more manageable mouthfuls. Because they have to work a little for each bite, they are far more likely to eat what they pull out instead of dropping it.
This feeder is a specialist. It’s built for hay and nothing else. While it dramatically cuts down on trampled hay, a determined goat can still pull some onto the ground. The key is to not overfill it. Give them just what they need for a feeding, and they’ll clean it up far more effectively.
Behlen Country Bunk Feeder for Herd Durability
When you need to feed four or more goats at once, a bunk feeder is your best bet. The Behlen poly bunk is a workhorse—it’s tough, weather-resistant, and heavy enough that your goats won’t easily flip it over. Its long shape provides ample space, reducing the shoving and head-butting that happens at a small, single trough.
This feeder works by providing easy access without being too easy. The low sides let everyone reach, but a V-shaped bottom helps funnel the feed to the center, making it harder for them to push it out. It’s a simple, effective design for feeding grain or chopped forage to a group.
The main tradeoff is that it’s not foolproof. A mischievous kid can still jump in if it’s not full. You have to manage the amount you feed; putting too much in at once invites waste and spoilage from rain. It’s a tool that relies on good management, but for its durability and group-feeding efficiency, it’s hard to beat.
High Country Wall Feeder for Clean Indoor Feeding
Inside a barn or a kidding stall, hygiene is everything. A wall-mounted feeder is the ultimate solution for keeping feed pristine and off the floor. By securing it to the wall, you eliminate any possibility of it being tipped over, defecated in, or moved around the pen.
The High Country feeder is designed with solid sides and a backplate, creating a contained space that prevents feed from being slung out. This is especially important in smaller spaces where contamination happens quickly. It’s perfect for a doe and her new kids or for an animal that needs to be isolated for medical reasons.
The obvious limitation is its lack of portability. Once you bolt it to the wall, it’s there to stay. It’s also designed for one or two animals at a time, making it a poor choice for general herd feeding. Think of it as a permanent, clean feeding station for specific, high-stakes situations.
Brower Galvanized Trough: A Sturdy Classic
Sometimes, the simplest solution is the best. A heavy-duty galvanized steel trough is chew-proof, rust-resistant, and will likely outlast every other piece of equipment on your farm. Its weight alone is a feature, making it incredibly difficult for even the largest goat to push around or flip.
The design of these troughs often includes waste-reducing features that aren’t immediately obvious. A rolled top lip makes it harder for a goat to hook their nose underneath to flip it, and a V-shaped bottom keeps feed concentrated. This simple geometry uses gravity to your advantage, keeping the grain where they can reach it.
This is not a lightweight, portable option. Moving a steel trough for pasture rotation is a workout. It also heats up in direct sun, which is a consideration for summer feeding. But for a permanent feeding spot where durability is the number one priority, this classic design is unmatched.
Sydell Wall-Mounted Feeder for Grain Management
Attract wild birds with this durable, rust-proof stainless steel bird feeder. Its large, easy-to-clean mesh tray features drainage holes to keep seeds fresh, and the included hook allows for versatile mounting on walls, trees, or fences.
Sydell feeders take the concept of waste prevention to the next level, especially for expensive pelleted feeds. Many of their designs incorporate a key feature: vertical bars or a grid that the goats must put their heads through to eat. This is a game-changer.
This simple barrier prevents a goat from pulling its head back quickly, which is when they drop mouthfuls of grain. It forces them to eat directly over the trough, so anything they do drop falls right back in. This design is the single most effective way to prevent grain waste. It’s perfect for a milking stand or for feeding high-performance rations where every pellet counts.
The tradeoff is cost and throughput. These are precision tools, not bulk feeders, and they are priced accordingly. You can’t feed a whole herd quickly with them. But if you are feeding a dairy goat a carefully measured, costly ration, a Sydell-style feeder will pay for itself in saved feed in a single season.
Key Features in a Waste-Reducing Goat Trough
When you’re looking at a feeder, don’t just look at the price tag. Focus on the design features that will save you money and time in the long run. The goal is to make it easy for goats to eat but difficult for them to play with their food.
Look for these specific elements:
- A deep basin or V-shape: This uses gravity to keep feed in the middle of the trough.
- A lip or rolled edge: This makes it much harder for goats to flip or shovel feed out.
- Dividers or head slots: Physical barriers are the most effective way to stop waste and reduce competition.
- Heavy-duty material: Choose durable poly or chew-proof steel. A flimsy feeder is a broken feeder.
Finally, match the feeder to the feed and the location. Use hay baskets for hay and troughs for grain. Use portable feeders for rotational grazing and wall-mounted feeders for permanent stalls. There is no single "best" feeder—the best one is the one that fits your specific management style and solves your biggest waste problem.
Ultimately, think of a good feeder not as another farm expense, but as an investment in efficiency. The right trough saves feed, reduces your workload, and contributes to better herd health. That’s a return any small-scale farmer can appreciate.
