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Hay Rack: Keep Hay Dry and Cut the Waste in the Sheep Shed

Hay belongs in the rack, not on the floor. Racks with and without a roof, galvanised corner racks and a ring rack for bigger groups.

Hay Rack: Less Waste and Forage That Stays Dry

Hay on the floor turns into bedding within a short time. It gets trampled, fouled and then left, and the loss weighs heavier the more the hay cost you. A rack turns that round. We stock feed racks for sheep, goats, calves and deer in several designs, with and without a roof, galvanised and built sturdily enough for permanent use.

Slow hay intake saves feed

The real trick of a rack is the slow hay intake. The animals pluck out single stalks instead of burrowing head first into the bale and dragging half of it out. What gets eaten ends up inside the animal and not under its feet. At the same time the eating spreads across the day, which suits rumen digestion and keeps the group calm. A roof over the rack is decisive outdoors, because it keeps rain and snow off the hay, and dry hay does not go mouldy. For indoor use the same racks come without a roof, for example the version measuring 115 x 81 x 131.5 centimetres.

Design and galvanising

Which design fits depends on the space and the size of the group. The corner hay rack makes use of a corner that otherwise stays empty and stands firmly there. The Comfort-Line ring rack with a diameter of 1.45 metres is meant for larger groups, because many animals can eat all the way round at the same time. For lamb rearing there is the matching rack for the calf hutch at 113 x 41 x 38 centimetres. On material, galvanising is worth it in every case. A rack stands permanently in damp hay, muck and weather, and untreated steel rusts through quickly in those conditions. Galvanised, it lasts many years.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a rack with a roof?
Outdoors yes. The roof keeps rain and snow off the hay so that it does not soak through and start to go mouldy.

How much feed does a rack save?
Exact figures depend on the farm. What is certain is that far less hay gets trampled and fouled than with floor feeding.

Why galvanised?
Because a rack stands permanently in the damp. Galvanising protects against rust and extends the working life considerably.

Hay Racks for Shed, Outdoor Run and Pasture

Pick the rack by where it will stand. Out in the open take a version with a roof, because rain and snow turn good hay into mouldy hay very quickly. Indoors the same rack does the job without a roof, for example the model measuring 115 x 81 x 131.5 centimetres. Where space is tight, the galvanised corner rack makes use of a corner that would otherwise stay empty. For larger groups the Comfort-Line ring rack with a diameter of 1.45 metres lets many animals eat all the way round at once. In lamb rearing the rack for the calf hutch fits. They all share the same real benefit: the animals pluck the hay out slowly instead of burrowing into it, so far less ends up under their feet. Look for galvanised versions, because a rack stands permanently in the damp and untreated steel rusts through fast.