MINIATURE DONKEY

SLOW FEED HAY BOX

 VIDEOS

Here are several videos of the 2 different kinds of hay boxes I have.  there are 3 made totally out of wood with a lip and an opening at one end to slide in and out what ever you choose to have them eat through.  Horse people  tend to use the metal grid stuff but the holes are too big for at least miniature donkeys if you intention is to slow feed.  

These wooden ones are out side with full exposure to weather.  

the inside ones are made of the composite recycled plastic and wood sold as decking material at Lowes or Home Depot.  I MUCH PREFER THIS MATERIAL.  if i was to make more i would spend the extra money on the composite decking material.   It will last longer for one reason.  It also has rounded edges.  And it so much more suited if your hay boxes are going to be exposed to the elements.  

There are other things I would change, this is trial and error process and always leaves more for improvements as you find what the issues are once in use.  

The 3 'legs' which on the wooden boxes are 2x6's are place equidistant from each other starting at the very ends.  I would change that.  the 2 end legs should be placed not at the edge but to the inside a little to allow for a gap at floor so hay dust doesn't get clogged in the cracks.  If that hay dust get wet from any moisture it starts to mold and is very hard and time consuming to get out.  That gap also allows for air flow.  

I also like the way the frames fit in the smaller boxes rather than sliding in and out of the wooden boxes.

You can make the boxes any length and width but the narrower the better so they can actually reach to the middle of the box (like the dimensions of the wooden boxes.)