Design and placement tips
We are happy to help you in mapping your needs, choosing an automatic hay feeder and planning your stable’s feeding system.
Preparatory measures
The Haymatic® automatic hay feeder only needs flat, frost-resistant ground and a socket. An information package on the foundation and power supply will be provided to all customers in connection with the order confirmation.
It is a good idea to place the hay feeder slightly higher than the surrounding terrain. This is important especially in snowy and rainy weather conditions. Proper placement ensures that any water and other moisture drains away from the hay feeder.
Foundation and electrical work
The hay feeder is normally powered with either an underground cable or an overhead power line if the distance is short. All installations must use 3 x 2.5 mm cables and should be placed no farther than 100 metres from the power supply.
The underground cable can be safely placed up inside the corner guard of the feeder, where a socket for the feeder is installed.
The most durable and user-friendly base is made of concrete or similar material and extends approximately 1–1.5 m away from the feeder. The base can also be built using stones or tiles. This makes it easier to keep the base clean and prevents sand from ending up in the horse’s stomach. Heavy stall mats or other mud control-type solutions are also suitable.
Checklist
Placement examples for different stables
Haymatic® automatic hay feeders are suitable for stables of different sizes. The feeder can be placed in the middle of a fenced area between two, three or four paddocks.
Haymatic® automatic hay feeder and an active paddock
By placing two automatic hay feeders apart from each other, you can increase the physical activity of the horses in the paddock. Automatic hay feeders can be set to open either at the same time or at different times.
The 12 feeding times of the Haymatic® automatic hay feeder ensure that there is a regular supply of hay for horses throughout the day. When feeding a horse, it is important to take into account the horse’s natural need to chew. In the wild, horses spend about 14 hours a day eating.
The automatic hay feeder can also be equipped with a hay net, which lengthens the chewing time and prevents the horses from eating too fast. The hay feeder has prefabricated holes for fastening the net.
A more active paddock can also be implemented with just one hay feeder. In this case, the second automatic hay feeder is replaced with, for example, a traditional hay rack with or without a hay net. When the automatic hay feeder closes, the horses naturally start searching for food elsewhere.
You can also add conifers and twigs, offer straw or hay from hay bags or pillows, or sprinkle hay or straw around the yard to increase physical activity and satisfy the natural need for chewing.