Slow Bale Buddy (Mini)

The super-durable and convenient Mini Slow Bale Buddy is Slowfeed’s hay net—an excellent hay feeder that holds one small rectangular bale measuring 30 cm x 45 cm x 110 cm. The knotless net is made of 100% soft woven nylon with <4 cm (1 1/2 inches) openings.

Nylon is incredibly strong and wear-resistant, and offers natural protection against UV rays. The knotless nylon net is soft against a horse’s lips, yet strong enough to withstand constant chewing. The safety clip has smooth, rounded edges and is strong enough to withstand walking. Each box contains one mini mesh bag and one safety clip.

The Slow Bale Buddy is the safest and highest-quality small-mesh hay feeder on the market. It is the only one that comes with a one-year warranty, and it is the perfect solution for round and square bales of all sizes. Unlike cheaper small-sized mesh feeders made from poly or poly blends, which can cause wear on teeth and muzzles, the Slow Bale Buddy is made from 100% knotless nylon mesh. Nylon is the strongest and softest of all mesh materials, ensuring that you can use the Bale Buddy for many years without compromising your animals’ health and well-being.

The mesh has openings of <4 cm (1 1/2 inches); all seams are double-stitched and reinforced with nylon thread. The net is secured with a special, patented safety fastener that eliminates the dangerous tightening straps found on other small-mesh feeders. Once secured, it completely encloses the bale, so the animals must pull the hay through the mesh holes to eat. Hay waste is virtually eliminated, and aggressive and anxious animals calm down when they have to graze and search for their hay. Overweight animals walk away from the hay without overeating, which helps normalize their weight. Because the hay is always on the surface of the bale, it is ideal for feeding horses with respiratory difficulties. Slow feeding benefits most animals and is the most natural way to feed hay.

Slow Bale Buddy slow-feeding devices can be used to feed any hornless animal (horns can get caught in the netting). Note: Hooves can also get caught in the netting, so use a trough with raised edges when feeding from a bale.

Although the Slow Bale Buddy should not be used with shod horses unless it is used in conjunction with a fixed-sided feeder, it is completely safe for use with all horses (including mini horses), as the holes are too small to catch even the smallest hooves. In field trials comparing free-choice hay and the Slow Bale Buddy, most horses preferred to eat from the Slow Feeder.

Like the Big Bale Buddy, this feeder is durable and lightweight and pays for itself many times over thanks to the hay saved.

The Slow Bale Buddy is a patented Small Mesh Hay Net (SMHN) made from 100% nylon woven mesh. Nylon is the softest and strongest of all mesh materials and does not cause wear or abrasion to the animal’s teeth and muzzle, unlike poly and poly-blend meshes. Nylon is extremely strong, wear-resistant, UV-resistant, and naturally white (not bleached). Thanks to nylon’s natural stain resistance, the Slow Bale Buddy slow-feed hay dispenser washes clean at the end of the hay-feeding season. Slow feeders are designed to be gentle on your animals’ mouths and strong enough to withstand constant wear and tear from teeth and hooves. The lower center section and the top opening are marked to make it easier to load the hay. All seams are double-stitched, and double nylon tape is sewn over the seams. This ensures that the seams and fasteners will last for a long time. The safety fastener—which eliminates the dangerous shoulder straps and tightening straps found on other models—has rounded edges and is made of hard HPE plastic that can withstand 5,000 pounds of pressure.

The Slow Bale Buddy is available in six sizes:

The Mini holds one small square bale measuring 30 cm x 45 cm x 110 cm

The Double Mini (Weekender) holds 2 small square bales measuring 30 cm x 45 cm x 110 cm or 1 three-strand square bale (Texas square).

The Small is suitable for round bales with a diameter of 138 cm, a maximum height of 122 cm (4 feet 5 inches and a height of 4 feet), and can hold 6–8 small square bales (30 cm x 45 cm x 110 cm).

Medium is suitable for round bales with a diameter of up to 163 cm and a height up to 122 cm or square bales measuring 152 cm x 152 cm (5 feet 4 inches and 4 feet high), and holds 10–12 small square bales (30 cm x 45 cm x 110 cm).

The Large model can hold round bales with a diameter of up to 183 cm and a height of up to 152 cm (6 feet in diameter and 5 feet in height), and can hold 16+ small square bales (30 cm x 45 cm x 110 cm).

The Large Square model can hold one large square bale measuring up to 244 cm x 122 cm x 122 cm (4 x 4 x 8 feet).

If you want to feed multiple small square bales, choose the size based on how often you want to replenish your horse’s hay supply.

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