Side-by-Side Comparison of Arizona Supply's hockey goal netting with Canadian Tire's goal net. Not all hockey nets are the same. Goal netting is more durable than barrier netting or puck nets. But it's hard to compare even goal netting through success/failure stories. A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Or if it's a picture of two nets, maybe it's worth two thousand words! ~JoAnn Johnson

Jewel at hay trough with a bale-sized hockey hay net.

Hockey goal netting from Arizona Sports Equipment in a 100-gallon soaking trough at tangledmanes. The goal netting hole size measures 3.5 cm (about 1-3/8"). Eating speed is slightly faster than doubled Miller's SMHN, and slower than single 4 cm Miller's SMHN. To reduce their eating speed down to the level provided by doubled Miller's SMHNs, we plan to try doubling the hockey goal netting . If that turns out to be too challenging, we'll order some hockey barrier netting to put inside the goal net bags because it's thinner (made of 1.65mm diameter rope vs. goal net's 5mm diameter rope). ~JoAnn 1/10/10

Lorna hatched the idea of using puck hockey nets to create large small-mesh hay bags. The hole size is only one inch across on her nets purchased at Canadian Tire. Each hockey hay net holds at least 40 pounds of hay. The larger bags on the ground hold at least 100 pounds of hay.

Hockey hay net outside	Humphrey is 37. He used to quid a LOT, but rarely at all with the nets. Update: he now also uses a Nose-It! hay cube dispenser. Read about it here
hockey hay net at tree	closed end of hockey hay net
Hockey hay net shared between two stalls	Stall hockey hay net top closure
Single stall hockey hay net made from half of a large puck hockey net. Holds at least a square 40-pound bale.	Top of single stall hockey hay net
Oliver (29-year-old QHXAppie,PPID/IR) ...is missing some molars and stopped trying to eat hay, period, last summer. He eats from the nets!!I Think he can't get huge hunks wadded up in the back of his mouth.
Laura's round bale hockey hay net (net from Canadian Tire)	Thunder Mountain - net from http://www.arizonasportsequipment.com/
Lori's net is fastened to the stall bars with a locking carabiner. (The boys also love their sisal-wrapped rubbing post in the foreground.)	When they paw it, the net twists around. more Thunder Mountain photos
Here is my version of a hockey net hay net made from barrier netting purchased from Arizona Sports Supply. More on my blog here: http://www.akalranch.com/2009/03/hayfeeder3/	This is basically Heike's feeder (thanks Heike! and Lorna!) but we used some steel rods left over from a chain link fence we once had. We threaded the hockey net on them, using just the rectangular main portion (so for now the extra side parts of the net just hang inside the feeder), and fastened the back rod to the stall wall with two pipe strapping brackets. Opens like a change purse, by unfastening the releasable cable tie and lifting the front rod forward over the two-by-two ledges. ~ Brenda R. March 9, 2009
	The side ledge idea works well for us because the stalls are narrow enough. The advantage to them is the support they provide when you've got the nets open for loading. ~Brenda R.
4 large hockey nets - see Mudder's page.

I am using the barrier netting from AZ Sports Equipment in a few different feeder set-ups, and so far am thrilled with the durability despite the delicate appearance of the net. My favorite feeder is a simple hanging bag of the barrier netting, big enough to hold 3 flakes - however, because I live in a tropical climate with high humidity, frequent rain showers and daily temps around 80, I can't leave such nets hanging with exposure to the elements or the hay will quickly get moldy! I am working on a feeder that combines the barrier netting with waterproof barrels - so far so good! The only net that has holes is my first barrel prototype, with the netting attached to the rigid plastic sides. My tb really likes to tug, and it's only been about a month since I introduced the herd (of 4) to smhn's and unrestricted access to hay! They were instantly relieved of stress I hadn't realized they were experiencing. GOOD WORK ALL OF YOU, AND THANKS! It was this site that introduced me to the concept of the small mesh nets. ~ Equiloha Farm ~

FAQ on Making Hockey Hay Nets - Answered by Lorna

No sewing involved! I just take the nylon cord that comes with the net, line up the net the way I want it to look when it's finished, knot the cord at one end of the 'seam' line and weave the length of cord through the holes until I get to the end of what is now a seam. I heat the end of the cord to keep it from unraveling. I can make a single bag out of the 4X6 material in under 30 minutes.

Q) I want smaller bags that will contain approximately 4 flakes each.

A) You can divide the net in half, and do the same as above. Or in thirds, if 1/2 is too much for your pads. But you don't need to fill the bag up either, so I'd advise against making it too small, in case you want to put more in it for some reason.
The large bags will take 3 bales(~ 100 pounds)easily. But it's less easy when there is still some hay left in them.(I never let them get entirely empty). So sometimes I just add one new bale, or maybe two if I can do it without grunting.


Q) Can I easily cut the nets to fit my needs?

A) Absolutely. Dead easy.


Q) What happens if you trim the size down? Can I simply tie off the new 'ends' and then lace them up into my smaller nets? (I've not jumped in and purchased some yet, but I'm right on the verdge of doing so!!)I want to get a large piece to make several smaller nets out of when I travel and then the bigger sections to wrap the bales with at home.

A) When I cut my hockey nets,I didn't even do anything to the cut ends. I felt I was asking for trouble, but I was anxious to see what I had created. Nothing has unraveled......yet. But if I had done it 'properly' I would have singed the ends. I guess.


Q) How do I assemble them to the required size?

A) See above.I think what I always did first(because I have to SEE things)is fold the material in 2 ,one way,and then the other to see the shape I would end up with.But you can fold it any way you want.I was just going for a rectangular shape for the entire bales. The mistake I made with my first one(but it was easily corrected when I realized it) was to join the 'seams' so that the opening was along a long side.It is MUCH easier to fill if the 2 long sides and an end are closed.One end is open and plenty big enough for slipping bales in. You can also stand the bales on end and drop the net bag over them. (I cut the twine after the bale is closed in there.) Then for the closure I take more cord(supplied),cut it the length needed to go around the opening,weave it through the holes, knot it together to make a closed loop. Done. No sewing.


Q) I need to hang them from our sturdiest fence posts outside. What do I use to do this?

A) When you pull the cord tight to close the end you have lots of cord to hang on whatever you want.I put a 2-ended hook on the closure cord so that I can wrap the cord around something and then hook it back to the net.I also attach a snap to the 'back' of the hanging bag,somewhere near the bottom,and that allows me (with another snap) to steady the bag to the fence or wall or whatever, so horse can't toss it around, and turn it in 1,000,000 circles. (I'm no fun) Same MO applies for smaller one. IME.

Q) What if the hockey nets stretch?

Something I've learned over the past year using the nets is that the holes should start out being less than 2 inches, because they do have a stretch factor. I think the nets I use start out at 1.5 inches. And they have stretched a bit. There is also the flexibility of the nylon, so that a hole can stretch on very side as the hay is being pulled through. Just a thought.

Read about Laughing Orca Ranch's experience with making a hockey hay net feeder. Excellent pictures and explanations for using the thinner barrier netting from Arizona Sports Equipment.

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