I figured I make it's own thread as I'm trialing a few different net types at the moment, I hope others will add their experiances too
Background; I have been using mostly nets with 5cm holes over the last few years, often resorting to double netting and using the couple of small hole nets I have, it's worked but I hate filling nets twice a day and mine will just eat too much in summer if I don't net it. Mine get hay year round on a track, about 16kgs a day off of hesston bales (huge squares) and are all greedy.
My existing stash;
Old style non-slow feeder nets, 6" holes, lots of waste, big enough holes for pony and horse hoofs to go through, easy to stuff, not slow feeding at all.
Shires Deluxe (the old blue/black ones which are smaller than the new black/red ones)) are now 15 years old with a couple of repairs, 1.75" holes - good nets, last well, knots are quite prominent and material quite harsh, hold 5kg comfortably, slow eating a bit, ok to stuff.
Shires large haylage nets, 5cm/2" holes - good nets, last well, hold 4kg comfortably, don't slow them down so much as prevent waste, ok but not great to stuff.
Nibbleze Chilli net, tiny holes I would estimate to be 10-15mm- good net, lasted ok, Jess would rather stand giving it a death stare than fiddle about eating from it, is a pain to stuff, took less than 2kg of hay, no knots.
Shires softmesh, 1" holes - lasting well, slows them right down, no knots, material is absorbant so very heavy when wet, reasonable to stuff.
I have just added;
Shires Greedy Feeder, 1.25" holes, fine poly material (unsure how well it will last), knots but not big ones, huge net holds 8kg easily in 2/3 of the net, easy to stuff.
Nibbleze megaeze net 25mm holes, like a giant envelope with no draw string, no knots, holds lots of hay but didn't weight it yet (probably 8kg).
All nets are currently hung away from any side to push the net against to eat from. Last night I pitched the 2 newcomers against the softmesh. When first hung Jess tried all but settled at the megaeze to eat so seemed to prefer that (the boys just get whichever she doesn't want) and from how she was tucking in I thought it would be empty this morning, but the greedy feeder had the least left in it today, the megaeze in the middle and the softmesh the most left.
Background; I have been using mostly nets with 5cm holes over the last few years, often resorting to double netting and using the couple of small hole nets I have, it's worked but I hate filling nets twice a day and mine will just eat too much in summer if I don't net it. Mine get hay year round on a track, about 16kgs a day off of hesston bales (huge squares) and are all greedy.
My existing stash;
Old style non-slow feeder nets, 6" holes, lots of waste, big enough holes for pony and horse hoofs to go through, easy to stuff, not slow feeding at all.
Shires Deluxe (the old blue/black ones which are smaller than the new black/red ones)) are now 15 years old with a couple of repairs, 1.75" holes - good nets, last well, knots are quite prominent and material quite harsh, hold 5kg comfortably, slow eating a bit, ok to stuff.
Shires large haylage nets, 5cm/2" holes - good nets, last well, hold 4kg comfortably, don't slow them down so much as prevent waste, ok but not great to stuff.
Nibbleze Chilli net, tiny holes I would estimate to be 10-15mm- good net, lasted ok, Jess would rather stand giving it a death stare than fiddle about eating from it, is a pain to stuff, took less than 2kg of hay, no knots.
Shires softmesh, 1" holes - lasting well, slows them right down, no knots, material is absorbant so very heavy when wet, reasonable to stuff.
I have just added;
Shires Greedy Feeder, 1.25" holes, fine poly material (unsure how well it will last), knots but not big ones, huge net holds 8kg easily in 2/3 of the net, easy to stuff.
Nibbleze megaeze net 25mm holes, like a giant envelope with no draw string, no knots, holds lots of hay but didn't weight it yet (probably 8kg).
All nets are currently hung away from any side to push the net against to eat from. Last night I pitched the 2 newcomers against the softmesh. When first hung Jess tried all but settled at the megaeze to eat so seemed to prefer that (the boys just get whichever she doesn't want) and from how she was tucking in I thought it would be empty this morning, but the greedy feeder had the least left in it today, the megaeze in the middle and the softmesh the most left.