This study, conducted at Texas A & M, compared a feeder with molded cups on the bottom (Pre-Vent feeder; http://pre-ventfeeders.com) with a commonly used rubber tub and hanging bucket feeder to determine differences in time spent eating and grain wastage.

Nine Quarter Horse geldings were fed a 12% crude protein pellet diet at 0.75% body weight twice daily from one of the three feeders for 3 days, and then switched to the next feeder.

The horses spent more time eating from the Pre-Vent feeders (31 minutes) than from bucket (19 minutes) and tub (19 minutes) feeders. When fed from Pre-Vent feeder, horses dropped significantly less feed (3%) of their ration than when fed from the bucket (10%) and tub (7%)feeders. When the most wasteful horse was fed from the Pre-Vent feeder, he lost a average of 9% of his grain, compared with 33% when fed from the bucket, and 26% when fed from the tub feeders.

The Pre-Vent design is useful for increasing time spent eating and reducing grain wastage.

Summarized by Krishona Martinson, PhD, University of Minnesota