Fenceline Feeders

Fenceline Feeders LIVESTOCK Handling 15-6-35 Old bale elevators make good fenceline feeders. I strip out the chains and remove all other miscellaneous parts and build a wooden frame around the elevators using scrap lumber. Then I put hinge-up wire panels over the top back side of them so we can feed our sheep without ever going into the lot. I level the ground where the feeders will be placed, and then use 4 by 4's to make a solid foundation for the feeders since I expect them to be in place for many years. I paint the insides of each feeder with aluminum paint to keep them from rusting and to make them easy to clean out. I cut up wire hog panels and staple them to the top board above the feeder, which acts as a hinge. They're easy to open to drop in bales of hay. Grain can be poured right through the hog panels. I have converted all my feeders around the farm to the fenceline variety. Gives sheep plenty of room to eat without being crowded and I can get a good look at every animal every day when they line up to eat. They've also cut down on chore time and they help preserve my knees since I don't get charged by hun-gry animals anymore. They also make it easy for my wife to pitch in and help at chore time. The feeders cost less than $100 each to build. (Richard Krafka, Krafka Suffolks, Rt. 1, Box 74, Dysart, Iowa 52224ph 319 476-3760)

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