Old Toilets, Sinks Make Low Cost Feeders, Waterers

Old toilets, sinks make low cost feeders, waterers LIVESTOCK Miscellaneous 10-6-22 Virginia farmer Bob Grace, of Broadway, says old toilets and sinks make great, low-cost mineral feeders and waterers. "I get commodes free from plumbers and pick up sinks for about $5.00," says Grace, who feeds out 3,000 to 4,000 lambs a year. "To make a mineral feeder out of a commode, I remove the tank and seat and use just the bowl. Toilets work great for lambs and would probably work equally well for other livestock. The smooth, porcelain surface keeps mineral from sticking to the sides and the bowls don't rust. Each one holds 25 to 30 lbs. of mineral. I have about 20 toilet bowl mineral feeders in use right now. I wire the bowls to posts to keep lambs from tipping them over. "I also have about 16 sink waterers in use. Cast iron sinks with square bottoms work best because they're sturdy and tough to tip over. I set each sink on 4 cement blocks for extra stability." Grace runs a ¥-in. pipe to each waterer and uses a Farnam valve to keep water levels at about 3-in. in the bottom, which ensures that the water supply stays fresh. Each sink can handle 75-100 lambs. Another benefit of sink waterers is that they're quick and easy to clean out with a brush. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bob Grace, Rt. 3, Box 82A, Broadway, Virg. 22815 (ph 703 896-8686).

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