Tractor-Mounted "Feed & Seed Handler"

Tractor-Mounted "Feed & Seed Handler" LIVESTOCK Feeding Equipment 26-1-19 A Kentucky farmer says he saved a lot of time and labor by building what he calls a "feed and seed handler" to fit a front-end loader. He uses it to put feed into bunks and also to load seed into planters and drills. Greg Ritter, of Glasgow, used 12-ga. sheet metal to build the 5-ft. wide, 3-ft. deep, 4-ft. high hopper which is equipped with quick-tach brackets on back. The top of the hopper is open. A 12-volt electric motor belt-drives an auger that runs along the bottom of the hopper. The motor runs off the tractor's electrical system and is operated by a switch that mounts on the tractor console. A fold-down chute extends out one side. What makes the unit really handy to use for feeding is that he can tip it forward and scoop up a load of feed like you would with a loader bucket. The front edge of the hopper is fitted with a section of grader blade to reduce wear. "It's a useful rig for a lazy man like me, and it cost only about $400 to build," says Ritter. "I use it a lot to feed soy hull pellets to my cattle. I buy the pellets in bulk and store them in my shed, which has a concrete floor. After I scoop up the pellets I just drive along my feedbunk to unload. I can unload 300 lbs. of feed in only about one minute. I can also load the hopper out of a feed bin. "I also use the hopper to add supplement to my grinder-mixer as I grind feed. "I think my powered hopper would also work great for distributing sawdust bedding in a free stall dairy barn," he notes. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Greg Ritter, 5468 Finney Road, Glasgow, Ky. 42141 (ph 270 646-2511).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.