"Fodder Feed" Wagon

"Fodder Feed" Wagon WAGONS/TRAILERS Conversions 27-1-8 "I converted an old forage wagon box into a feed wagon for fodder. It's a cheap way to feed corn stalks to my beef cows during the winter," says Gene Viel, Winnebago, Ill. Viel paid $50 for the worn-out wagon box, which he mounted on an old wide-tread wagon running gear. He cut off the unloading conveyor on front of the wagon and used a piece of plywood to partially enclose the front end. He nailed a series of 2 by 4's at an angle onto both sides of the wagon, then used a chain saw to cut five 3-ft. sq. holes into both sides of the wagon. The 2 by 4's reinforce the sides of the wagon and also restrict the size of the openings to reduce feed waste. He uses a 2-row green feed chopper in the field to fill the wagon. "Feeding fodder to our beef cows during the winter reduces hay consumption almost in half," says Viel. "I park the wagon on a cement pad so it's easy to clean up around it. The cows would rather lay around the wagon than go inside our shed, so they use it a lot. I made a second feeder wagon out of a Gehl box and it also works well. "When I bought the wagon box it was already equipped with side extensions and a metal roof. The running gear that I used isn't equipped with a bolster, which helped bring the box down lower." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gene H. Viel, 11207 Edwardsville Rd., Winnebago, Ill. 61088 (ph 815 335-7069).

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