Forklift-Mounted Grain Box Feeder

Forklift-Mounted Grain Box Feeder LIVESTOCK Feeding Equipment 19-4-12 When Bob Dobson decided to increase the number of cows and calves he was feeding on pasture from 50 to more than 200 at a time, he knew he wouldn't be able to feed them grain by hand any more. So he built a simple forklift-mounted "grain box" feeder with a chute that feeds out the side. "It lets me feed in only six minutes with-out having to get off the tractor. The short feeding time gives all animals equal access to feed," says Dobson, of Cobden, Ontario. He used mostly 3/4-in. plywood and 2 by 4's to build the 4-ft. square by 6-ft. high box. It holds about 1,400 lbs. of grain and has a bottom that slopes to the side. A 311 2-ft. long unloading chute slants down at a 45 degree angle and has a baffle board at the bottom to keep feed from overshooting the bunk. A sliding door above the chute is controlled by a rope that runs through a pulley and then back up to the tractor. A bunge cord pulls the door back down into the closed position. The top of the box is open. To fill, Dobson backs under a pair of overhead bins, one holding cracked corn and the other pellets, and loads feed out of each bin by pulling on a rope. Short lengths of chain keep the box from sliding off the tractor-mounted forklift on sidehills, notes Dobson. He spent about $1,000 to build the feed box. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bob Dobson, Rt. 3, Cobden, Ontario, Canada KOJ 1KO (ph 613 646-2488).

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