«Previous    Next»
Solar-Powered Horse Feeder Controls Access To Hay
"It saves a lot of hay and lets you keep horses on a regular feeding schedule whether you're home or not. It also results in cleaner feed which reduces veterinarian bills," says Sam Pavlik, Prescott, Mich., about his new solar-powered horse feeder.
  An automatic timer allows you to control when horses have access to feed. The 12-volt timer, powered by a deep cell battery and DC motor, opens and closes the sliding doors on three sides, up to eight times a day.
  Built from steel and poly, the patent pending Hay Saver measures 8 ft. wide by 7 ft. deep and 7 ft. high on front, sloping down to 6 ft. high on back.
  The unit has a floor made from 1/8-in. thick, 10-ga. steel. The sliding panels are cable-driven and it takes about seven seconds to slide them to one side, so horses have plenty of time to get their heads out. When the doors are closed, livestock have no access to the hay. "Because the unit is totally enclosed, you don't have to worry about the weather or contamination from urine or manure. Hay waste is greatly reduced, and health is improved because the horse doesn't have to eat off the ground, reducing the risk of sand colic and other illness," says Pavlik, who notes that he used to feed 80 to 90 round bales a year and have a mountain of hay to clean up in the spring. Now he goes through just 40 to 50 bales. "There's so little waste that by the time a bale is gone, you can put what's left over into a 5-gal. bucket."
  Double doors on one side of the feeder swing out for easy loading. Pavlik has also developed a device that fits into a receiver hitch that lets you roll a bale out of a pickup into the feeder without the need for a tractor.
  The feeder is on skids so it can be towed to various locations.
  Sells for $4,500 plus S&H.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Sam Pavlik, 2467 S. Henderson Lake Road, Prescott, Mich. 48756 (ph 989 345-0848; nikkipav@yahoo.com; www.pavlikquarter horse.com).


  Click here to download page story appeared in.



  Click here to read entire issue




To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.
Order the Issue Containing This Story
2006 - Volume #30, Issue #2