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Solar-Powered Livestock Feeder
Hugh Wayman, Oklahoma City, Okla., managed cattle 100 miles from his home and needed a way to feed them without having to drive back and forth all the time. He solved the problem by building a solar-powered, timer-controlled automatic livestock feeder that mounts on a 2-wheeled trailer.
"It dispenses a pre-set
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Solar-Powered Livestock Feeder LIVESTOCK Feeding Equipment 28-2-32 Hugh Wayman, Oklahoma City, Okla., managed cattle 100 miles from his home and needed a way to feed them without having to drive back and forth all the time. He solved the problem by building a solar-powered, timer-controlled automatic livestock feeder that mounts on a 2-wheeled trailer.
"It dispenses a pre-set amount of feed at a pre-set time, day in and day out, onto a metal platform that serves as a trough. The bin holds enough feed for a month or more. It has an opening on top so I can pull it to a feed store for filling, then park it in my pasture and go back home," says Wayman.
The feeder is made from 12-ga. sheet metal and angle iron and measures 5 ft. sq. and 32 in. high. A funnel at the bottom delivers feed onto an 18-in. dia. spinner. A metal plate at the bottom of the funnel attaches to a rod that's used to close the funnel and keep it from dropping feed when traveling.
A solar panel mounts on top of the feeder, and a battery and timer mount in a metal box on front of the feeder. The battery operates a motor that operates the spinner. When the timer turns the motor on, it scatters feed onto the platform that encircles the feeder.
"It holds more than 2,100 lbs. and feeds up to 20 grown animals at a time," says Wayman. "It has saved me enough time to pay for itself in less than 12 months of use. And because it's solar-powered and battery-operated I can use it anywhere. The timer has eight different time settings. I just turn a knob to the time or times I want to feed each day. The amount of feed is determined by the length of time the switch is on when the knob is set on ęspin.'"
Wayman says his automatic livestock feeder can also be used for any kind of livestock feed including dry grain, cubes, or pellets. And since the unit is solar-powered, it could be used in locations with no other source of power.
Wayman got design help from engineer Otis Clark. Oklahoma Machine & Tool of ElReno, Okla., is now manufacturing units for sale for $3,295.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Hugh Wayman, 3516 NW 42nd St., Oklahoma City, Okla. 73112 (ph 405 946-3516; website: www.autowayman.com).
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