Calf Feeder Fitted With Hand-Cranked PVC Feed Pipe

Calf Feeder Fitted With Hand-Cranked PVC Feed Pipe LIVESTOCK Beef 18-2-11 When James Gibson needed a new calf feeder, he decided to see what he could put together with materials he already had on hand. He came up with an innovative feeder that meters out feed with a hand-cranked PVC "feed pipe". He first made a feed trough by cutting plastic 55-gal. drums equally into thirds and mounting the shallow feed trays endto-end in an angle iron frame. The feed hopper above the trough is made from scrap metal and wood and has a sloping bottom. At the bottom of the feed hopper is a 4-in. dia. PVC pipe with large oval holes cut in one side of it. The pipe rotates 360?, so when Gibson wants to feed the calves, he rotates the side with the holes up under the hopper. The pipe fills up with grain and then he rotates it down so the measured amount - about 3 lbs. per hole - falls down into the feed troughs. The back side of the pipe seals the hopper so no additional grain can fall into the troughs. There's a PVC cap at one end of the pipe and a metal crank at the other. Gibson notes that you could install a motorized control on the feed pipe - with a timer - in place of manual operation. The feed hopper holds about 800 lbs. A watertight lid keeps it dry. "We've used this feeder for 16 months with good results. We added plywood panels to the back and sides of the feed troughs, which just makes it easier to direct calves up to the feeder." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, James Gibson, 399 Sain Rd., Statesville, N.C. 28677 (ph 704 873-4847).

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