Self-Headlocking Goat Feeder

Self-Headlocking Goat Feeder LIVESTOCK Miscellaneous “It’s a real time and labor saver ” says Jacob Ploeckelman Stetsonville Wis about his custom-built self-headlocking sheep and goat feeder It’s designed with 4 headlocks on each side allowing Ploeckelman to lock in goats and sheep individually “It lets me work with the animals calmly instead of getting them worked up trying to chase and catch them ” says Ploeckelman “We usually keep three or four nanny goats and two or three ewes for breeding in the pasture with their young which are born in the spring of each year The billies and rams are kept out of the pasture “I always found it difficult to catch the mothers for chores such as milking hoof care medical treatments and moving them to their pen inside the barn when the weather turns cold in the fall I also had problems with wasted hay and feed because I was using just a small square feeder with no sides ” To solve the problems he asked a local welding shop to design and build the self-headlocking feeder After taking some measurements of the sheep and goats the shop got it built “All I do is put some feed in the feeder to coax the animals there Then I flip a lever while the headlocks are open and when the animals put their heads in the headlocks they lock in the goats and sheep individually ” says Ploeckelman “Reduced feed waste is another big advantage ” He says the welding shop B&G Welding would be interested in building the self-headlocking feeder for others Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Jacob Ploeckelman 5958 Bruckerville Ave Stetsonville Wis 54480 ph 715 212-2593 or B&G Welding 2579 County Rd A Athens Wis 54411 ph 715 654-5901

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