Seat Belts Make Great Hold-Down Straps

Seat Belts Make Great Hold-Down Straps HOG EQUIPMENT & IDEAS Hog Equipment & Ideas (351) 12-6-10 "Seat belts removed from junked out cars make comfortable and inexpensive tethers for bred sows and gilts living in "free stalls", according, to Bill Meyer, Prairie du Sac, Wis. Meyer, who has been "buckling up" his hog breeding herd for seven years, cuts the 2-in. wide belts down to a 3 to 4-ft. length. He then ties a knot in one end of the belt to keep it from slipping through a 14-in. anchor chain bolted to the floor, and buckles the belt loosely around the belly and behind the front legs. "Commercial tethers cost about $20 and are so narrow that they tend to cut into the sow. Seat belt tethers, including anchoring chain and bolts, cost only $3 or $4 and they're smoother, more comfortable and wear longer." Shoulder seat belts from GM and Ford cars work best because they buckle up easiest, he adds. Contact FARM SHOW Followup, Bill Meyer, Box 34, Prairie du Sac, Wis. 53578 (ph 608 643-3638).

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