Built Mineral Feeder For 100 Animal Beef Herd

Built Mineral Feeder For 100 Animal Beef Herd LIVESTOCK Beef 15-1-35 We designed and built this mineral feeder for our 100-animal beef herd. We find it to be a thoroughly satisfactory solution to the problems we had previously experienced with mineral feeders. We cut a 15 by 17-in. hole in the side of a clean 55-gal. polyethylene barrel using a sabre saw . Then we fill the bottom 12 to 14 in. of the barrel with a high-strength mortar mix so that the upper surface of the concrete is 2 to 3 in. below the lower lip of the side opening. It makes a weather-shielded container with avery low center of gravity (weighs almost 200 lbs.) which stands up to bumping and jostling by livestock. The mineral supply always remains dry. The barrel is easily rolled onto the levelled lip of a loader bucket for transport or can be lifted by 2 men into a pickup bed if necessary. We position the feeder so that the opening faces the direction that's least likely to let in driving rain. With used polyethylene barrels selling for $5 to $10 and the cost of concrete at about $5 we find our units to be the most indestructible and inexpensive available. (Ronald R. Hutchinson, 650 S. Lincoln St., Augusta, Mich. 49012 ph 616 731-4960)

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