Why buy a feed wagon for a small herd when you can do the same job with a loader bucket, Cody Shay modified his loader to feed ethanol byproduct and found it works great for silage, too. Using the byproduct has cut his hay cost by a third, his cattle love it and his neighbors are ordering their own.

"When the ethanol plant went in nearby, I wanted to take advantage of the byproduct," says Shay.

He cut a 6-in. hole in one end of his 84-in. loader bucket and installed a 6-in. poly auger that extends out through the hole. At the other end, a hydraulic motor powers the auger. A chain running off a sprocket at the motor end of the auger also powers an agitator that prevents bridging. Shay designed the agitator so it can easily be removed. "If I'm feeding corn or pellets, I don't need the agitator," says Shay. "However, silage and wet materials will both bridge up. I need an agitator for them."

Shay uses a tub grinder to prepare and drop hay in a windrow. He then drives back down the row, using the auger to drop silage or ethanol byproduct over the top.

"The cattle go crazy for it, like kids for candy, and I can even get by with baled corn stalks if I need to," he says. "The biggest thing for me is that it makes feeding the cattle a one-man job. I can go in and pick up a bucketful and carry 1,000 lbs. of wet byproduct or about 700 lbs. of silage."

Shay's neighbors liked what they saw. Several asked him to build units for them. He has applied for a patent and is now looking for a company to partner with.

"I don't have the time or facilities to build them. I need someone to build and market them for me."