Gas-Powered, Hydraulic-Controlled Feed Cart

Gas-Powered, Hydraulic-Controlled Feed Cart LIVESTOCK Hogs (33) 21-4-6 "When I went looking for a commercial feed cart, I found there was nothing on the market that incorporated all the features I wanted," says Bill Jongejan who built his own gas-powered, hydraulically controlled cart. "It weighs ingredients coming in and feed going out, mixes thoroughly, discharges to the left or right, and maneuvers easily through narrow alleys." The Goderich, Ontario, farmer uses the machine twice a day to mix and deliver high moisture corn to 400 finishing pigs. The hydrostatic drive unit came from a Case riding mower. Jongejan mounted a 2-cyl. 16 hp Briggs and Stratton engine vertically on the frame to direct drive a 15 gpm hydraulic pump. An open center (3/4-in. flow-through) hydraulic system powers the steering system. Four additional orbit motors power the propulsion, mixing and unloading systems, which are all controlled by levers on the operator's platform. Mixing is done with a #55 double conveyor chain with 30-in. slats which runs through the inside of the mixing tank in a continuous rotation. As it moves up the sloped side of the tank, it tumbles and mixes the 800 lbs. of feed required for one feeding. Mixing time is five minutes. The discharge system consists of a 4-in. dia. collection auger and 6-in. dia. vertical auger with a 10-in. dia. impeller on top. The discharge chute swings to either side. Unloading rate is about 4 1/2 lbs. per second so feeding time for 400 hogs in 25 pens is about 10 minutes. The mixing unit mounts on load cells which are connected to a Butler Oswalt scale so the operator can weigh ingredients as they're added and unload prescribed amounts to each pen. It turns on a dime, thanks to a 36-in. wheelbase and two 8-in. dia. steering wheels. Two 4-in. dia. caster wheels on each side of the rear help stabilize the unit and carry the load. Two guide wheels mounted on either side of the front of the machine help guide the operator along curbs of the pens. The operator stands on a platform which flips up and out of the way when not in use. The compact unit measures 60-in. long by 60-in. high and is 33 in. wide. A 12-volt battery provides power for the electric ignition and electronic weigh scale. "I've been using the feed cart for about a year now with no problems," says Jongejan. "It's been very reliable and I wouldn't change a thing." Out-of-pocket expense was about $4,000 (Canadian), plus another $4,000 for the electronic weigh scale. Contact: Bill Jongejan, R.R. 2, Goderich, Ontario, Canada N7A 3X8 (ph 519 524-9859; fax 1586; E-mail Billj@hurontel.on.ca).

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