Bottomless Feed Bunk Boosts Capacity, Eliminates Cleanup

Bottomless Feed Bunk Boosts Capacity, Eliminates Cleanup LIVESTOCK Feeding Equipment 28-1-43 "Our new bottomless feed bunk can be easily lifted out of the way by any front-end loader, allowing the bunk to empty itself out without the need to do any shoveling. And, it has more than twice as much capacity as most standard bunks," says Kelly Melius, Common Sense Mfg., Faulkton, S. Dak. The bottomless bunk is 4 by 20 ft. and 28 in. deep. It's made out of 2 by 2 sq. tubing and 14-ga. sheet metal. To move the bunk, you use a grapple fork to grab a bar that runs lengthwise about 1 ft. above the top of the bunk. "It's wider and deeper than conventional bunks, which allows more animals to feed from it," says Melius. "A conventional bunk of the same length is 38 in. wide and 1 ft. deep. You can get 20 cows around the bunk but it has only enough feed for 12 to 15 animals. Our bunk also has room for 20 animals but it holds enough feed for 30. Such capacity makes it much more practical to use big bale processors that deliver high roughage rations. And, you don't need as many bunks in your feedlot. "The reason we can use such a wide bunk is that the sides angle inward, which allows cattle to stand closer to the bunk and reach farther in as they eat. The sloped sides also keep the animals from putting their front feet in the bunk, and they deflect feed forward and down in front of the animal's nose so there's less waste." Melius says the 4 by 20-ft. bunk works well for cows, bulls, and other large animals. He also offers 3 by 10-ft. and 3 by 20-ft. bottomless bunks for calves, sheep and other small animals. The 4 by 20-ft. bunk sells for $495. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Common Sense Mfg., 16008 357th Ave., Faulkton, S. Dak. 57438 (ph 605 598-4157 or 605 216-0687; email: commonsense@westtelco.com; website: www.balefeeder.com).

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