Heavy Duty Sheep Feeder

Heavy Duty Sheep Feeder LIVESTOCK Sheep/Goats 31-2-34 "My neighbor brought a large sheep feeder to me and asked if I would build one similar to it. He pointed out where he wanted the weak areas reinforced. The result was a very sturdy feeder which is virtually weatherproof and holds about 4,000 lbs. of grain or pellets," says Tom Daniels, Arco, Minn. The feeder measures 16 ft. long, 34 in. wide, and 5 ft. high and has a feeding trough on each side. It's made from 5/8-in. thick plywood and pole barn sheet metal, framed with 2 by 4's, and has a hinged lid on top. The plywood bottom and 2 by 6 supports are penta-treated wood. The feeder is mounted on creosote-treated skids made of bridge plank. Most producers set the feeder on big poles or cement blocks to keep the bottom out of the muck and mud, and allow space for a front-end loader to reach under and move the feeder to another location. The depth of the 2 by 8 trough keeps animals from wasting feed. The entire feeder is held together with heavy duty screws. "After seeing the feeder, other neighbors have asked me to build for them," says Daniels. "Word of mouth has kept me busy making feeders in recent months. I've recently started building 8 and 12-ft. feeders for smaller producers and for people who need to move the feeders more easily. These feeders are heavy duty - the 16-ft. unit weighs almost 800 lbs. - and they work equally good for fattening lambs or goats." To determine how much feeder space is needed, one 16-ft. model will accommodate about 350 lambs. The 16-ft. feeder sells for $750; the 12-ft. model for $600; and the 8-ft. model for $425. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Tom Daniels, 2374 250th St., Arco, Minn. 56113 (ph 507 487-5751).

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