Big Tire Mineral Feeder

Big Tire Mineral Feeder TIRES/WHEELS New Uses 34-3-16 "The biggest thing about the floatation tire mineral feeder is that it's something that's durable, doesn't cost a fortune, and there is essentially no maintenance," says Lawson Burgfeld about the two feeders he built for his Angus herd near Jackson, Mo. "Tires don't rust, and the ones I used are 1 in. thick and wide enough to shield minerals from rain, so very little moisture gets inside," Burgfeld says, noting he faces the holes east/west so they get plenty of sun to evaporate any moisture. Municipalities, waste treatment facilities and tire facilities are generally eager to get rid of used flotation tires. Burgfeld recommends tires with a 20 to 22-in. opening so bulls can get their heads inside, yet the opening isn't so big that it fills with rain. Burgfeld built a cradle to hold each tire out of 3-in. oil field pipe for the uprights and 4 and 6-in. well casing for the runners. The larger diameters get the feeder up out of the ground and provide strength. Using round material ensures they are safe for the cattle to rub on. Smaller iron scraps such as 2-in. angle iron are big enough for the crosspieces. "Basically you build two miniature goal posts on runners and set the tire in there," Burgfeld says. Take the spec width of the tire and make each goal post about 1-in. narrower so that the tire will fit snugly between the posts. Set the distance between the two sets of goal posts so that the posts touch the sidewalls. Support the bottom of the tire with whatever size boards necessary to hold the bottom opening of the tire 20 to 24 in. off the ground. "They'll hold 200 to 300 lbs. of mineral. You can use loose mineral or mineral blocks and even salt blocks," Burgfeld says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Lawson Burgfeld, 6341 U.S. Hwy. 61, Jackson, Mo. 63755 (ph 573 243-5870; jlbrgfld@showme.net).

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