Alternative calf feeders

[warpaint]

Last weekend the wife and I were discussing buying a calf feeder. That is till we priced them. So being as frugal (a nice term for cheap) as I am, I decided to make my own. Granted you can't put 750 lbs of feed in it, but it didn't cost anywhere near the 750 dollars they were asking either.

 

[sidney411]

Do they go in and out or are they locked in there?

 

[warpaint]

Sorry the pics are not better. The space on the far end is open for them to go in and out. I put a panel at 3 ft. off the ground and spaced tposts 2 ft apart to keep out the bigger cows.

 

[Alice]

I have several of those "feeders." Mine are made of a sturdy plastic material and are the unique and eye catching color of a beautiful turquoise/skyblue blend making them both durable AND esthetically pleasing. 8)

Alice

 

[alabama]

Make sure the fence is strong. My cows will tear up those lite panals to get to the feed.
And the plastec feeder that cost $750 will end up turned upside down in your pond once you bull knows what it is. Chain it down or to a tree or somthing. I had to put mine in a catch pin and make a steel creep gate. And check the feeder before you open the top and dump feed in. I dumped a sack of feed in mine one time and it had a coon in the feeder. We both ran for our life. My girlfriend thought it so funny that she almost wet her britches. It just made her day.
I think a bull would tear up an army tank if I had one in the pasture.

 

[msscamp]

I dumped a sack of feed in mine one time and it had a coon in the feeder. We both ran for our life.

alabama - no offense intended, but...... :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: I haven't had the 'pleasure' of discovering a coon in the feeder yet, but I have had to deal with mice in my bottle calves feed bags, and birds, possums, and skunks in the house on a few occassions. I can certainly understand both of you running for your lives! :lol: :lol:

 

[aplusmnt]

Looks like it is working and a lot cheaper. I am with Alabama though I know my cows would get under that panel and lift up with head probably. Last year when we used a Creep feeder they had that thing all over the place trying to get the feed.

I have not built one yet But I been thinking of doing something similiar to what you did to get the calves use to coming up when I call them. And be able to catch them.

I am thinking of welding some pipe or square tubing to make a special panel at end of pen so they can go through the bars, much like a Creep feeder has.

One thing I thought that would be nice with this would be you could move it to say a gate opening in a corral area if you wanted them in your corral catch pens. Be able to move it around to any opening so they could come in but not the big Cows.

 

[dun]

We have a corral panel that's an excluder. I somtimes set it up and put out feed on the other side of it so the calves don;t have to compete with the cows for feed. Usually it's a spring deal before the grass gets really going strong I'll put out a better quality hay behind it. The calves curiosity will get them going in and out. Then when we get ready to work them in the spring I'll set it up so that the calves can be seperated into a smaller catch pen so they aren;t getting squished in the alleyways or catch pens with the cows. Once the get used to going through the excluder as babys they'll go though it later as the get bigger and makes it easier to seperate them to wean them

dun

 

[TNfamilyfarm]

That is so awesome! do you mind if i copy? do the adult cows leave it alone? how long have you had it up? good looking calves. how do longhorns fare at market? i dont see many here in east tennessee. any problems with horns and fencing?

 

[mtncows]

You might also put up electric wire around a wide perimeter.Abought 36" above the ground.Calve swill go under and mama cows can't get to where they can tear up feed panels.

 

[aplusmnt]

You might also put up electric wire around a wide perimeter.Abought 36" above the ground.Calve swill go under and mama cows can't get to where they can tear up feed panels.

Smart idea!

 

[warpaint]

That is so awesome! do you mind if i copy? do the adult cows leave it alone? how long have you had it up? good looking calves. how do longhorns fare at market? i dont see many here in east tennessee. any problems with horns and fencing?

Copy away.
I've had it up for a week now. The older cows are curious, but so far have left it alone. We feed them at the same time, so they are busy with their own. These are heavy gauge panels, that I had left over from running a new fenceline. T posts are remnants of the old fence.

Longhorns are usually docked for hide and horn at local salebarns. We are in the purebred and private markets. I don't sell any at public sales unless it's a trouble maker or one I really want to get rid of, no matter the cost.

Never had alot of problems with their horns and fences. They know exactly where the tip of their horns are and place them through one at a time.

 

[Bobg]

I put a feed bunk in my barn for my calves and a wire panel about 30 inches off the ground in the door so the cows couldn't get in. Every time I came home one of my Longhorn cows was in there. The panel wasn't broke down or anything amiss. I happen to be off on Friday and working on the tractor when I notice her around the door, she laid on her side and wiggled her way in. I fixed it by putting a steel post right in the middle.

Bobg

 

[TNfamilyfarm]

I put a feed bunk in my barn for my calves and a wire panel about 30 inches off the ground in the door so the cows couldn't get in. Every time I came home one of my Longhorn cows was in there. The panel wasn't broke down or anything amiss. I happen to be off on Friday and working on the tractor when I notice her around the door, she laid on her side and wiggled her way in. I fixed it by putting a steel post right in the middle.

Bobg

nice story. cows that can reason!!!!!

 

[warpaint]

I put a feed bunk in my barn for my calves and a wire panel about 30 inches off the ground in the door so the cows couldn't get in. Every time I came home one of my Longhorn cows was in there. The panel wasn't broke down or anything amiss. I happen to be off on Friday and working on the tractor when I notice her around the door, she laid on her side and wiggled her way in. I fixed it by putting a steel post right in the middle.

Bobg

Thus the t posts at 2 ft. apart. I've got 2 or 3 that will get on theur bellies and scoot. :lol:

 

[sidney411]

Do you ever have a problem with the "scooting" cows going under your fences? We had one heifer one year that could scoot under a fence in a blink of an eye. It's amazing what some cattle can figure out to do.

 

[warpaint]

Not as yet. We have cattle panels up around the perimeter. The only barbwire on the place now is some of the crossfencing. Although the wife called last night and said there are 3 trees down across fences. Guess what I'll be doing when I get home.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Not as yet. We have cattle panels up around the perimeter. The only barbwire on the place now is some of the crossfencing. Although the wife called last night and said there are 3 trees down across fences. Guess what I'll be doing when I get home.

How did you justify using panels for pasture perimeter fencing ?

 

[warpaint]

Not as yet. We have cattle panels up around the perimeter. The only barbwire on the place now is some of the crossfencing. Although the wife called last night and said there are 3 trees down across fences. Guess what I'll be doing when I get home.

How did you justify using panels for pasture perimeter fencing ?

What do you mean,"how do I justify"?

I could have very easily used barbwire, and then in the next 6 mos. went back and restreched it, replacing broken strands, or I could put heavy gauge panels up, that most likely will last my lifetime. I hope that justifies it for you.

 

[Cabo]

I like your idea and am going to do something like it, also like those calves.