wvherefords
Active member
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2004
- Messages
- 37
- Reaction score
- 0
Question for the experienced cattle folks out there:
I have a very small (50 acre) farm and run 10-15 cattle on it. This year I fed out 3 steers for slaughter. Next year I'd like to do a few more, but this past year and it went quite well with one exception:
I don't have a good way to store and distribute grain in an efficient manner. I buy it in 60-100 lb bags from a local friend/farmer and then feed the steers in grain troughs via a bucket. The grain trough/bucket part isn't bad, its the fact that I can only store about 10 60lb bags at a time without worrying about raccoons, etc getting into them and then I've got to throw around those bags at feeding time. That's not so hard for me, since I'm a pretty big guy, but when I'm away and I ask my wife to feed, well, I get a hard time about it...
So, I was thinking of building a bulk feed storage/distribution mechanism before I feed out next fall. What I have in mind would be inside my barn (my feed yard is right beside my barn) and would possibly consist of a large box made of 2x4's and plywood with some sort of chute and sliding door at the bottom where I could let grain out. I could build a trap door in the top that is in the floor of the room above (its a bank barn) so that I could load the box from the top. Then when I need grain, I can put the bucket under the chute and open the door. I'd have to build it as tight as possible to keep out mice, etc, but that wouldn't be hard.
My question is: do any of you have set-ups like this and if so, have you run into any "wish I would've done that's" or any other pitfalls. I'm thinking I'd need to install some venting (mouse proof) in the sides to let air in and out or I'd risk mold. I've been storing some bags of grain in clean 55 gallon drums and found that if left in too long with no air flow it goes bad.
Anyway, sorry for the long-winded post, but I know there are many folks out there who can help me with this issue.
Thanks in advance for any responses I receive.
-E
I have a very small (50 acre) farm and run 10-15 cattle on it. This year I fed out 3 steers for slaughter. Next year I'd like to do a few more, but this past year and it went quite well with one exception:
I don't have a good way to store and distribute grain in an efficient manner. I buy it in 60-100 lb bags from a local friend/farmer and then feed the steers in grain troughs via a bucket. The grain trough/bucket part isn't bad, its the fact that I can only store about 10 60lb bags at a time without worrying about raccoons, etc getting into them and then I've got to throw around those bags at feeding time. That's not so hard for me, since I'm a pretty big guy, but when I'm away and I ask my wife to feed, well, I get a hard time about it...
So, I was thinking of building a bulk feed storage/distribution mechanism before I feed out next fall. What I have in mind would be inside my barn (my feed yard is right beside my barn) and would possibly consist of a large box made of 2x4's and plywood with some sort of chute and sliding door at the bottom where I could let grain out. I could build a trap door in the top that is in the floor of the room above (its a bank barn) so that I could load the box from the top. Then when I need grain, I can put the bucket under the chute and open the door. I'd have to build it as tight as possible to keep out mice, etc, but that wouldn't be hard.
My question is: do any of you have set-ups like this and if so, have you run into any "wish I would've done that's" or any other pitfalls. I'm thinking I'd need to install some venting (mouse proof) in the sides to let air in and out or I'd risk mold. I've been storing some bags of grain in clean 55 gallon drums and found that if left in too long with no air flow it goes bad.
Anyway, sorry for the long-winded post, but I know there are many folks out there who can help me with this issue.
Thanks in advance for any responses I receive.
-E
