Fence line feed trough

[scvfd_7241]

I'm building a small feedlot/ backgrounding lot. I plan to purchase 5 to 6wt calves and grow them to 8wts. I'm wanting some type of fence line troughs, I really want the j bunks, but due to cost I had seen these and thought about building myself some. I'm planning to start with about 15 head and grow to about 60 head at a time. Any feedback on something like this or suggestions.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

Should be someone around within a hundred miles who has gone broke doing the same thing.

 

[wbvs58]

I'm planning on doing a feedlot myself soon, I started clearing an area the other day. My aim is to have a containment area to feed my cow herd when things go belly up and I have to supplement them. My aim is to have them one side of the fence and me the other. I am getting too old to handle getting run over by cows rushing to the feed. I would like to get concrete feedbunks under a steel cable fence but the cost of buying and the freight because of the weight is high. I might look at boxing some up and pouring myself but won't be as good. My other option is fabricating with square hollow section steel and using conveyor belt suspended to form a trough. I have several freestanding conveyor belt troughs I have made that are very successfull and cheap to build so will probably go that way.

Ken

 

[gcreekrch]

An old cow man I had a lot of respect for once told me that when a rancher thinks he needs to pour concrete to feed cattle on that a couple Aspirin and a good nights sleep will make him feel better in the morning.....

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Concrete bunks are cheaper, will last long, and can't get pushed around.

 

[Dave]

This is what I have. I actually feed more hay in this than other feed but I have fed grain in it. There was 24 heifers in there last winter. They came in at 450 and left at around 650. Toward the end it got a little to crowded so I added another 28 feet. The feed panels were already there so all I did was build the bunk. I was easy to build and not expensive.

 

[scvfd_7241]

Concrete bunks are cheaper, will last long, and can't get pushed around.

I have figured the prove to build the feeders pictures and you are exactly right, I didn't realize it when I posted but it's about a wash to chapter to do the concrete bunks. I think am just going to get the concrete j bunks as I first planned.

 

[Lucky]

 

[SBMF 2015]

If you are only planning on feeding grain an old ear corn/hay elevator with the chain removed would be about perfect. Most are 60'+ and worth what they weigh.
I have concrete H bunks and J bunks I like them both,but still use wooden bunks on pasture.

 

[scvfd_7241]

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Can you tell me a little more about your setup, are those h bunks or water troughs, what are the heights to the feeder and the top of the fence, and the bottom bar of the fence?

 

[Lucky]

Can you tell me a little more about your setup, are those h bunks or water troughs, what are the heights to the feeder and the top of the fence, and the bottom bar of the fence?

The troughs are just the 8' concrete feed troughs the local feed store sells. I wanted to use J troughs but it was just too costly to have them shipped. The main frame is 2 7/8" drill pipe on 8' centers with a 2 7/8" top rail. I bought some 6 bar continuous panels and cut them into 2 bar sections for the neck rail. This gave me 60' of neck rail that went up really fast. I'm feeding 65 450-650 weight calves now and have plenty of room left. Been using this for 2 years and haven't had one attempt to get out yet. I'll get measurements more tomorrow.

 

[Warren Allison]

My other option is fabricating with square hollow section steel and using conveyor belt suspended to form a trough. I have several freestanding conveyor belt troughs I have made that are very successfull and cheap to build so will probably go that way.

Ken

Hi, Ken. Do you have any pics of these?

 

[wbvs58]

Hi, Ken. Do you have any pi

Took some this morning. The first I made out of 50mm sq tube but subsequent ones are 40mm tube and 1.6mm wall thickness. They have been very durable, used every year for over 8 years now. The first one I blocked the ends with timber cut to shape but the rest left open. They are 4 metres long.
Ken

 

[Lucky]

Can you tell me a little more about your setup, are those h bunks or water troughs, what are the heights to the feeder and the top of the fence, and the bottom bar of the fence?

Troughs are 20" tall x 8' long. Top of trough to neck rail is 15". Ground to top rail is 54". Each trough can feed 5 500# calves and 4-5 800#. Hope this helps

 

[C-Ranch]

Some guys around have started building and using feeder panels and just feeding on the ground. Just not sure it would keep lighter calves from getting out. Maybe if they were on a slant.

 

[Lucky]

One more pic from last summer. For years I fed calves out in the pasture with the same troughs and it worked fine. This setup works much better with my work schedule though. I can easily spot one that needs to be watched and can count them really quick. When your dumping the feed you can pretty much look every calf in the face and see how their eyes and ears look. Down side is it takes twice as many troughs to feed same amount of calves. I plan on building one for the cows next.

 

[C-Ranch]

Do they collect water/snow and hard to clean out or is there drains of some sort the bottoms to reduce issues?

 

[scvfd_7241]

Troughs are 20" tall x 8' long. Top of trough to neck rail is 15". Ground to top rail is 54". Each trough can feed 5 500# calves and 4-5 800#. Hope this helps

Thank you, also just confirming this feeder setup is used as a perimeter fence as well so you don't open any gates to get in to feed right.

 

[Lucky]

The troughs do have drains but will collect some water when they stop up with old feed. I just walk down them with a stick and unclog the holes when this happens, takes 2 minutes. We don't get enough snow to worry about but I can see were it could be an issue.

It does serve as a perimeter fence of sorts. I built it in front of the hay barn so have to open the gate to the barn trap if I have cattle in that pasture by barn. I also use the section as an alley/trap to move cattle when rotating or working them.

 

[C-Ranch]

Looks like an efficient cost-effective system.