Mineral Feeders
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MrBilly
Well-known member
Good topic. We have used those Farmland, Behlen, mineral feeders with the windvane on them - I call them the whirlygig things. They have only lasted us 3-4 years and were about $85, as I recall. They really don't keep the rain out, the bulls like to tip them over, the vanes fly off because the bolts shear off, and the metal ring that holds up the mineral pan rusts out and then they are not worth fixing.
We went with a hanging feeder by Southland Products here in Georgia.
http://www.duncanfarm.com/sp.html
They are heavy duty plastic, have three heavy chains, seem to keep the rain out when you use a snap that has a swivel. They don't tip, they will not rust and to date we are very happy with them. We are replacing all others as the whirleygigs die. They run about $85 plus tax and here we have them shipped for about $15.
I have seen whirleygigs that are all plastic, but have no experience with them. I think the bulls could really do a job on them?
Good luck.
Billy
We went with a hanging feeder by Southland Products here in Georgia.
http://www.duncanfarm.com/sp.html
They are heavy duty plastic, have three heavy chains, seem to keep the rain out when you use a snap that has a swivel. They don't tip, they will not rust and to date we are very happy with them. We are replacing all others as the whirleygigs die. They run about $85 plus tax and here we have them shipped for about $15.
I have seen whirleygigs that are all plastic, but have no experience with them. I think the bulls could really do a job on them?
Good luck.
Billy
jt
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cleland":2xf5vz78 said:
if i can put it under the shed, i will just build a small box out of wood with dividers for the salt and mineral, etc... i have one mounted on the side of the barn that way... in the pasture i like the wood framed with a large oversized tin roof... dont know how much it would cost.. i scrounge up materials and it would depend on how big you built it..
jt
Ryder
Well-known member
Dun put up a picture of ones he makes from plastic barrels.
Do search or PM him.
Do search or PM him.
Mr. Billy I do like the look of the mineral feeders and the feed bunks. Did you purchase any of the feedbunks from this company? They look much easier to move around than the concrete feeders. If you did purchase the bunks, what do they run pricewise? (I hope I am not stealing a post)
bwranch
Well-known member
Hanging Plastic Barrels
Tod Dague
Well-known member
Mine sit flat on the ground are round with three compartments and a heavy duty rubber cap on the top of it. The cows nose up the rubber to get to the mineral. I had those that spin before but they didn't last long.
bigbull338
Well-known member
i just put the salt an mineral blocks out in the feed troughs scott
i made one like dun posted but i ran 2 ropes to the barrel and put them about 8 inches apart on the lip of the barrel and about 2 feet above the barrel put a spreader board on the rope to spread them out about 2 feet this keeps the barrel from spinning and i faced the opening to the north east this is working great in keeping the weather out
Gayle Hilgeman
Active member
We got some old truck tires and put those big rubber tubs
in them. When it rains the cows drink the water and the
bulls don`t ever hardly monkey with them except try to
push them some but never have tipped one over, plus the
calves can reach the mineral.
in them. When it rains the cows drink the water and the
bulls don`t ever hardly monkey with them except try to
push them some but never have tipped one over, plus the
calves can reach the mineral.
I have one like Tod D. mentioned. And also made one like it using a old plastic box I found and a mud flap from a semi. Had to put a large salt block in them at first to prop the lid up a bit 'till the cows got used to it, then switched to the loose salt and their mineral supplement.
Workinonit Farm
Well-known member
I use plastic 50 gallon barrels with a hole cut in on the side.
Katherine
Katherine
Farminlund
Well-known member
We have used the total orange plastic feeder with the integrated vane for the last 5-6 yrs. Spins on a metal base with 4 tubular legs that can be secured to the ground with 3/8 rods driven deeply (use the temporary electric fence posts or 3/8 rebarb). Works well when secured properly (cows can't knock them over), rain stays out. A couple of the tubular legs are rusting thru but they are secured to the main vertical support with a bolt & should be easy to replace. A grease fitting provides lubrication to insure easy rotation via the wind. I think the cost was like 80-90.
I also use the 50 gal plastic barrels, but the hunk of plastic I cut out for the hole I screw on the top of the barrel for a weather vane of sorts. It you can get Duns attention he has a website he mentions from Canada Extention I think, that has one on their site you make with old stuff laying around, like a wheel, etc.
That swingin and spinning action is what keeps the rain/snow out of them. We're not fortunate enough to have rain from any one direction. The cows easily get used to the spinning when they're just calves. The older girls seem to adapt to them within a couple of days. It's kind of funny to watch two of the cows standing side by side eating minerals. When one pulls its head out the other one turns the barrel so she can get some and they go back an forth. For pastures that don;t have a convenient tree I've used an old creep feeder with the excluder removed. It's just a pain in the butt to move and we only have 3 pastures that are a problem. We'll be haying one of those this year and I modified the fence in one to include a couple of large cedars. So now we're just dow to one and I may just decide to hay it also.rws":1vre0ogb said:
dun
Daybreak
Well-known member
Howdy,
We tried all kinds of methods also. The best mineral feeder we have and are still using is a Dusticator.
Dusticator Link
We purchased 2 of these in 1994, and they are still going strong. Last year I replaced the skirt on them both. Holds lots, and has pockets for dust. They do not knock over either.
We tried all kinds of methods also. The best mineral feeder we have and are still using is a Dusticator.
Dusticator Link
We purchased 2 of these in 1994, and they are still going strong. Last year I replaced the skirt on them both. Holds lots, and has pockets for dust. They do not knock over either.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
We use the 50 gallon drum - make ourselves. Use a swivel hook so it WILL spin. If you offset the hook, the hole will be tipped down, and the prevailing wind will turn the bucket so that the hole is away from the wind.
Sidenote - our bull Macho was bored, so we gave him a large tractor tire to push on - he immediately figured out how to pick it up & flip it over. Should have taken pics.
Sidenote - our bull Macho was bored, so we gave him a large tractor tire to push on - he immediately figured out how to pick it up & flip it over. Should have taken pics.
cleland":1zdxr8pv said:
The only complaint I've heard is that the rain blows in on the minerals and if you hang oilers from them the oil will blow in and the cows won;t eat the minerals.. Around here they're made from rough cut oak and run around 200 bucks.
dun
