"No-Waste: Mineral Block Feeder

"No-Waste: Mineral Block Feeder LIVESTOCK Feeding Equipment 26-5-13 "My homemade mineral block feeder reduces waste and holds the block where cows can always get to it," says Jim Burton, Seymour, Texas, who made the feeder out of an old 3-ft. long, 15-in. dia. metal water tank. It holds three full-size mineral or salt blocks and sets at a 45-degree angle on a steel post that's anchored in the ground. Burton cut the top end of the tank open, and also cut a big opening into the bottom end of the tank where the bottom block sits. He left a 2-in. high "lip" at the end of the tank to support the block. When cattle lick the block down to a small size, the block falls out of a 3-in. high opening below the lip, and a new block automatically slides down to replace it. To support the tank, he welded a metal plate to the middle part of the tank and then attached it to a 30-in. length of 1 1/4-in. sq. tubing that slips inside a piece of 1 1/2-in. sq. tubing anchored in the ground. "To move the feeder, I just carry the feeder and 30-in. tubing to a new location. The sq. tubing design keeps the feeder from turning whenever cows rub against it," notes Burton. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jim Burton, 796 CR 153, Seymour, Texas 76380 (ph 940 889-2509).

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