Feed Box Makes Bunk Fill A Snap

Feed Box Makes Bunk Fill A Snap LIVESTOCK Feeding Equipment 30-5-16 Filling feed bunks from the seat of a tractor with a power feed box beats carrying buckets any day. Especially if you didn't spend a lot on the feed box. "The beauty of it is that I only had to buy some 2 by 4's and a little plywood for around the base to provide structural support," says Blaine Schumacher. "It holds 35 to 40 bushels of feed and rides on my rear-mounted bale forks. All I have to do is raise the bale forks to adjust to bunk height." The forks slide under the belly of the box, which stands about 8 in. off the ground. The only attachment needed is to hook up the hydraulic hoses. Four 5 1/2-ft. 2 by 4's serve as legs and basic framework for the V-shaped, 4 by 6-ft. (top dimensions) box. Other 2 by 4's were used for cross members. The two 6-ft. sides were cut from a discarded truck box and extend about 6 in. past the support legs. The plywood ends are 4 ft. wide at the top and narrow to 7 in. at the bottom. The base of the feedbox itself is about 2 ft. off the ground. "I set an old grain auger at the base of the V, with the auger inside the box exposed," explains Schumacher. "It extends several feet out from the end of the box so I can drive alongside the feed bunk. I put a rubber elbow on the end that I pulled off an air turbo system from a semi tractor." He used an orbit motor from an old bin sweep to drive the auger. Its separate flow control allows him to adjust the speed of the auger. He shuts it down to zero on cold mornings while letting the hydraulic fluid circulate and warm as he is filling the feed box. It worked so well he's building two more for friends this winter. "One of them doesn't have live hydraulics so we're going to use an electric hydraulic motor on his." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Blaine Schumacher, 6900 93rd Ave. SW, Minot, N. Dak. 58701 (ph 701 722-3576).

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