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The calf feeder is a box-shaped container. However, its design has some differences, which depends on the purpose of the feed. Feeders for mixed feed are made from a single trough. For hay, lattice mangers made of wooden slats or metal rods are used.
Features of feeders for cattle
A container for feeding cattle is installed during the arrangement of the stall. Calves are given bulk feed and hay. For each type of food, a feeder of a certain design is used. Fresh grass or dry hay is poured into the hanging manger. While eating, calves scatter food and trample it with their hooves. For economical use of hay, rectangular mangers are made into lattice ones. Calves take only the required amount of food through the cells, and the excess remains in the feeder. Solid containers are used for wet mash. Deep plastic buckets are popular in home barns. They are hung on the stall.
The feeder should not only be convenient for the calves, but also take up minimal space.The most popular designs are those of the corner or hinged type. Manufacturers offer a huge selection of models. It is important to note that feeders are different for different animals. The following sizes of crèches are suitable for cattle:
- the optimal length varies from 100 to 120 cm;
- bottom width is about 35-40 cm;
- comfortable side height 70-75 cm.
Despite the wide variety of factory products, many owners create feeders for cattle with their own hands from wood or metal. The advantage of homemade nurseries is individual sizes. Another advantage is the possibility of improving the design. Craftsmen have come up with models with removable grilles and folding walls. Collapsible crèches for cattle are easy to maintain. They are easier to clean, wash, and dry in the sun.
Types of feeders for cows and calves
All feeders for young calves and adult cattle differ in the type of feed and installation location. Nurseries are available for hay and loose mash, and are installed in a stall or in a pasture.
Feeders for cattle for hay
The hay manger has a lattice design. The stall model is usually rectangular in shape. It often resembles an inverted cone. The cattle feeding container is equipped with a grid. The calves will pull hay out of the twig windows. Lattice mangers are hung in the stall to save space as much as possible. The design does not interfere with calves, allows access to hay at any time, is easy to maintain, and lasts for many years.
Even when cattle are on pasture, calves may not have enough grass. The deficiency is made up with hay. However, you can’t just dump it on the ground. The cattle will trample the hay into the ground. The solution to the problem is to install pasture feeding containers.They similarly have a lattice design, but of increased dimensions. The shape is given round or conical, which improves the convenience of collective use. The size is calculated to fit a roll of hay. The calves will gradually pull up the dried grass. The roll in the conical container settles as it is eaten. Feed is always available to cattle, and the owner does not need to frequently replenish the manger with hay.
Feeders for feed and grain
For bulk feed in the form of mash, grain, mixed feed, the nursery is made into a single container. In the stall, the calves are hung with buckets and rectangular boxes. Long collective troughs are placed on the pasture. Sometimes the containers are covered with a grid on top to prevent cattle from scooping out the grain. However, cows often get stuck between the bars and injure their heads. The best option is to abandon the grille. However, it is in demand when adult cattle are kept together with calves.
Young animals may not get food. The calves are given separate troughs with restrictive bars, but the cells are made narrow. Only a small calf's head fits between the bars. An adult animal does not get to the food.
Requirements for feeders
The design of a cattle feeder for hay or grain is simple. However, nurseries have a number of requirements, and they must meet them.
Pasture feeders
If there is a need to use a feeder on a pasture, a site is built for its installation. Hay and wet food are provided in different nurseries. The following requirements apply to cattle feeders:
- strength and functionality of the structure;
- the container for feeding cattle should not create a danger;
- collective nurseries require large capacity;
- It is necessary to have devices to prevent loss of feed;
- The nursery should be easy to transport, install, and maintain.
For dry feed or grain, it is more effective to install automatic feeders on the pasture. They automatically supply bulk feed, provide the required amount for each calf, and eliminate the possibility of losses.
A feeder is in demand for hay during periods when there is a shortage of fresh grass on the pasture. The manger is placed in a roomy one, preferably cone-shaped only when turned upside down. This design works on the principle of an automatic feeder. The bale of hay will gradually slide down the sloped walls as the calves eat it.
Feeders for stalls
On farms, cattle in stalls are serviced manually or automatically using special equipment. Depending on this, the type of stall feeder is selected. In addition, the number of calves and the way they are kept are taken into account.
The following requirements apply to stall mangers:
- spacious volume;
- absence of sharp edges that pose a danger to cattle;
- availability of simple maintenance;
- the presence of a restrictive wall on the side that prevents the feed from falling out.
In a stall where there is a small number of cattle or one calf, you can use homemade small feeders, for example, deep buckets. On large farms, special tables are used, adapted for automatic feed distribution. The device is made by passing along the pens with calves. The fencing can be side walls 50 cm high. The table is raised from the floor to a height of maximum 30 cm.
If the type of cattle kept in the stall is free-stall, then the hay tables are fenced with one of three types of bars:
- Straight fences do not prevent calves from moving freely and getting hay at any time they want. The design is considered the most convenient.
- Sloping fences restrict the free movement of calves around the stall.
- Automatic fences provide an additional option for securing the calf in one position. The device helps to carry out examinations, medical and other procedures.
Of the three varieties, automatic grilles are the most expensive. Violent calves can quickly break them.
How to make calf feeders with your own hands
Households usually use homemade feeders. The material used is metal or wood. Assembling a feeder for hay or bulk feed with your own hands is possible for any owner with minimal skills. However, when making a metal structure, welding experience will be required.
The video shows an example of making a manger from metal:
How to make a hay feeder
The most reliable hay feeder is a lattice structure welded from metal. A manger can be made from wooden slats, but its service life is much shorter than its steel counterpart. A hanging feeder for a small number of calves is made. For a large herd of cattle, collective nurseries are provided. They are usually installed on legs. The lattice container for the hay is welded in the shape of the letter “V”. It is attached to a rectangular base. Often a tray is attached under the lattice container to help collect fallen hay.An example of such a feeder is shown in the drawing.
The metal structure is made of tubes and rods. The frame and legs are welded from a thick pipe with a diameter of 20 mm. The frame of the V-shaped container is made of tubes with a diameter of 15 mm. For the grate, use a rod 8 mm thick.
Assembly order:
- The pipe and rod are cut with a grinder. The length of the blanks corresponds to the dimensions of the drawing.
- First, the base is welded from a thick pipe. You should get a regular rectangle.
- The next step is to weld a V-shaped frame from a tube with a diameter of 15 mm for a container for hay. The rods forming the cells of the feeder are welded vertically.
- The rectangular base is connected to a V-shaped lattice structure. If desired, you can install a galvanized pallet.
To protect against corrosion, the finished feeder is painted with non-toxic paint.
How to make a feeder for cattle feed
It is easier to give compound feed to calves in plastic buckets hung on the wall of the stall. However, for adult cattle, it is advisable to install a durable feeder. It is made in the form of a trough. The manufacturing material can be sheet metal or board. The iron trough is heavy and quickly rusts from wet mash. It is optimal to build a wooden feeder from boards 40 mm thick.
Assembly order:
- A shield is made from three boards 60 cm long and 15 cm wide. The element will serve as the bottom of the cattle feeder. A shield of similar size is knocked down for the inner side.
- For the outer side, take three boards 60 cm long, only the width of two blanks is similarly 15 cm, and the third element is 10 cm. The board is knocked down so that the narrow board is between two wide ones.
- The side plugs are cut from a wide solid board or cut into narrow pieces, and then they are knocked down into small panels. You should get two rectangles measuring 40x45 cm.
- A trough is assembled from the finished shields. The elements are fastened with nails or self-tapping screws.
The finished feeder is polished. Sharp edges are cut at an angle of 45 O.
Nurseries for young cattle
The process of making feeders for young calves is similar, only it is necessary to provide a folding grid that prevents adult cattle from eating the feed. The length of the manger is made a maximum of 1 m, the width is at least 40 cm. The sides are set to a height of up to 100 cm.
The optimal manufacturing material is boards made from hard trees. The blanks are cut according to the individual dimensions of the drawn up drawing. If we focus on the established standards, then feeders for young calves have the following dimensions:
- the height of the inner side is 100 cm, the outer side is 30 cm;
- bottom width – 45 cm;
- feeder length – 80 cm.
Having decided on the dimensions, they begin to make mangers for the calves.
Assembly order:
- Dry boards are sanded and sawn with a hand or circular saw. According to the drawing, shields are knocked down from blanks, after which the trough is assembled.
- A semicircular recess is cut out on the side, making it easier for the calf to get food.
- A lattice is knocked down from the slats. The width of the cells is selected so that the calf’s head does not get stuck.
The finished manger is polished and sharp edges are trimmed off.
Conclusion
The feeder for calves should be convenient for the animals and the service personnel cleaning it and distributing feed. When making a homemade manger, you need to worry about the strength and safety of using the structure.
