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02/07/07, 08:23 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 2,963
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New mineral feeders
Finally got around to doing the new mineral feeders last Saturday. Only took a couple years to come to the top of the list! I put two in the barn. Goats like them, I like them. No berries in the minerals, and not a speck has been wasted.
I also built a feeder Sunday, but it's not quite done yet. Super Bowl, dontchaknow.
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Jim Steele
Sweetpea Farms
"To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing." -- Robert Gates
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02/07/07, 08:27 AM
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Banned
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: North East, PA in Northwestern PA
Posts: 1,662
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An Amish fellow in my area makes those. I keep meaning to order a couple of them.
Ruth
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02/07/07, 08:28 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: NY
Posts: 3,177
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They are on my to do list also . Nice job.
Patty
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02/07/07, 08:28 AM
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Sask Canada
Posts: 975
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Great idea guess you just gave me another spring project
Thanks
they look real good
post the feeder when you get it done
Appway
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02/07/07, 08:38 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 2,963
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They are easy to make with a hacksaw, glue and 4" PVC pipe. The upright tube is 3 feet long, to keep the cap high enough where the goats won't get to it. You might want yours shorter if you are a shorter person. If you make it shorter for easy fill, use a clean-out cap, which has a screw cap on it. Then the goats can't mess with that. Holds almost 25 pounds of mineral in one unit.
Best to mount them indoors or under a barn overhang, though I know folks who mount them ouside on the fence posts. You may have to break a crust on the minerals after it rains then, though.
Can't see why a 6-inch pipe unit wouldn't work for cattle.
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Jim Steele
Sweetpea Farms
"To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing." -- Robert Gates
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02/07/07, 08:55 AM
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hill Country, Texas
Posts: 4,649
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Great idea. Gonna make a couple of those. 6 inch pipe fittings get mighty expensive quickly.
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02/07/07, 09:16 AM
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Banned
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: North East, PA in Northwestern PA
Posts: 1,662
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The Amish guy I know is raffling one off at the April Boer event here. He's also raffling off a high percentage doe.
Ruth
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02/07/07, 10:03 AM
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le person
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 6,236
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Quote:
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Goats like them, I like them. No berries in the minerals, and not a speck has been wasted.
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Am I the only one with goats that will back up and deposit their berries into their feeders? LOL
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02/07/07, 10:19 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: North Louisiana/South Arkansas
Posts: 692
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Thanks for posting the pictures. My husband was wondering about doing something like that so now he has a new project! 
Dawn
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02/07/07, 10:24 AM
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Cashmere goats
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: CO
Posts: 2,023
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I have about 10 of them around the barn filled with different things. I have some at different heights for all the different size goats. I do get some berries in mine because of the shorter one. ( I have them so the babies can get to them). Just beware, I had mine hooked to the wall with the same wire stuff, and my goats were rubbing up against them and pulling them oft the wall. Sea Kelp everywhere. I also use them for baking soda. I just cut mine shorter, like 1-1/2 foot tall.
They look great.
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02/07/07, 10:33 AM
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Green Woman
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Indiana - North Central
Posts: 1,955
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Yep, I've made quite a few of these... Very easy. I drop an upside down can into the bottom to lift the mineral up to the level of the wye - I have a cleanout at the bottom...
My goats LOVE LOVE LOVE to leave berries in them. If you kick them (the feeder, not the goats - silly), it will knock out the berries with a little of the mineral and bring down the next batch of mineral...
Sometimes? I think that's how the does mark their territory...
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02/07/07, 10:35 AM
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Green Woman
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Indiana - North Central
Posts: 1,955
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Oh, and I use an upside down can on the top instead of the cap. The cap fits too tightly and I can't get it off without tapping it off (especially once the tube gets a little grungy...)
If you mount the tube OUTSIDE the fence facing in? You don't have to get inside to fill it either...
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02/07/07, 10:35 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Jones Co, Texas
Posts: 676
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by YuccaFlatsRanch
Great idea. Gonna make a couple of those. 6 inch pipe fittings get mighty expensive quickly.
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To save money (esp since I had some of the stuff lying around) I used 3" pipe for one, and 4" for another. Both work okay, my boers can get into either one of them okay. I think the 3" one does a little better out in the rain. I also didn't waste money on a screw on cap, just used a regular cap, but did not glue it. It fits snug enough that I have to work at getting it off a little, and the goats haven't found a way to destroy it yet, so it works for me. I could see where a screw on cap would be nice, but I had the other lying around from another project.
Rowdy
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02/07/07, 10:36 AM
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Green Woman
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Indiana - North Central
Posts: 1,955
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I also used 3" pipe as my does like to 'paw' the mineral - being butts to the other goats... They can't get their feet in the 3" pipe as well...
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02/07/07, 12:57 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 2,963
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On the cap, if you will use fine sandpaper to finish the top 3" of the pipe, the cap will slide right on and off. That's what I did and mine works great.
Dunno about the berries...they have been up for 5 days now, no berries. I have them high enough where the goats would have to work hard to put berries in there. And I have them on opposing walls. Time will tell. Certainly a lot better than the old mineral feeder.
Never thought about the can, but at $8 a 25-pound bag, I didn't think too much money would be wasted in the Y cap.
They are mounted with pipe strapping. If the goats get that pipe strapping -- which is screwed into the oak planks -- off, I will really be surprised.
These are 4" pipe, and that's mighty pricey stuff anymore, too, if it is Schedule 40. To save, I used irrigation grade 4" and fittings, not the Schedule 40 house stuff. If you do this, be aware that the fittings do not interchange between the two. But Lowe's stocks both kinds. Go down by the sprinkler system stuff to find the irrigation grade.
For cattle, a 6" would work well, is all I was thinking.
You could use them to feed pellets or other feeds, but I do not offer my high-dollar feedstuffs free choice.
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Jim Steele
Sweetpea Farms
"To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing." -- Robert Gates
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02/07/07, 04:17 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Abilene,Texas
Posts: 301
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Great Idea!
I figure the 6" would work for horses as well and maybe the 3" would work for chickens....  Hmmmm...
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Stephanie
They say you are what you eat. Nuts must be more common in diets than we thought.
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02/07/07, 04:26 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 2,963
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Stephanie, if you do try them for horses, I'd like to hear your results. I wondered whether the horses would chew down the Y and make it useless.
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Jim Steele
Sweetpea Farms
"To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing." -- Robert Gates
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02/07/07, 04:33 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Abilene,Texas
Posts: 301
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Jim I'll let you know how it goes...my horse is older and pretty good about not destroying things but another horse might. I'll probably test it out at work also...they have 17 horses of various ages so we'll see what happens...
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Stephanie
They say you are what you eat. Nuts must be more common in diets than we thought.
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02/07/07, 04:43 PM
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Cashmere goats
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: CO
Posts: 2,023
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jim S.
They are mounted with pipe strapping. If the goats get that pipe strapping -- which is screwed into the oak planks -- off, I will really be surprised.
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Jim, that is what I said. The only ones that they have not ripped off are the ones I have in the corners. I used the exact strapping, and they were screwed in the wall. So I used some bailing wire, that seems to work the best for me.
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02/08/07, 06:10 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Mid-West Missouri
Posts: 434
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I also use these with my goats. Have been for about a year. they cost about $12. (2) for me to make them myself, waited about a week for hubby to do it so did it myself! Goats love these and they are easy to take down and clean. The kids see mom using it and get right in there and learn too. My only problen is that everyone wants to use it at the same time! Thinking of making several for the farmers market this summer to see how they go over!
jr05
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