# Our new sheep feeder!  What's your thoughts on this?



## soarwitheagles (Dec 25, 2015)

Happy holidays to all!

Ok, complete, total newbie here.  Read for several days from several different sheep forums and blogs about the importance of having good sheep feeders.  Discovered we desperately need a sheep feeder.

Picked a design I thought was fairly nice, modified it somewhat and then worked my bottom off for two days on them [building two of em'].

I thought I would post a pic of the feeder and ask for comments, suggestions, _constructive_ criticisms, encouragements, etc.

I had some galvanized sheet metal laying around and decided to use that instead of bottom board of plywood.

My first preference would have been half barrels with metal vertical rods, but I do not have an arc welder.  I simply used what we had laying around.

Please share your thoughts and ideas.

Thank you,

Soar


----------



## frustratedearthmother (Dec 25, 2015)

I'll bet they would work just fine for goats too!


----------



## Southern by choice (Dec 25, 2015)

Looks great! Should work well for you and the openings should be small enough that the sheep horns won't get caught up.


Will work great for goats too. Keep in mind if you do get goats they are a little different than sheep... sheep can eat hay that is left out in the weather, goats cannot. 

See, if you weren't on the wrong coast than you could "practice" more and make mine. 

Nice flock!


----------



## Latestarter (Dec 25, 2015)

What a nice looking gaggle of sheep  The feeder looks excellent. Holes look small enough so they don't pull a whole flake out and stomp it into the ground also.

Looks like you're experiencing some wet weather too. I'm sure that's a nice Christmas present... Maybe a little later you can put a roof over it to keep the hay dry, when it does rain there once or twice a year...


----------



## Goat Whisperer (Dec 25, 2015)

It looks great.

My only concern would be the middle upright 2x4, the horned sheep in the pic *could* get his horn caught. I don't know if a sheep would be smart enough to get it unstuck.


----------



## Southern by choice (Dec 25, 2015)

Goat Whisperer said:


> It looks great.
> 
> My only concern would be the middle upright 2x4, the horned sheep in the pic *could* get his horn caught. I don't know if a sheep would be smart enough to get it unstuck.


Missed that, you're right. Our horned sheep had to have their heads pulled out of so many things.


----------



## Mini Horses (Dec 25, 2015)

A piece of solid plywood cut to fit would take care of preventing that horn hook easily.   It's really a pretty feeder -- Great Job!!   I don't have sheep, didn't know they were "dumb"   ... hey, some animals are not as motivated as goats or pigs.   Those rascals will keep you busy.    

They are nice looking sheep -- and lucky to have such a good carpenter for an owner.  Kudos!


----------



## soarwitheagles (Dec 25, 2015)

frustratedearthmother said:


> I'll bet they would work just fine for goats too!



frustratedearthmother,

Thanks,  we just lost our only goat, but maybe we'll have some in the future...



Southern by choice said:


> Looks great! Should work well for you and the openings should be small enough that the sheep horns won't get caught up.
> 
> 
> Will work great for goats too. Keep in mind if you do get goats they are a little different than sheep... sheep can eat hay that is left out in the weather, goats cannot.
> ...



Southern by choice,

Thanks again for your excellent advice.  I never realized the eating habits of goats/sheep differ so much.  It would be nice to practice more but we ran out of time.  Glad to get one done and the other is nearly done.



Latestarter said:


> What a nice looking gaggle of sheep  The feeder looks excellent. Holes look small enough so they don't pull a whole flake out and stomp it into the ground also.
> 
> Looks like you're experiencing some wet weather too. I'm sure that's a nice Christmas present... Maybe a little later you can put a roof over it to keep the hay dry, when it does rain there once or twice a year...



Latestarter,

Yes, hopefully this El Nino has begun.  We are above average right now for rainfall and snow levels and we desperately need more...been thinking of the roof too.  I know the wood would  last longer.

Do you think it would be ok to slap a coat for primer and finish on this feeder or would the sheep eat it off?



Goat Whisperer said:


> It looks great.
> 
> My only concern would be the middle upright 2x4, the horned sheep in the pic *could* get his horn caught. I don't know if a sheep would be smart enough to get it unstuck.



Goat Whisperer, that is exactly what the rancher whom we purchased the sheep said.  He even indicated the horned male ram may not even be able to access the hay...we are watching him carefully.



Southern by choice said:


> Missed that, you're right. Our horned sheep had to have their heads pulled out of so many things.



Hope he doesn't hook his horns!



Mini Horses said:


> A piece of solid plywood cut to fit would take care of preventing that horn hook easily.   It's really a pretty feeder -- Great Job!!   I don't have sheep, didn't know they were "dumb"   ... hey, some animals are not as motivated as goats or pigs.   Those rascals will keep you busy.
> 
> They are nice looking sheep -- and lucky to have such a good carpenter for an owner.  Kudos!



Mini Horses, thank you for your words of encouragement.  May I ask where exactly you would place a piece of plywood?  I did work as a carpenter some years ago, so all that practice finally came in handy.

I was fortunate to find an entire pallet of 3"x4"x8' wood pieces at the local auction for $1 each.  I ripped several pieces of them in half, then routered the edges so the sheep would not cut themselves.  We tried using this feeder for the very first time today.  The sheep appear to be liking it so far...even the male was eating the hay...

I suppose it was our Christmas present to our flock of sheep.  Hope they like and accept it...


----------



## Mini Horses (Dec 25, 2015)

well, the fence is in a "v" and the space between fence & the upright 2X4.  Would be like a divider.  Then the horn couldn't get caught on that 2X4.      At least, that is how I would envision his getting hung up, as he went for hay and turned head, backed up, etc..      You'd need to put a piece of wood across bottom to make an edge to connect plywood to/at the metal.

No doubt you'd trim it out up the 2X too, as I can see the detail you use.   Just a nice, clean job!


----------



## soarwitheagles (Dec 25, 2015)

Mini Horses said:


> well, the fence is in a "v" and the space between fence & the upright 2X4.  Would be like a divider.  Then the horn couldn't get caught on that 2X4.      At least, that is how I would envision his getting hung up, as he went for hay and turned head, backed up, etc..      You'd need to put a piece of wood across bottom to make an edge to connect plywood to/at the metal.
> 
> No doubt you'd trim it out up the 2X too, as I can see the detail you use.   Just a nice, clean job!



Mini Horses,

Ok, now I understand what you are saying.  And it makes a lot of sense too.  Best of all, it wouldn't take much time to modify.  I think it could be done by framing a triangle, then covering the triangle frame with a piece of plywood [x4].

We will monitor the ram's activity and eating habits and most important of all, we will watch to see if he gets his horns "stuck" in the feeder...if he does get his horns stuck, we now have a modification we can do.

Thanks again for sharing.

Soar


----------



## Latestarter (Dec 26, 2015)

As for treating the wood, yes, goats are known to gnaw on wood of all sorts, but I don't think sheep are so much... Goats browse (woody stuff) and sheep graze (grassy stuff), although as we all know, there are always exceptions. What I would consider doing instead of chemical treatments of any kind would be to buy some boiled linseed oil (or similar) and give a couple of good coats/wipe downs with that. Obviously the wood will need to be dry first. Maybe do the new one you've almost completed then put it out and bring the 1st, wet one in to dry for a bit. Will aid in water proofing and still be natural should the sheep decide they need a little wood in their diets...


----------



## Bossroo (Dec 26, 2015)

As for modifications to your practice feeder ...  I would place 2x2s at the end to the wire panels and attach them to the plywood for added support.  Add another 2x4s onto the top of the 2x4 above the feeder section as an aid in containing loose hay and grain ( if and when grain is needed for flushing the ewes as well as added nutrition when lactating ). Or replace that with a 2 x 6s on both sides. I would remove the bottom 2x4 to make it easier to retrieve  any loose hay that may accumulate under the feeder. Install 2 triangular pieces of plywood at the middle 2x4s and the steel mesh supported by 2x2 at the steel mesh.   Drill a few small holes in the steel  plate for water drainage at the corners and at the middle sections .  Also I would replace the 4 x4s at the 4 corners with some longer ones to extend 3-4 feet above the feeders to act as supports to the steel roof pannels  that you will want to expend to at least 2 feet ( or preferably longer so that the draining water doesn't hit the sheep on their backs while eating ) so that the all around as an overhang so that the feed stays dry.  I would also recommend that you treat all wood with linseed oil as a preservative .


----------



## goatgurl (Dec 26, 2015)

i think the feeder looks great!  if you want to just use this one as a prototype to design one that the ram won't get his horns in you can certainly send it to my house.  my goats and sheep don't have horns, lol.  seriously i agree that you might have a problem with those horns but a quick fix by putting in the divider in like the others said should work quite well.  be sure you post a pic of the new and improved model.


----------



## babsbag (Dec 26, 2015)

I have a feeder just like that that my goats use and I LOVE it; will be building two more of them for the new barn. I actually had plans from Premier One for mine. I put more of the wire on the ends where you have plywood so a few more goats could eat there, and they do. Plywood on the bottom ends is good as my goats have learned to slip under there to get out of my reach.


----------



## promiseacres (Dec 26, 2015)

Looks good


----------



## Baymule (Dec 26, 2015)

Nice feeder, I am impressed by the quality work you have done. Be sure to post pics of the next one too.


----------



## norseofcourse (Dec 26, 2015)

Great job!  I have a similar style feeder - I took Premier1's design for the single-sided version and also modified it a bit.  I made the angle of the wire panel quite steep, for less chance of hay contaminating their wool.  But yours look like hair sheep?  So that wouldn't matter to you.

The only other thing I can think of is that I didn't fasten the wire panel in place, I just tied it to the top 2x4 with plastic baling twine.  Some of my hay last year was stemmier than usual.  They usually pull the stemmier stuff through as they're eating, and leave it in the trough part.  I take it out and give it to the ponies, who eat at least some of it.  Last year, the stemmier stuff built up in the bottom part of the V, and I finally cut the twine, lifted out the wire panel, and cleaned it all out.  A handy thing if you're not tall enough to reach in to get the hay out


----------



## babsbag (Dec 26, 2015)

I tied mine too, and the goats untied/chewed it. Brats... So I screwed a couple of pieces of 2x4s to the top 2x4 and sandwiched the wire in between. I can take it apart if I need to.


----------



## soarwitheagles (Dec 31, 2015)

Good news so far...no sheep have gotten hung up or stuck in the new feeder.  This feeder is working far better than I could have ever imagined.

I would like to give credit where it is due...

Special thanks to all the people at premier1supplies.  I downloaded the sheep feeder plans from their website.  

Happy New Year to all!


----------



## soarwitheagles (Dec 31, 2015)

babsbag said:


> I tied mine too, and the goats untied/chewed it. Brats... So I screwed a couple of pieces of 2x4s to the top 2x4 and sandwiched the wire in between. I can take it apart if I need to.





norseofcourse said:


> Great job!  I have a similar style feeder - I took Premier1's design for the single-sided version and also modified it a bit.  I made the angle of the wire panel quite steep, for less chance of hay contaminating their wool.  But yours look like hair sheep?  So that wouldn't matter to you.
> 
> The only other thing I can think of is that I didn't fasten the wire panel in place, I just tied it to the top 2x4 with plastic baling twine.  Some of my hay last year was stemmier than usual.  They usually pull the stemmier stuff through as they're eating, and leave it in the trough part.  I take it out and give it to the ponies, who eat at least some of it.  Last year, the stemmier stuff built up in the bottom part of the V, and I finally cut the twine, lifted out the wire panel, and cleaned it all out.  A handy thing if you're not tall enough to reach in to get the hay out



Nice job!  I saw at Premier1 that they had challenges with sheep and goat pushing the center panels out.  They recommended using barbed staples.  I chose to use galvanized metal on the bottom, plumbers tape on the top.  It is solid so far, and no sheep are able to dislodge the center panels, and I can easily take it apart if we ever need to do it.

Oh, I also routered a slot in the bottom wood for the panels to fit into.  That way they can't be easily bumped and moved...

Last question: should I paint this feeder?  Has anyone here painted their feeder and if yes, do the sheep eat the paint off of the wood?

Thanks!

Soar


----------



## Devonviolet (Dec 31, 2015)

This is the 1st I've seen of this type of feeder and I really like it! We've been looking for a hay feeder design to build. So I will have to show it to DH.

I like the design adjustments that were suggested, especially the wedge in the middle, to prevent horns getting caught, non-toxic Linseed Oil (for dealing the wood) and adding the roof, with a generous overhang.  I'm thinking a hinged door, would be helpful, in the roof. It would make for easy access for adding hay and cleaning out uneaten hay dust/crumbles.


----------



## soarwitheagles (Dec 31, 2015)

Devonviolet said:


> This is the 1st I've seen of this type of feeder and I really like it! We've been looking for a hay feeder design to build. So I will have to show it to DH.
> 
> I like the design adjustments that were suggested, especially the wedge in the middle, to prevent horns getting caught, non-toxic Linseed Oil (for dealing the wood) and adding the roof, with a generous overhang.  I'm thinking a hinged door, would be helpful, in the roof. It would make for easy access for adding hay and cleaning out uneaten hay dust/crumbles.



Devonviolet,

Thanks for your nice compliments.  Overall, we are very happy with this feeder.  We've been using it now for a little over a week, and so far, all is well.

Here's the website where I discovered this design:

https://www.premier1supplies.com/img/instruction/127.pdf

I searched and researched for a couple of week before choosing premier's design.  To be honest with you, if I had a nice arc welder and oxy-acetylene cutter, I may have chosen to cut and weld the 30 gallon half barrels with the vertical rebar version.  I feel the metal version would last a couple of decades and this wood version not so long.  Also, I think the half barrels with rebar would have been much less expensive.

I am posting more pics of feeders I found online.

I like the metal ones better than the wood ones.


----------



## Baymule (Jan 1, 2016)

The metal ones remind me of metal futon sofas/beds. You used to find them for a couple hundred bucks with mattress. Used, $25 - $50. The metal bottom and back folded flat for a bed. The metal back and bottom looked just like the metal "V" in the pics above. If you found a used futon, cheap, you could build a feeder! goes to craigslist and looks at used furniture.......


----------



## Goat Whisperer (Jan 1, 2016)

Baymule said:


> The metal ones remind me of metal futon sofas/beds. You used to find them for a couple hundred bucks with mattress. Used, $25 - $50. The metal bottom and back folded flat for a bed. The metal back and bottom looked just like the metal "V" in the pics above. If you found a used futon, cheap, you could build a feeder! goes to craigslist and looks at used furniture.......


Lots of goat folk actually do that  I have seen them free on CL, so maybe you will get lucky!


----------



## soarwitheagles (Jan 3, 2016)

Baymule said:


> The metal ones remind me of metal futon sofas/beds. You used to find them for a couple hundred bucks with mattress. Used, $25 - $50. The metal bottom and back folded flat for a bed. The metal back and bottom looked just like the metal "V" in the pics above. If you found a used futon, cheap, you could build a feeder! goes to craigslist and looks at used furniture.......





Goat Whisperer said:


> Lots of goat folk actually do that  I have seen them free on CL, so maybe you will get lucky!



Thanks guys!

I just checked our local Craigslist and sure, enough, found one for free.  Waiting for them to get back to me now.

Hope it works out!

Soar

PS Posting a pic of it!


----------



## fluffycreatures (Jan 6, 2016)

Looks great but only works where no snow!  I am heading into my 9th year and have a h--- of a time with feeders!  In summer they pasture so not an issue.  In winter if a bad snow year they are buried.  And if heavy and can't be lifted it is worse.  Second winter I got pushed over by a ram to get at the feed and I got a broken rib.  So will not go into the pen when I am feeding.   Feeders must be fence line.  So the best I have found are the ones available from Tractor Supply.  They are V shaped and hold a fair bit and attach to the fence .  If the snow gets over them they get fed on the saucers for grain or the ground.    I use large bales in the girls pen.  Guy brings it with hte tractor and puts it over the fence on the side.   I tried it in the boys too but it just got too much waste and deep bedding as pen is smaller.   Works ok in girls and supplement into the feeders with alfalfa mix.  For grain I use the kids round saucer sleds and tie them to the fence.  I put out several when I feed the grain. Then bring them up.  They are light and easy to move and animals can get all around them.  They have a hole to tie in a baler twine to tie to the fence.   And they are cheap . (About $6 cdn)  Some last longer but usually get about 2 years out of each of them.   I can't use anything with bars because of the goat horns especially.  Mine is a mixed flerd of fiber animals so has to suit the angora goats sheep and camelids as they are all together.  But the biggest issue with  any of the feeders is they are just too heavy for me to lift or move.  This works.  Not the best but it works.


----------



## babsbag (Jan 6, 2016)

I have two of those metal feeders and not crazy about them. Mine has the bottom tray almost on the ground and the goats sleep in the bottom and once they pee on the hay no one eats it. Also, they get their entire head in the feeder and I am waiting for a broken neck. I put stock panel on the ends to make sure they can't get into the "v" section as I know a goat would get hung in those spaces. I will line the entire feeder with stock panel shortly. I am going to take them apart and use them as the top part of the feeder from Premier 1. I have used a lot of feeders over the years and the premier design is the bomb...IMO.  I would like to build it out of tube steel but no money for that right now.

The covered feeder design looks nice, but I would use the 4x4 panel, I have had kids get their heads in the bigger holes and get stuck. Plus with goats I need the standing area out of the rain too, goats melt in the rain.


----------



## soarwitheagles (Jan 6, 2016)

Devonviolet said:


> This is the 1st I've seen of this type of feeder and I really like it! We've been looking for a hay feeder design to build. So I will have to show it to DH.
> 
> I like the design adjustments that were suggested, especially the wedge in the middle, to prevent horns getting caught, non-toxic Linseed Oil (for dealing the wood) and adding the roof, with a generous overhang.  I'm thinking a hinged door, would be helpful, in the roof. It would make for easy access for adding hay and cleaning out uneaten hay dust/crumbles.



Devonviolet, I really like your idea about a hinged roof on top...it would be so easy to cut and install and best of all, it would keep most of the hay dry during our rain storms.  Thank you for sharing!



fluffycreatures said:


> Looks great but only works where no snow!  I am heading into my 9th year and have a h--- of a time with feeders!  In summer they pasture so not an issue.  In winter if a bad snow year they are buried.  And if heavy and can't be lifted it is worse.  Second winter I got pushed over by a ram to get at the feed and I got a broken rib.  So will not go into the pen when I am feeding.   Feeders must be fence line.  So the best I have found are the ones available from Tractor Supply.  They are V shaped and hold a fair bit and attach to the fence .  If the snow gets over them they get fed on the saucers for grain or the ground.    I use large bales in the girls pen.  Guy brings it with hte tractor and puts it over the fence on the side.   I tried it in the boys too but it just got too much waste and deep bedding as pen is smaller.   Works ok in girls and supplement into the feeders with alfalfa mix.  For grain I use the kids round saucer sleds and tie them to the fence.  I put out several when I feed the grain. Then bring them up.  They are light and easy to move and animals can get all around them.  They have a hole to tie in a baler twine to tie to the fence.   And they are cheap . (About $6 cdn)  Some last longer but usually get about 2 years out of each of them.   I can't use anything with bars because of the goat horns especially.  Mine is a mixed flerd of fiber animals so has to suit the angora goats sheep and camelids as they are all together.  But the biggest issue with  any of the feeders is they are just too heavy for me to lift or move.  This works.  Not the best but it works.



fluffycreatures,

I suppose we are blessed by living in a no snow climate here.  I can see how the snow factor could be a total game changer.  I hope you find more ideas to make it easier for you.



babsbag said:


> I have two of those metal feeders and not crazy about them. Mine has the bottom tray almost on the ground and the goats sleep in the bottom and once they pee on the hay no one eats it. Also, they get their entire head in the feeder and I am waiting for a broken neck. I put stock panel on the ends to make sure they can't get into the "v" section as I know a goat would get hung in those spaces. I will line the entire feeder with stock panel shortly. I am going to take them apart and use them as the top part of the feeder from Premier 1. I have used a lot of feeders over the years and the premier design is the bomb...IMO.  I would like to build it out of tube steel but no money for that right now.
> 
> The covered feeder design looks nice, but I would use the 4x4 panel, I have had kids get their heads in the bigger holes and get stuck. Plus with goats I need the standing area out of the rain too, goats melt in the rain.



babsbag,

Premier depicts the feeder trays at a 21 inch height from the ground, so we haven't had any problem with urination on the hay.  I agree with you about that 4"x4" metal panels.  Premier recommended 3"x5" panels but TS didn't have that size, so we went with the 4"x4" metal panels and they are working marvelous!

We are presently considering building either an overhang for the feeder or go with the hinged top cover...not sure which way to go at the moment...but, the nice thing about a movable overhang is that we could make it a separate piece of equipment and then the feeder would not be unmovable due to excess weight.

Thanks again everyone for sharing your insights and suggestions!


----------



## babsbag (Jan 7, 2016)

The height on the Premier plans is great, it is the metal V shaped feeder with a plastic pan at that bottom that is the problem. The pan is at ground level and the goats sleep in it. Very cozy bed when it gets full of hay.

I ordered the 3x5 panel from Premier for one side of the feeder, 4x4 on the other and I don't see any real difference except for a raw spot on the goats where their noses rub on the wire.  I think the 4x4 rubs more than the other.


----------



## soarwitheagles (Jan 7, 2016)

babsbag said:


> The height on the Premier plans is great, it is the metal V shaped feeder with a plastic pan at that bottom that is the problem. The pan is at ground level and the goats sleep in it. Very cozy bed when it gets full of hay.
> 
> I ordered the 3x5 panel from Premier for one side of the feeder, 4x4 on the other and I don't see any real difference except for a raw spot on the goats where their noses rub on the wire.  I think the 4x4 rubs more than the other.



babsbag,

So sorry to hear it is not working well for you [goats sleep in it].  The main reason I built these feeders is so the livestock cannot defecate on the hay and cause unnecessary sicknesses.  Before building this feeder, we were tossing the hay on the ground, and it was very unsanitary.  Using this feeder cleared up the unsanitary problems for us...


----------



## babsbag (Jan 7, 2016)

I will be cutting the feeders we bought with the trays at ground level and using them for the top part of feeders like the Premier 1 ones. Or else I will just give them to my bucks to use and just deal with them sleeping in them. I think that once I line the feeders with the 4x4 squares I won't have as much hay falling through into the trough which will help too. I wouldn't care if the goats slept in the tray if it wasn't full of wasted hay.  Just goes to show though that sometimes the best designee are homemade. 

These are the feeders I don't like. The bottom tray is just too low for a goat; goats like to reach up for their feed.


----------



## soarwitheagles (Jan 7, 2016)

babsbag said:


> I will be cutting the feeders we bought with the trays at ground level and using them for the top part of feeders like the Premier 1 ones. Or else I will just give them to my bucks to use and just deal with them sleeping in them. I think that once I line the feeders with the 4x4 squares I won't have as much hay falling through into the trough which will help too. I wouldn't care if the goats slept in the tray if it wasn't full of wasted hay.  Just goes to show though that sometimes the best designee are homemade.
> 
> These are the feeders I don't like. The bottom tray is just too low for a goat; goats like to reach up for their feed.



babsbag,

I like your idea of raising the feeder trays higher.

Premier suggested 21".  I think I cut ours to 18" because I hope to eventually install a couple of 2"x4" runners on the bottom and then either attach wheels or use the 2"x4" runners as props to move the feeder with two hand truck dollies.  I am kinda leaning toward installing 4 of the six inch wheels that are found at Harbor Freight.  We may need a couple of axles too.

My thinking is it would quite a job trying to carry this feeder to each of the rotational pastures we recently planted.  I would much rather "roll" the feeder to each pasture as the rotation takes place...


----------



## babsbag (Jan 7, 2016)

I just use mine in the barn so it doesn't get moved except when cleaning the barn out. I am hoping that in the new barn there won't be a build up of straw that I use to now to give the goats some "dry" bedding every few days in the winter. The new barn will have a decomposed granite floor and a lot of space so should stay drier . I just pick the feeder up with the tractor when I need to move it.  My DH would like your idea of wheels; I might have to think about that when I build the next feeder. I have some of the wheels that we bought for another project and didn't use. HMMMM. Thanks for the idea.


----------



## soarwitheagles (Jan 23, 2016)

babsbag said:


> I just use mine in the barn so it doesn't get moved except when cleaning the barn out. I am hoping that in the new barn there won't be a build up of straw that I use to now to give the goats some "dry" bedding every few days in the winter. The new barn will have a decomposed granite floor and a lot of space so should stay drier . I just pick the feeder up with the tractor when I need to move it.  My DH would like your idea of wheels; I might have to think about that when I build the next feeder. I have some of the wheels that we bought for another project and didn't use. HMMMM. Thanks for the idea.



Bagsbad,

I like your ideas.  I have never heard of decomposed granite floor.  Can you elaborate?

Unfortunately, we are presently unable to move our feeders with our tractor.  We are presently in the midst of a mighty El Nino storm cycle where it has been raining 2-3 times per week since Jan. 1st.  and may continue all the way until May.  I do not dare move our tractor out of fear of sinking it in the mud.

Tractor is on time out until things dry out and that may not be until June.


----------



## Baymule (Jan 23, 2016)

We had that crazy wet winter and spring last year. I am glad you are getting rain.


----------



## soarwitheagles (Jan 24, 2016)

Yes, we desperately need the rain.  So no complaints here.  How about you?  Isn't El Nino hitting Texas this year too?


----------



## sadieml (Jan 24, 2016)

@soarwitheagles -  You can always use wheels from a broken lawn mower.  Mama had lots of old mowers around, and before I took them to sell as scrap metal I took off all of the wheels.  Those things sure do come in handy.  I keep tools in my van so if I see things on the roadside waiting for the trash truck I can stop and take off wheels and anything else that might be useful.  You might be able to pick-up a couple of wheels from local mower repairmen, etc., too.  They often have extra mowers around for parts and might let you have the wheels cheap.  It never hurts to ask.


----------



## soarwitheagles (Jan 24, 2016)

sadieml said:


> @soarwitheagles -  You can always use wheels from a broken lawn mower.  Mama had lots of old mowers around, and before I took them to sell as scrap metal I took off all of the wheels.  Those things sure do come in handy.  I keep tools in my van so if I see things on the roadside waiting for the trash truck I can stop and take off wheels and anything else that might be useful.  You might be able to pick-up a couple of wheels from local mower repairmen, etc., too.  They often have extra mowers around for parts and might let you have the wheels cheap.  It never hurts to ask.



Sadieml,

Nice post!  Yes, I am now doing my best to keep my eyes open for good deals and such.  The best deals I have been receiving involve attending the large local monthly auction.  I was able to pick up all the wood for the feeder for pennies compared to what the big box stores would charge.  Last month, believe it or not, the auction had new 8ft. t posts for only $2 each and they had pallet after pallet after pallet.  So now, I no longer have any shortage of t-posts.  TS is selling these exact t-posts for $6.59.  Earlier last year, I only paid 50 cents per 7 ft. t-post and I purchased an entire pallet of them.  Next time I will purchase several thousand and then sell them on CL for a dollar more than I paid at the auction....then, all my fencing will be free.

I also picked up 250 sq. ft of brand new 18g galvanized sheet metal for only $5.  Normally this type of metal sells for hundreds of dollars.  So as you can see, I love finding really, really good deals.

Regarding roadside recycling...I do not dare take anything from stuff laid out in front of people's homes for recycling...here in super over-regulated California, it is a major crime if you are caught taking even one Coke can from anyone's recycle stuff.  Imagine that!


----------



## Latestarter (Jan 24, 2016)

But of course the police or any govt official really can rifle through your trash and take whatever they want on the grounds that you "might" be a criminal. Some kind of country we've become...


----------



## soarwitheagles (Jan 24, 2016)

Latestarter said:


> But of course the police or any govt official really can rifle through your trash and take whatever they want on the grounds that you "might" be a criminal. Some kind of country we've become...



Whoops...I should have been more careful.  I did not intend to divert the thread from our new sheep feeder to the horrors of America's slide toward socialism.  My bad!  I suppose there are different forums for that.  Personally, I am thankful for most police officers.  I think things could be much worse without them and I believe many of them are risking their lives on a daily basis to protect us from some really bad people and things.

Well, back on track...the sheep feeder is still working wonders.  My greatest surprise is the ram with the big horns has never had his horns stuck and I never did do the triangle mod that was mentioned earlier in the post.  

For me, Premier 1's feeder plans have worked marvelously for our given situation.  I would still like to try the 30 gallon half barrel plan with the vertical rebar, but first must find a good deal on an arc welder and Oxyacetylene torch...


----------



## soarwitheagles (Oct 3, 2016)

Just a quick update...

Feeder is still working incredibly well.  Believe it or not, it is working well for feeding over 25 sheep!

I did notice a little sag on some of the upper rails.  This is probably occurring due to two reasons:

1. I did not perfectly level the feeder when placing it on the ground in the sheep pen [my bad].

2. I used sawed in half 2"x3", and I now see how 2"x4"'s would have provided a much better structural support.

I will do my best to post new pics of the 9 month old feeder soon!


----------



## Baymule (Oct 3, 2016)

Great update. My hay feeder is 2 halves of a cow panel. Our hay man delivers a round bale, parks it in a corner of the fence and I "build" a hay ring around it with the 2 half cow panels. So far, it works.


----------



## Alexz7272 (Oct 3, 2016)

Still looks great!


----------



## soarwitheagles (Oct 3, 2016)

Baymule said:


> Great update. My hay feeder is 2 halves of a cow panel. Our hay man delivers a round bale, parks it in a corner of the fence and I "build" a hay ring around it with the 2 half cow panels. So far, it works.



Wow Baymule, that sounds much easier than our set up!



Alexz7272 said:


> Still looks great!



Thank you Alex!


----------



## norseofcourse (Oct 3, 2016)

Feeder still looks great!  I see it's out in the open - do you get much rain where you're at?


----------



## babsbag (Oct 3, 2016)

I have two of those feeders and about to build a single sided one for a fence line. I love those Premier1 plans.  I have wire on the ends of mine so a few more goats can eat at the ends. I like the way you attached the panels to the top rail, may copy that on my next one. I screwed some pieces of 2x4 to mine and sandwiched the panel in-between; works ok, but yours looks better...staples are impossible. I have discovered that young goats can get their head through a 4x4 square and for some reason can never seem to get it back out.    

I may have to start investing in the 3x5 panels from premier.


----------



## soarwitheagles (Oct 4, 2016)

norseofcourse said:


> Feeder still looks great!  I see it's out in the open - do you get much rain where you're at?



Thank you norseofcourse!  We usually have approximately 18 inches of rainfall per year.  Last year, I think we had 98% of our average annual rainfall.  Unfortunately, we are still in an extreme drought due to 4 solid years of way below average rainfall.



babsbag said:


> I have two of those feeders and about to build a single sided one for a fence line. I love those Premier1 plans.  I have wire on the ends of mine so a few more goats can eat at the ends. I like the way you attached the panels to the top rail, may copy that on my next one. I screwed some pieces of 2x4 to mine and sandwiched the panel in-between; works ok, but yours looks better...staples are impossible. I have discovered that young goats can get their head through a 4x4 square and for some reason can never seem to get it back out.
> 
> I may have to start investing in the 3x5 panels from premier.



babs,

Glad to hear you like Premier 1's design.  Me too!  And I also like your idea of install wire on the ends rather than the plywood.  I will carefully examine the options on this because I too would like to be able to feed as many sheep as possible from one feeder.

So sorry to hear about the young goats getting their heads stuck in the wire....fortunately, we haven't had that problem with the sheep.

Yes, I routered the wood for the center divide on the bottom board.  So far it is working well.

Please let us know how you like that single sided version once you have it completed!


----------



## Baymule (Oct 4, 2016)

Here is our ram Prince, eating hay from my makeshift "hay ring" that is really a square, LOL. I put a tarp over it to keep it dry.


----------



## babsbag (Oct 4, 2016)

@soarwitheagles I had a single sided one first and then got too many goats so converted it to a double.  Don't tell my DH but I need a bigger barn.     If I had a bigger area I would build another double but I think that that is pushing the standing room capacity plus they sleep in the barn when it rains. I only do feeders where I can throw hay from the fence line as I am not into being mauled by 40 goats.  I could pick up another 8x16 area if I didn't need a pen for bottle babies.  Hmmm...there is an idea forming in my head... I only need that area for about 4 months out of the year so it just seem so wasted...


----------



## soarwitheagles (Oct 5, 2016)

Baymule said:


> Here is our ram Prince, eating hay from my makeshift "hay ring" that is really a square, LOL. I put a tarp over it to keep it dry.
> 
> View attachment 22569



Nice looking sheep there Baymule.  I like your square hay ring.  Sure appears much easier than having to throw a bale of hay/clover into a feeder every other day!



babsbag said:


> @soarwitheagles I had a single sided one first and then got too many goats so converted it to a double.  Don't tell my DH but I need a bigger barn.     If I had a bigger area I would build another double but I think that that is pushing the standing room capacity plus they sleep in the barn when it rains. I only do feeders where I can throw hay from the fence line as I am not into being mauled by 40 goats.  I could pick up another 8x16 area if I didn't need a pen for bottle babies.  Hmmm...there is an idea forming in my head... I only need that area for about 4 months out of the year so it just seem so wasted...



babs,

Yes, I read a formula somewhere that spoke about square feet per animal.  Not sure where it is now, but I remember we were nearing our limit for both chickens [in the coop] and sheep [in the manger].  You may want to search online for that info.  And maybe you could use the baby pen on a seasonal basis.  Here, with ewes dropping new lambs nearly every month, we are always in season, so, I may be building some new mangers...esp. in some of the new paddocks.


----------

