Live Simply ~ Live Well
Life off the grid in NW Washington.

Making it Easy Feeders!

My husband, Joe, designed these great fence line feeders. They are very similar to the popular metal feeders but each one can be made for under $50! Since we put them in our pastures earlier this year - summer 2008 - the hay bill has been cut in half.

He is going to draw up the plans for them and make up a materials list, but it will be when he has time between his other projects on a rainy day.

What makes these feeders so neat is

they are lightweight so I can move them by myself,
they keep the feed up off the ground,
they are covered so the hay stays dry until the sheep eat it,
a small tray at the bottom allows you to feed minerals and treats in the same feeder,
they are V shaped which automatically drops the hay down to where the sheep can get to it,
the lambs can't climb into them as easily as they do with the open manger,
the lids provide a bit of an overhang for shelter,
and the rams haven't busted them up.

We tie the feeders to the fence line, which makes them very easy to move. The hinged lids open from the outside of the fence so I can go down the fence line and feed from the outside without having to open gates and go in and out of each pasture.