DIY automatic feeder for pigs. How to make your own pig feeders from wood, metal and other materials

When breeding pigs, every pig farmer strives to create favorable conditions for your pets, it is extremely simple and cost-effective to set up the process.

A properly selected feeder will minimize feed consumption

Minimizing feed losses plays an important role in pig farming. Which directly depends on the pig feeder.

Requirements for feeders

Piglets cannot be called clean animals. Cleanliness must be monitored daily to prevent the risk of infectious diseases or other undesirable effects on the health of piglets. That is why basic sanitary standards should be observed:

1. feeders for pigs should be easy to clean and wash, and be clean;
2. Contamination of containers with waste products of piglets should be prevented;
3. for dry and wet food it is better to have different feeders to prevent spillage and spillage from the containers;
4. the fastening must be such that the piglets can conveniently and easily get to the feed;
5. mandatory division of containers into compartments so that pigs cannot climb into them;
6. the material for the structures must be high-strength (plastic or stainless steel).

Pigs should not climb into the feeder with their feet

Feeder sizes

The size directly depends on the age of the animals. They must change throughout the life of the piglets.

The feeding front per individual and the dimensions in centimeters are presented in tables No. 1 and No. 2 below, respectively.

Table No. 1

Table No. 2

The size of the feeder varies depending on the age of the pig

Types of feeders

There are different feeders for pigs. There are permanent ones that do not move around the pigsty and are securely fixed. Mobile ones are convenient for feeding large pig herds. You can feed in group and individual containers. Depending on the design, they are divided into conventional (cans and troughs) and automatic (bunker).

Hopper feeders

Hopper feeders for pigs are used for dry food.

The operating principle is demonstrated in the drawing. The upper part of the bunker is filled with feed, which comes down, the container is a trough, from where the pigs eat. When a dose of food is consumed, the lower hole of the feeder is released and the food comes in again.

The main advantages of the bunker feeder are: uniform distribution feed among pigs, reducing consumption (piglets do not climb into the feeder and do not throw feed around) and constant access to feed.

And thanks to the simple design, pig farmers spend less time feeding piglets.

Drawing of a hopper feeder: 1) hopper, 2) tray, 3) limit bar, 4) tray, 5) cheek

DIY feeders

Anyone can make feeders for pigs with their own hands. Various drawings can be found on the Internet. Inventive pig farmers share their expertise in the field of adaptations. The main thing to remember when making feeders is that:

• the material must be corrosion-resistant and durable;
• The feeding device should be made according to the age and number of pigs;
• the design should be easy to clean;
• It is necessary to have a barrier (rods made of steel reinforcement) to prevent piglets from getting to the food.

You can make a drinking bowl and feeder for pigs with your own hands

Economical options

Feeders can be made from wooden boards. To do this, you need to saw off two rectangular-shaped parts and two small parts - triangular-shaped plugs. Then you need to connect all the parts with self-tapping screws or nails, nail the stops and legs for stability from the bars. The only drawback of such devices is their rapid destruction and difficulty in cleaning.

The simplest option is sections made from plastic barrels. One barrel can be cut into two, three or even four sections. To ensure the stability of the pig feeder, legs made of wooden beams should be attached to each section.

As feeders for pigs, an asbestos-cement or ceramic pipe is modified by sawing it lengthwise and closing it on the sides with wooden (cement) plugs. The upper bars are covered with galvanized iron.

Simple wooden feeder

The most practical feeder

A container made from a gas cylinder will be durable. Making it is a painstaking task and requires special care.

To do this, you need to release all the remaining gas and cut off the valve with a hacksaw. Then fill the container with water to the top and use a grinder to cut it into two parts.

Be sure to thoroughly treat the resulting parts with a burner to remove the smell of gas.

The service life of such a structure will be about 20 years.

To make a feeder, the balloon needs to be cut

Galvanized

You can make an elongated feeder from a sheet of galvanized iron. The sheet thickness must be at least 0.5 mm.

The prepared sheet can be bent on a mandrel with a steel hammer or mallet, not forgetting to make a flange along the edges so that the animals do not get hurt when feeding.

To ensure stability of the structure, it is necessary to attach legs on the sides made of the same material or wooden blocks.

The choice of feeders is huge. There are also many variations on the theme of making it yourself. What to choose must be decided by the pig farmer himself, based on financial capabilities and available means.

Construction of a pigsty involves not only the construction of a warm and sufficient spacious room, but also installation necessary equipment for complete feeding and breeding of healthy and viable animals with high live weight. The most necessary things for keeping are feeders and drinking bowls for pigs.

From this article you will learn what types of equipment exist and how to make them correctly simple models with your own hands. The article provides detailed descriptions, drawings and photos of feeders and drinkers for self-production.

Since pigs are omnivores, a wide variety of food types are used to feed them, including food waste. To dispense feed, a trough must be placed in the holding pen. It is often installed at the front of the machine, near the door.

Troughs for pigs can be made from almost any materials available on the farm (Figure 1):

• Tree;
• Metal;
• Asbestos.

Wooden troughs must be trimmed around the edges sheet iron. The best are troughs made from asbestos-cement pipes. The pipe is simply sawed in half, and the edges are sewn up with boards of the appropriate size.

A detailed procedure for making a bunker feeder with your own hands is given in the video.

Key Features

The size and main parameters of the food dispensing container play a key role in successful cultivation animals.

When choosing troughs for pigs, you need to consider some features:

• Dimensions of containers for young animals and adults must be different. In addition, when keeping a large population, food containers must be conveniently installed so that all animals can freely approach the food.
• Material must be durable, but at the same time easy to clean and disinfect.
• Better to make containers sealed to prevent animals from throwing food around or contaminating it with bedding and manure.

DIY pig feeders: making

There are many ways to make such products yourself. They can be made from almost any thing that is found on the farm. For example, you can take an old plastic barrel and cut it in half to make a trough. The same container can be made from an empty gas cylinder or a wide plastic pipe.

You can also make a convenient bunker structure with your own hands from wood or galvanized metal. The simplest model is considered to be an ordinary wooden trough made from planed boards.

Types of pig feeders

The types of feeders for pigs are very diverse and differ not only in the principle of feed dispensing, but also in the age of the animals. For example, for small piglets a small container made from a plastic bucket will be sufficient, but large boars and sows need to install spacious and comfortable models, containing required amount feed

DIY bunker feeders

The bunker type design is considered the most practical. You can do it yourself, using drawings and photos. A hopper (a small box made of wood or metal) is installed in the upper part, into which dry food is poured. The hopper is inserted into a trough made from any available materials (Figure 2).

A wooden limit bar is installed in the front part, which prevents the scattering of feed.

The convenience of this design is that you can pour a lot of food into it at once. It is constantly in the bunker, but some of it is poured into the trough. When the pigs have eaten all the food, a new batch is poured out of the hopper.

Automatic feeders

Automatic models are an improved version of the bunker. Feed is also poured into the top drawer, and dispensed gradually as the food is eaten.

As a rule, automatic models are purchased ready-made. They are equipped with special limiters to prevent animals from scattering food and contaminating it with bedding and manure.

DIY feeders

Making your own pig feeder is very easy. You don't have to choose for this complex design. It is enough to make a small trough from plastic, metal or wood, and install limiting strips along the edges.

But when making homemade containers, you need to carefully select materials (Figure 3):

• The finished product must be durable and resistant to corrosion, but at the same time easy to clean and disinfect;
• The size must correspond to the age and number of individuals on the farm;
• Reinforcement rods are installed along the edges so that the animals have free access to food, but at the same time cannot turn the container over.

You will find drawings for making and photos of homemade feeders in this article.

Galvanized feeders

A simple elongated trough can be made from galvanized steel. It is better to take sheets with a thickness of at least 0.5 mm so that the finished container has sufficient strength and durability.

The edges of the sheet are folded inward so that the animals do not get hurt while eating, and the legs are screwed at the bottom for stability. finished design.

A galvanized container can be of any shape, the main thing is that its size corresponds to the age of the individuals and their number.

Drinking bowls in a pigsty

Drinkers for fresh water must be installed in the pigsty. Any sufficiently deep container will be suitable for this purpose. The feeder and drinker should contain the maximum single dose of food or water. You can make a container for drinking water yourself, using any available materials. Figure 4 schematically shows the procedure for making such a container from an ordinary pipe.

To prevent livestock diseases, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the troughs after dispensing feed and periodically disinfect them with special solutions.

Main types of drinkers

There are several types of drinking bowls for pigs, but they need to be selected so that the water always remains clean and the animals can drink freely at any time. Below we will describe the main types of structures that are best suited for use in homestead farming.

Cup

The cup model is a small container with sides along the edges, which is filled with water through a valve or nipple (Figure 5).

The design of this model is very convenient, since animals have constant access to clean water, but at the same time they cannot splash it around. The principle of operation is that water is supplied to the container through a special hose, but does not pour out until the animal presses a special pedal inside.

Pigs quickly get used to such drinking bowls, and water is used evenly, as it is supplied only when necessary.

Nipple (nipple)

Nipple models can be used to supply water to individuals of various ages. Water is supplied through a rubber hose or plastic pipe, at the end of which a valve with a nipple is installed (Figure 6).

When a pig wants to drink, it simply goes to the nipple, presses its mouth on the nipple, and a portion of water flows out of it. This design is highly hygienic, since drinking water does not become dirty, and the containers themselves only need to be washed occasionally. The only drawback is the high cost of the finished structure, which can only be purchased in the store.

Vacuum

Vacuum drinkers are considered the simplest, and you can easily make them yourself from scrap materials.

In order to make a vacuum design, you need to take a jar or any other container, pour water into it, cover it with a bowl and turn it over. As a result, some of the water will flow into the bowl, and when the pigs drink it, a new portion of liquid will come from the jar (Figure 7).

Such models are installed mainly in piglets, since it is difficult to find a large container that can hold enough water for adults. However, vacuum models need to be monitored as they are easily knocked over by animals.

Key Features

The main feature of drinking bowls for pigs is that they must hold enough water so that the animals can drink to their heart's content at any time. But this is not the only feature of water containers.

If a nipple design is used for drinking, it is better to fix it at an angle so that it is more comfortable for the animals and they do not splash water. You should be careful about the material of future products.

Note: In principle, the drinking bowl can be made from any material, but it must be durable and not rust. Therefore, if it is made of metal, it is better to give preference to stainless steel.

In winter, drinking bowls must be insulated or heated in the room where they are located so that the water inside does not freeze.

To avoid extra costs When breeding pigs, you can build a pigsty yourself and equip it inside with everything you need, including drinking bowls and feeders for pigs. In this case, you can use scrap materials that have accumulated in your household, or, if necessary, buy new inexpensive building materials. In any case, arranging a pigsty and, in particular, making drinking bowls and feeders for pigs with your own hands will allow you to significantly reduce costs, even if it takes some time.

How to properly set up a pigsty

When designing a barn for pigs with or without separate pens, make sure that the animals live comfortably and that caring for the farm does not cause unnecessary difficulties. Make drinking bowls and feeders for wet or dry food so that they provide pigs with free access to feed and water, but prevent them from becoming clogged with animal waste products, and so that the containers can be easily cleaned at any time.

Make drinking bowls and feeders for wet or dry food so that they provide free access for pigs

You can build a pig shed from wood, brick, adobe, or cinder blocks. The main thing is not to use concrete and reinforced concrete, as they have poor thermal conductivity. Ruberoid or slate is suitable for the roof, and the ceiling itself will need to be insulated. It is also advisable to make the floor insulated (you can lay unplaned boards, covering them with straw) and be sure to provide a slight slope of the floor surface towards a groove dug near the wall to drain pig excrement.

Video about a pig drinking bowl

Sufficient height for a pigsty is about two meters. The area depends on how many pigs you intend to keep.

In order to maintain cleanliness, it is recommended to arrange a feeding area with feeders and drinking bowls in one half of the pigsty, and raise the other half slightly above the floor level and adapt it for resting animals.

For pregnant females, sows and breeding boars, it is advisable to make separate pens equipped with individual drinkers and feeders. For one pig you will need a pen with an area of ​​three to four square meters, and for sows with piglets - at least five square meters.

IN summer time to ventilate the pigsty it will be enough to hold open windows and doors leading to the walking area, in winter it is necessary to take care of making the simplest ventilation from metal pipe, brought out through the window opening from the barn to the street. In addition, in winter you will need to provide heating for the pigsty, since comfortable temperature for pigs it should be at least 13 degrees, and for newborn piglets - from 18 degrees.

For pregnant females, sows and breeding boars, it is advisable to make separate pens equipped with individual drinkers and feeders

How to make pig feeders with your own hands: options and tips

Often, pig farmers at home use ordinary metal or wooden troughs as feeders. But neither one nor the other troughs are short-lived: wooden troughs fail within a year, and troughs made of galvanized steel sheets are destroyed by corrosion after a couple of years. So farmers have to be resourceful, coming up with various options feeders with a longer service life:

• an asbestos-cement pipe sawn lengthwise can be used as a trough, attaching wooden semicircles-plugs at the end, and covering the upper edges of the pipe with galvanized iron for greater strength;
• A feeder made from a regular gas cylinder can last for more than twenty years, but first you need to drain the condensate from it by turning the cylinder upside down and unscrewing the tap with a key. You can cut the balloon into two equal halves with a grinder, or make one part of a larger volume for pigs, and the second of a smaller volume for piglets;
• for dry food, it is more convenient to use hopper feeders made of aluminum sheets with inclined walls, which ensure a gradual supply of fresh food (you can easily find drawings on the Internet).

For dry food, it is more convenient to use hopper feeders made of aluminum sheets with inclined walls.

Feed in homemade feeders It will stay clean longer if you weld jumpers or steel bars across long metal troughs so that the animals can easily reach the food, but cannot climb into the trough with their feet.

At self-production Feeders for pigs are usually made about 30-40 cm wide, up to 25 cm deep, and the length is chosen at your discretion. It is more convenient when the front and rear walls of the feeders are located at an angle to the floor, which prevents top part The feeder turns out to be wider than the bottom one. It is better to make the back wall more suitable acute angle than the front one, then the pigs will throw out less feed with “digging” head movements.

Drawings and photos of trough types: bunker, wooden, asbestos-cement pipe or gas cylinder

Wooden feeder
Hopper feeder
Feeder from a gas cylinder
Feeder from asbestos cement pipe
Bunker option for several pigs

Video about pig feeders

What types of pig drinking bowls are there?

Basins and cups used as drinkers on private farms are increasingly being replaced by convenient nipple or nipple drinkers. Although cup drinkers allow you to save water, dirt and food debris accumulate in them very quickly, which is why you have to constantly monitor the cleanliness of the container and change the water frequently.

Nipple drinking systems have a rather complex automatic design, which includes a water treatment unit, a pressure regulator, water supply pipes and a mechanical filter. It is not easy to make such a structure yourself; it is easier to purchase a nipple or nipple drinker. Just when purchasing, try to choose the appropriate nipple size according to the age of the pigs, and secure the drinker to optimal height at an angle - this will make it easier for animals to drink, and there will be less water spillage. As you can see, there are tricks not only in making pig feeders with your own hands, but also in creating drinking bowls.

Every person who decides to engage in livestock farming is faced with the issue of equipping a feeder for livestock. Beginning pig breeders are often interested in whether it makes sense to buy a trough for pigs, or can they make it themselves? To decide on this, you need to know what exactly feeders are, what standards they must meet and what they look like.

When equipping the animal feeding area, fairly simple and reasonable conditions must be met:

• cleanliness of the feeder, that is, washing the container should be easy;
• the inadmissibility of waste from entering the feeder;
• impossibility of overturning feeders by animals;
• the presence of different containers for dry and liquid food, a separate trough for water;
• tightness of feeders;
• the design should imply freedom of access for animals to food;
• convenient angle of inclination of the trough, which will ensure complete eating and ease of washing.

Dimensions

Except sanitary standards, dictated primarily by a reasonable approach to cleanliness, that is, to the issue of pig health, it is important to choose the most convenient size for containers. For piglets and adults, troughs and drinking bowls of completely different sizes will be needed. It is impossible to raise an adult from a baby using the same design.

• suckers - 15 - 20 cm;
• young animals up to six months – 20 – 25 cm;
• young animals older than six months - 25 - 35 cm;
• sow – 35 – 40 cm;
• adult boar – 40 – 50 cm.

The dimensions of a pig feeder depend on the age and size of the animal.

To feed suckling piglets, containers 15 cm long, with a front edge height of 10 cm and with a strong angle of inclination are used.

Types of feeders

Devices for eating animals are divided by design into types, which is dictated primarily by ease of use.

By type, feeding equipment is:

• stationary, that is, permanently installed;
• mobile, one- or two-sided (this type is convenient for large herds);
• individual, usually used when raising a couple of piglets “for yourself”;
• group, for several animals.

By design, feeders are divided into:

• ordinary, that is, what is at hand is used as a container, for example, basins, buckets, old baby baths;
• automatic feeders for pigs, the so-called bunkers are used for supplying dry feed, are very convenient for fattening and greatly reduce human labor costs, since they serve the food mixture for some time without his participation;
• combined, this includes everything that is enough for the ingenuity, imagination and skill of livestock breeders.

There are automatic feeders for pigs on sale that allow you to dose the amount of feed.

Regardless of the material and design of the feeders, their correct placement, suitable size and ease of use will not only reduce the physical effort and time spent by the livestock breeder, but will also allow raising a healthy and well-fed pig population.

How to make your own feeder

Today manufacturers offer big choice all kinds of equipment needed in agriculture, capable of satisfying even the most picky and demanding person. However, many livestock farmers still prefer to do everything themselves. The point here is not only about saving, but also about the desire to “put your hands in”, to expend your own efforts so that the result of your work brings great joy and satisfaction. This is especially true if we're talking about about a small number of livestock.

A do-it-yourself pig feeder, regardless of its complexity, also has practical meaning, because it will take into account the specific needs that a particular piglet experiences.

If you have the skills to work with wood or metal, you can make a trough for pigs yourself.

The simplest thing is to make a regular trough. As a material for the container itself, wood is rarely used today because it is much more difficult to wash than plastic, and food residues create conditions for the growth of bacteria and a danger to animal health. Yes and service life wooden feeder very short - a year at most, after which such a trough will become unusable.

But beginning livestock breeders still often make their first feeders from wood, considering it the most environmentally friendly and affordable of materials.

Wooden trough

To make the simplest wooden structure, you will need smooth planed boards, no matter whether they are made of deciduous or coniferous species wood, can be combined. From these you will need to cut rectangular parts of the same size. You will also need to cut out two triangular blanks, which will become the ends of the future feeder.

If necessary, additional bars of sufficient length are cut to make the upper limiters. All parts fit tightly and are connected with screws or nails. As a result, you need to go over the product with sandpaper so that the animals do not get hurt while eating.

The fewer different parts there will be in wooden trough, the easier it is to care for and wash it.

Wood - affordable and inexpensive material for making a feeder.

Plastic trough

Very simple design, is done quickly, literally in one approach. As a rule, plastic barrels, waste water cans installed in boilers, and other containers of suitable size and shape are used as raw materials.

The most basic thing is to cut the bottle or barrel in half and round the edges. From similar structures one can build whole line quite convenient and durable feeders. Fixing them at the desired angle is also not very difficult; you just need to dig them a little into the earthen floor. This will also solve the problem of excessively light weight.

If desired or necessary, you can show engineering ingenuity by adding to the design wooden parts, complicating the initial “pattern” to three or four canvases. The main thing is not to get carried away and remember that the trough should be practical and convenient.

A plastic barrel will be an excellent material for fast production pork trough.

Trough from a gas cylinder

Often, empty used gas cylinders are left on farms, sometimes the gas service does not pick them up, sometimes they are simply written off at the end of their service life. In the presence of the necessary tool and metalworking skills, from such raw materials you can make excellent and durable feeders for pigs with your own hands.

The operating procedure will be as follows:

• Using the handwheel, completely unscrew the valve;
• apply shampoo to the outlet hole - no bubbles should appear, that is, this is a way to make sure that the gas is completely released;
• You can cut off the fastening cleanly, using a simple hacksaw. Since the brass from which the cylinder is made is soft material, special effort not required. It is important to prevent sparks, so the cutting area must either be constantly watered with water, or the sawing itself must be done in water;
• After removing the fastening, fill the container with water or soap solution, walk along the walls with a brush, and drain. Repeat the procedure several times to completely flush out the condensate;
• leave the resulting workpiece to dry and weather. If, when drying, you notice the smell of propane, wash again until the smell goes away and the walls become clean to the touch;
• cut the balloon in half lengthwise for identical feeders, or into larger and smaller pieces for troughs of different sizes. This can also be done with a grinder;
• to prevent pigs from climbing into the feed with their feet in the future, weld reinforcement bars along the top;
• when the container is already ready, for complete reliability in the matter of removal harmful substances surfaces need to be heated. This is easy to do with a gas torch.

Using a grinder, a gas cylinder can be turned into a comfortable and durable trough.

The finished trough just needs to be installed so that animals cannot turn it over.

It is imperative to check the product for protruding reinforcement pins and remove any, if any. This is necessary so that the pigs or piglets do not get hurt.

Using the same principles, you can make troughs from other materials - pipes, galvanized steel and anything that is suitable for this item. But the most convenient and interesting for livestock farmers are automatic feeders for pigs, which can also be made independently.

DIY automatic feeder

Automatic, or bunker, feeders allow the livestock breeder to save time and labor, and the pigs to always be well-fed. Making this type of feeding area is not very difficult.

This is very convenient for novice livestock breeders and for those who raise several pigs for themselves and are not used to quite hard farming work. For large livestock, bunker feeders for pigs will also be useful, because they will significantly reduce time costs and save the energy of the farm owner. This type of equipment has only one drawback - this feeder is only suitable for dry food.

In order to understand the principle of operation of such a “smart trough”, drawings are not needed. The point is that at the top vertical design a storage tank is mounted, which ends with an inclined limiter, and behind it begins the container directly from where the animal eats. The principle of operation is completely similar to feeders for pets - both for dogs and for hamsters.

A quality hopper feeder can be made from sheet metal or pipes.

The material can be anything, just assemble a similar thing from pipes, the main thing is that they are not rusty or too old:

• the wide pipe is divided into two parts, a larger one for the storage tank, and a smaller one for the trough;
• a part of the pipe is installed vertically, from below it is partially cut off from the side;
• inside the pipe container, a limiter made from a previously cut piece of iron is welded to the bottom of the same vertical section at an angle;
• the part of the pipe left for the trough is cut lengthwise, cuts are made along the edges, from which the sides of the future trough are formed, or this can be made from the second semicircle remaining during the cut;
• the vertical part is welded to the horizontal;
• the sides are rounded.

Before installing the resulting hopper feeder, you need to check every step taken to avoid sharp edges, holes, and unreliable welds. This will prevent animals from getting hurt and structures from falling apart.

There are a lot of options for making bunker feeders for pigs with your own hands, but they all have the same operating principle.

Modern industry offers fully automatic “smart” feeders that dispense feed in portions and on time. For a small farm with not many pigs, such options are not needed because they do not pay off. But for large livestock farms that raise pork for sale, they can be very useful.

To summarize, it must be said that, having asked the question of how to make feeders for pigs, you need to clearly understand how many animals will feed from them, for how long, and how high-quality the care for the livestock will be. It is also necessary to remember that the most important thing in any feeder is its simplicity, cleanliness and functional convenience for both the livestock breeder and the pigs.

Such food containers, like feeders, are intended for daily feeding of the animal. Because of this, the health of the pig will also directly depend on it. After all, if such containers are constantly dirty, then the animal will definitely get sick sooner or later. To maintain the health of piglets, when using feeders you should follow a few simple rules. These rules apply to all types of structures and are mandatory to comply with.

General sanitary standards

• The pig feeding container should always be kept clean. To do this, you should adhere to one very simple rule, namely, such a device should be easy to clean and wash.
• Then the feeder constantly gets clogged. Such clogging must be prevented in advance.
• It is very bad if food constantly spills out of the container. It is necessary to prevent dry food from spilling out and wet food from pouring out.
• For different types feed must be taken different types containers, and drinking water is given only from the drinking bowl.
• The main requirement for a container for liquid food is its tightness. After all, the constant leakage of liquid will not only bring economic loss to the owner, but will also constantly clog the pigsty. Thus, the humidity in it will always be high, and this is also bad for pigs.
• The design of the device for feeding piglets must be such that the animal can easily reach the feed. The best option containers with beveled edges or rounded corners are considered.
• It will be good if you install the container at an angle. Thus, the leftover food will always be collected in one place and if the animal does not finish eating, the owner can easily remove it.

Common sizes

When purchasing or making feeders for piglets, you should remember that their size should constantly change throughout the life of the animal. So, for example, small and low containers are perfect for small piglets, and, on the contrary, large containers for large ones. Then, if there are a lot of pigs, it is better to install long troughs as feeders. This way, all the pigs can eat at the same time. At the same time, it is also worth dividing the trough into compartments with jumpers so that animals cannot climb into it.

Table of norms for the width of animal feeders of different ages Table of norms for the length of feeders for pigs of different ages

Do it yourself

Based on the number of pigs and their age, as well as the type of food they will be given, several types of feeders can be made. The first type is ordinary feeders for piglets and pigs. These include various types of simple containers, such as a basin, a trough, etc. The second most common type when feeding dry food is automatic structures, which are also called bunkers.

There, the feed is supplied automatically depending on how much the pig eats. But this type of feeder is quite difficult to build, so we will look at simpler options. In addition, no matter what kind of feeder you build, it can be fixed, mobile, individual or for a group of pigs. Here the decision is yours.

From a plastic barrel

If you have an old, useless large one lying around plastic barrel, then don’t rush to throw it away. It will make an excellent feeder for wild boars, pigs and piglets, you can see an example in the photo. But before making a food container out of a barrel, you should be 100% sure that no toxic substances were stored in it.

Tools

• large plastic barrel;
• several wooden blocks;
• screws;
• pencil or marker;
• jigsaw;
• sanding paper.

Manufacturing

From a gas cylinder

If you have an old one lying around at home gas cylinder, then don’t rush to sell it for scrap either. It will make an excellent and durable feeder that will last about 20 years.

Tools and materials

• old gas cylinder;
• a brush and soap solution to check the remaining gas in the cylinder;
• a bucket of water or other container with water (you will need a lot of water);
• hacksaw for metal;
• Bulgarian;
• reinforcement bars;
• several metal corners;
• gas-burner;
• welding machine.

Manufacturing

From a piece of pipe

You can also simply make a feeder if you have a piece of asbestos-cement or ceramic pipe. Such materials are also durable, as they do not corrode.

Drawing of a pipe feeder: 1 - ceramic half-pipe; 2 - concrete support; 3 — protective grille; 4 - holders.

Tools and materials

• a piece of pipe (its length depends on the number of pigs);
• several pieces of boards or prepare cement mortar;
• reinforcement bars with a diameter of 15 mm;
• welding machine;
• Bulgarian;
• Master OK;
• saw or jigsaw.

Manufacturing

1. We take a piece of pipe and saw it lengthwise in the same way as in the case of a gas cylinder. The pipe diameter should be about 220 mm.
2. It is better to choose a feeder from a pigsty permanent place, since it will not be removable. We prepare a concrete support for it in the right place.
3. We install the pipe and put plugs on both ends. The plugs can also be made of concrete or made from pieces of boards.
4. To prevent the pig from getting into the feeder, you need to make a mesh from reinforcement that will be installed above the feeder. At this point, the feeder is ready, and you can examine its design in more detail in the drawing.

What other options exist?

Some simple options We have already examined feeders for pigs in detail. But it should be said that there are quite a lot of variations of such designs. So, for example, you yourself can easily make an automatic feeder for pigs from several galvanized sheets of tin. Then you can use any convenient container for this or make a completely wooden trough. And finally, you yourself can easily come up with your own version of the design for animals based on available means and general recommendations which are given above.

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Video “DIY pig feeder”