How to make a feeder from a gas cylinder. How to make your own feeder for piglets at home

Pig farming brings good profits if the work process is organized correctly. One of important stages- providing animals with food. Not only the quality of food matters, but also the wise choice of feeder. With its help, you can reduce food costs and increase farm profitability.

What is a feeder for?

A pig feeder is a container of certain dimensions into which the farmer puts food. The design must meet certain requirements in order to:

animals had unhindered access to food;
did not throw food around the premises;
the food remained clean and did not cause poisoning.

Feeders are selected based on the age of the animals, their numbers and gender.

Types and requirements for feeders

Exist different types feeders for pigs. The feasibility of their use depends on the number of livestock and the financial situation of the farmer.

The given classification is conditional. It is possible to intersect and combine several varieties in one design.

By type of feeder there are:

stationary - fixed in one place. The animal cannot move the container around the room;
mobile - they can be moved around the pigsty. There are one-sided and two-sided. In the latter case there is a longitudinal partition;
individual - designed for one pig;
group - provide food to the entire population.

By design:

standard - this category includes a trough for pigs, a basin and other similar feeders;
automatic - also called bunker. Designed for loading large volumes of feed (for 2-3 days). Food enters the tray as needed. Such designs greatly simplify the care of large livestock. Used for fattening, feeding pregnant pigs, and raising piglets.

Important! Regardless of the type and features of the feeder, it must comply sanitary requirements and be comfortable to use. Right choice allows you to reduce material and time costs for servicing the farm.

General sanitary requirements:

The size of the container is also important:

the dimensions must correspond to the size of the pigs: a feeder for piglets will be much smaller than a design for adults;
When raising large livestock, it is better to install an elongated trough. Then all the pigs can eat at the same time. Individual seats are separated by partitions.

The optimal width of the feeders is shown in the table. Dimensions are indicated in centimeters.

When feeding from longitudinal troughs, for each animal you need to allocate:

about 50 cm for a boar;
40 cm for sow;
about 30 cm for piglets over 5 months;
25 cm for piglets under 5 months;
15 cm for suckling piglets.

With this arrangement, the animals always have access to food and do not interfere with each other.

Note! Pot-bellied breeds need a larger feeder.

How to make a feeder with your own hands

Today, equipment for livestock breeders is sold in all farm stores. However, most people still prefer to make feeders and waterers for pigs with their own hands, adapting them to their own needs. Everything that is at hand is used. How to make a pig trough at home:

From a plastic barrel or bottle

This is one of the most simple ways manufacturing. You don't even need a drawing.

Important! Before use plastic barrel you need to make sure that no poisonous or toxic substances that could be harmful to health were stored in it.

How to make a pig trough from a barrel:

The container is cut electric jigsaw or other suitable tool into 2, 3 or 4 parts in accordance with the original dimensions of the barrel.
Wooden legs are screwed to the side walls. They will ensure the stability of the structure.
Sharp edges and burrs are treated with sandpaper to prevent injury to the animal.

The feeder is ready for use. In a similar way, you can make it from a metal barrel.

Designs made from 10-liter plastic bottles are suitable for young animals. To make them, you need to cut the vessel into 2 halves and remove the neck.

Metal feeder

Hopper feeders for pigs are made from metal sheets. They consist of several parts:

Step-by-step manufacturing instructions:

A profile pipe with a square cross-section (about 12×12 cm) is cut along the edge into 2 parts. This is the future tray.
Two metal sheets (60x4x1.5 cm) are placed on their long side and welded at a distance of 7 cm using suitable metal scraps. This is a pallet.
The bunker is assembled from four sheets - 2 along the width of the tray and 2 narrower ones for the side walls. The result will be a cone-shaped parallelepiped.
The hopper is connected to the pallet, then the tray is welded so that its center coincides with the rib.
At the end, the tray is divided into sections designed for one piglet using reinforcement.

The finished feeder is designed for 10 piglets. To make a design for a different number of animals, a separate drawing should be developed.

From a ceramic or asbestos-cement pipe

These structures do not corrode during use, so they last a long time.

Pipe feeder

Step-by-step instruction:

A pipe of suitable size is cut into 2 halves.
Concrete stands are made according to its diameter.
Transverse sections are cemented or plugs cut from boards are installed in them. The seams are sealed with mortar to make the structure airtight.
A metal grid made of reinforcement is placed on top so that the pigs cannot climb into the feeder with their feet.

The finished structure is installed in a pigsty.

From an old gas cylinder

This is a great idea for making a reliable and durable structure. One feeder will last about 20 years.

Step-by-step instruction:

The finished feeder is securely fastened to avoid tipping over.

Drinkers for pigs

In addition to feeders, drinking bowls are required to organize a pigsty. In the past, farmers used troughs or basins, but animals kept knocking them over. Because of this, the floor was covered with stinking mud.

Modern pig waterers also vary in type and method of water supply. Livestock breeders buy them in specialized stores or make them themselves.

For your information! Large farms use auto-drinkers for pigs.

The most common option is the cup design. It is a container with sides that do not allow animals to spill water.

It comes in two types:

valve - when the pig approaches the drinking bowl, it steps on the pedal. As a result, the mechanism is activated and water flows into the bowl. If the pig moves aside, the liquid will stop flowing;
nipple - to drink, the pig takes a special nipple into its mouth, from which water flows. The design has a complex mechanism, but it is more economical than the first option.

Both types of drinking bowls for piglets can be made with your own hands. The valve design is the simplest to implement.

Advantages of automatic feeders

Automatic feeder

This useful invention greatly simplifies the task of farmers. Automatic designs are designed for dry food. They work on a simple principle:

feed is poured into the upper tank, from where it flows into the lower trough;
As food is eaten, space in the tray is freed up and again replenished with food from the upper part.

Automatic feeder for pigs has several advantages:

the pigs are provided with food for a couple of days in advance;
new food does not arrive until the pigs have eaten the previous one;
animals cannot climb into the container and scatter food throughout the pigsty.

A well-organized feeding system will help raise healthy and strong livestock. Each pig will receive a sufficient amount of food, and order and cleanliness will be maintained in the pigsty.

Construction of a pigsty on your own personal plot- it’s a very real thing, especially since many elements of the arrangement can be done with your own hands. In this article we'll talk on how to create cages, waterers and feeders for pigs yourself, saving a lot of money.

Key Features

In order for piglets to grow and develop well, it is very important to properly equip their feeding area. When creating feeders, you should consider some subtleties:

The size of these structures directly depends on the area of the pigsty and the number of animals. For example, to keep 2-3 individuals a small trough will be enough, while for a large population you will have to make a larger and longer container. As a rule, amateur pig farmers use feeders on their farms with a depth of about 25 cm and a width of 30-40 cm, the length varies depending on the number of heads.
In order for the container to be convenient to clean, it should be slightly inclined and have a rounded shape. The corners inside the structure tend to become clogged with dirt and food, which can be quite problematic to wash out.
Regardless of size, the feeder must be airtight, durable and have sufficient weight. If the container is too light and unstable, it must be secured to the floor so that the pigs cannot knock it over.
When making a pig feeder with your own hands, you can use various materials. A wooden container will be environmentally friendly, but short-lived in use. The metal structure will last much longer, but to avoid corrosion, you should give preference to aluminum or stainless steel.
To prevent animals from contaminating food, special bridges should be made across long feeders. This way the pigs will be able to easily reach the food, but will not be able to climb into the trough with four legs.
The container should be cleaned at least once a week. The easiest way to do this is with a water jet from a hose. If your feeder is not made of wood and does not have internal corners– washing it will not be difficult, and moisture will not harm the structure.

Ways to create feeders

In this section I would like to give a few simple and quick ways creating these structures using scrap materials.

Metal pipe feeder:

take a wide metal pipe;
cut a fragment of the required length from it;
divide it lengthwise into two halves using a suitable tool;
Weld plates of the same material at both ends;
At the bottom of the resulting structure, attach legs for stability.

Can be used as a feeder asbestos cement pipe. It should also be sawn into two parts, a wooden plug should be placed at each end, and for greater durability, the upper edges should be covered with metal.
Brick feeder:

first, dig a trench 30 cm deep and about 60 cm wide;
Lay waterproof material at the bottom of the pit;
prepare a cement solution;
pave the central part of the ditch with bricks, fastening them with mortar;
Also decorate the walls of the trench with bricks, laying them at an angle of 45° relative to the ground level;
leave everything until completely dry;
then prepare a new solution adding liquid glass– this will give the composition additional strength;
fill the space between the stones with the resulting mixture, then give the inside of the feeder a semicircular shape;
wait a while until the solution is completely dry;
cover the surface with a special liquid waterproofing solution.

Very for a long time A feeder made from a sawn gas cylinder can serve well. Before cutting it, do not forget to drain the internal condensation without leaving any residue.
A bunker feeder for pigs, a drawing of which can be easily found on the Internet, is best suited for dry types of food. This container has sloping aluminum walls, which ensures a uniform and gradual influx of food for animals.

You can clearly see bunker feeders for pigs in the photo:

Drinking bowls in a pigsty

Properly provided water supply to animals is the basis for their health, growth and development. It should be remembered that the supply of fluid to pigs must be constant and uninterrupted, and access to it must be convenient and unhindered. Irrationalally organized watering of livestock can cause constipation, poor digestion, overheating and diseases of the respiratory system.

There are several types of drinking bowls for pigs:

Cup drinkers are one of the oldest and simplest ways to provide water to animals. Its advantages are that the liquid in such drinkers is consumed quite economically and does not splash around. But, nevertheless, cups and basins tend to become clogged very quickly with dirt and food debris, as a result of which they are required frequent washing and water replacement.
Nipple or nipple drinkers for pigs have more complex design than the previous ones. It includes a water supply unit, a pressure regulator, water supply pipes, and a mechanical filter. Can buy this device V finished form or make a drinking bowl for pigs with your own hands. In the second case, some factors should be taken into account:

The best material for the drinking system is steel or a brass-bronze alloy;
The size of the nipple should be selected depending on the situation: for growing piglets it is better to use a small and loose nipple, while for fattening animals a device with a larger diameter is suitable;
the drinking bowl should be positioned at a slight angle - this will make the drinking process convenient for the animals and will also prevent excessive splashing of liquid;
too much water pressure can lead to its spillage and wasteful use, so you should not install excessively high pressure in the water supply system;
the presence of filters in drinking bowls and their regular replacement are a prerequisite for keeping pigs, since the health of animals directly depends on the purity and freshness of the water they receive;
for the same reason, you should maintain the drinking bowls themselves in a tidy condition, removing all dirt from them as often as possible.

Pig cages

Main characteristics

When equipping a pigsty on your own plot, you can also make cages for keeping animals yourself. To do this you need to know a few rules:

Since pigs will increase in size and gain weight as they develop, cages for them should be made in excess. In addition, even an adult should feel comfortable in his pen, and for this it must be spacious enough. If there is too little space in the cage, the animals will not be able to rest properly and will be subjected to constant jostling, which will negatively affect their health, general condition and weight gain.
The sizes of cages for pigs have certain standards. It is generally accepted that the optimal space for one fattening animal is an area of about 3 m². For one sow, at least 5 m² of space should be provided.
The pen for pigs must contain separate place for animals to rest - the so-called den. Its boundaries are determined based on the size of the pig. It should be borne in mind that the den should not be too large, since the animal will pollute the excess territory, and it will also take a lot of money to cover it. large quantity bedding.
The pigs' resting area should be separated using a wooden board nailed to the floor - this will help maintain cleanliness in the den and will prevent litter from being scattered throughout the rest of the pigsty.

Examples of creating cells with your own hands

Let us consider in detail the sequence of actions when constructing a cage for a pig:

First of all, you need to make the frame of the future machine. For this you can use various materials: metal pipes, corners or strong wooden beams.
Make 4 1 m high racks from the selected materials.
Connect them in pairs using a crossbar fixed at the top so that you get something like the letter “P”.
Then, at a height of about 20 cm above the floor level, attach a horizontal frame to the posts, which will become the basis for laying the floor.
Make the walls of the cage from a metal lattice with wood panels, cover the floor with boards.
Install a feeder at the front of the structure.
Make the back wall in the form of a lattice door; at floor level, connect it with hinges to a horizontal axis - this will make it possible to lower and raise the door if necessary.
To remove excrement, a gap of at least 8 cm should be provided between the gate and the floor.
If you use bolts for all fastenings, you can make a collapsible cage. This design can be moved or folded if necessary, and in the warm season the machine can be taken out into the fresh air.

There is another, simpler way to make a cage in a pigsty:

Build rectangular design 1-1.5 m high, using beams, boards, metal or brick as materials.
Make a door in the front wall and install a feeder.
Make the floor of the cage with an inclination of about 5° towards the front of the compartment.
To remove manure, there must be a gap of 10 cm between the walls of the pen and the floor of the pigsty.

Cages for pigs, photo:

From the following video you can find out detailed information about bunker feeders for pigs:

There are many ways to make your own pig feeder. Hopper-type devices are designed for dry food, which is considered the most effective in pig farming. These devices are designed very conveniently and are easy to manufacture. Dimensions are selected depending on the age and number of animals. In the article we will analyze in detail all the advantages and disadvantages of “feed bunkers”, and also give instructions on how to assemble them yourself.

Benefits of a bunker

The bunker-type design is arranged according to the following scheme: it is a box tapering towards the bottom, which goes into a feed tray. The feed is poured from above and enters the trough through a narrow horizontal slot.

When the tray is empty, the next batch comes from the hopper. The main advantages of such a feeder:

uniform feed supply;
the animal cannot contaminate or scatter food;
food is provided for several feedings at once.

Hopper feeder is only suitable for dry food. Otherwise, they are subject to the same requirements as other types of equipment for feeding pigs. Feeders should be:

made of non-toxic material;
safe for animals;
easy to clean;
the size is selected based on the number of heads per product;
installed so as to guarantee the pig free access to food.

When making your own pig feeder, keep in mind the number and age of your animals.

For yourself or on an industrial scale

It is more useful to use bunker feeders on farms with 5 animals or more. Although using them to simplify the feeding of a pair of piglets taken for fattening until the fall is also not bad. There should be at least 50 cm of tray per adult pig. If you plan to feed young piglets, 30 cm is enough. The height of the container is also adjustable (from 15 to 60 cm)

If you are making a feeder for piglets with your own hands, then the height of the tray (trough) must be selected depending on the age of the animals. Approximately, the sides should reach the pigs' chest. In this case, they will not need to bend over, and feeding will not harm their bones and joints.

Metal feeders are stronger and more durable than wooden ones, but require higher initial costs and manufacturer qualifications. It is better to use metal bins for feeding adult animals, and wooden ones for young animals.

What to do and from what

If you decide to make a metal or wooden feeder yourself, you need to select the material, calculate its quantity, stock up on tools and fasteners.

In order for the bunker feeder to serve for a long time and faithfully, it is important to think through all stages of manufacturing in advance, for example, how to correctly connect the parts.

For production you need: several sheets stainless metal(2-3 mm thick), grinder, welding machine and electrodes for it, corners, mallet.

If you have no experience working with metal and electrical equipment, you may find it easier to use wood as a material.

To make a wooden feeder you will need:
several boards (40 mm thick or more, and 60 cm wide or more);
a pair of bars (40x40 mm, length depends on the size of the product);
screws or nails;
screwdriver or hammer;

several metal corners.

Regardless of the material chosen, first study the drawings of the future product, which we will discuss below.

We measure and cut

Double-sided bunker feeders for pigs are good for large livestock (from 20 heads above). If the herd is small, you can make a small one-sided structure for 3-5 pigs in a couple of days. To prevent the sows from pushing, divide the tray where the food goes into sections.

Before making your own pig feeder, evaluate your skills in working with metal and wood. Calculate the number of boards or rolled metal and fasteners. Check if the tools are working properly.

The drawing of the bunker feeder should include a visualization of the connection of the sides of the box and the fastening of other parts. Approximate dimensions must be indicated:
bunker (wall height - 150-270 mm, width 90 mm at the top, 60 mm at the bottom, length - 200-290 mm);
limit bar with a diameter of 20x20 mm;
trough height (20-60 mm);

sidewalls (two triangles - 100x180x205 mm).

If the feeder is double-sided, add the required dimensions to the other side as well.

With welding machine and grinder

A metal feeder for adult sows and wild boars is made in several steps. First, metal sheets are cut and formed into parts. The finished walls are welded into a quadrangular box.

As the tray is emptied, the food in it will be renewed by gravity. The hopper ends in a single- or double-sided tray. Provide the tray with limiters. Reinforcing bars are suitable for this. Finally, sand and paint the piece.

Such a structure is easy to wash and disinfect, and a large feed supply (from 40 kg) allows you to optimize the feeding process.

Saw and hammer

To make a cheaper wooden feeder for piglets or adults, you can use both boards and plywood or chipboard.

The main disadvantage of such a feeder is its short service life. This is due to the fact that wood does not tolerate moisture well, and the bunker and tray behind the pigs will have to be washed. The boards begin to rot, but it is impossible to impregnate them with special compounds, because they are poisonous to animals.

A do-it-yourself bunker feeder for pigs is made from boards in several stages. First, mark and cut out the structural parts - two triangular end walls, the back and front walls, the sides and the bottom of the tray. The dimensions are the same as those indicated for a metal feeder. Sand the resulting parts.

Connect the structural elements with metal corners, placing them on screws or nails. If necessary, additionally install a limit bar at the bottom of the hopper. If the feeder will be installed in the yard, provide the hopper with a lid on the piano ( furniture hinges) to prevent precipitation from getting into the box.

To enhance stability, nail two bars to the bottom of the tray along the long side of the structure. Using timber crossbars, divide the trough into sections.

You can install and fill in the food. Check out the article for other options for similar products.

Let me know in the comments if you use hopper feeders for your pigs.

Most farmers are not afraid of heavy physical labor, preferring to do everything with their own hands. Everyone knows that it is not enough to build a pigsty, it also needs to be properly equipped for the animals in order to provide them with everything they need. Pig feeders are important elements interior design pig farm.

Pig feeders must meet certain requirements. Since such a device will be used daily, the health of pets will depend on it. If the farmer does not monitor the cleanliness of the containers, then with each new feeding the likelihood of disease in pigs increases. Even over a short period of time, bacteria can develop in the remains of food products given to piglets, worms and their eggs, and other pathogens can get there. In this regard, it is always necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the feeder from which pigs eat, especially if they are young animals. They should be cleaned and treated regularly hot water with detergents.

Since the feeder needs constant access not only for the animals, but also for the farmer, their design should be comfortable and not heavy.

The next mandatory point when installing a feeder is that it often becomes clogged with food. If the vessel has deep corners, it will be very difficult to clean out the residue. If cleaning is incomplete, bacteria and fungi will develop in these places.

It should also be taken into account that animals do not eat food carefully. In this case, the design of the feeder must be stable so that it does not turn over. It is imperative to place a feeder that has sides so that the food does not spill out. When the piglets have eaten everything from it, they will begin to eat from the ground what was spilled.

For each type of feed, depending on the volume, you should select the appropriate type of feeder.

If you decide to make a feeder with your own hands, then very important factor when selecting a design for feeding pigs, these are the height and sides of the vessel. Since different breeds of piglets are bred on farms, they accordingly have different physical parameters. Some species may be taller and larger, others will be shorter but eat less. Feeders for pigs should be such that it is convenient for the animals to eat from them. If pigs have thick necks and are tall, then the feeder itself needs to be raised an order of magnitude higher than for younger piglets.

For small piglets, you can make a separate feeder, which will be more convenient for them. It is advisable that it be at the level of the animal’s chest. This way they won't have to bend over and will stand straight. This is useful for young animals, as it affects the development of the musculoskeletal system.

The best option for installing sides are beveled or rounded edges. Then it will be convenient for the animals to get to the products that are poured into the container. Also, if you make the feeders with your own hands, then it is advisable to take into account the possibility of the structure being located at a slight slope. When the container is at an angle, all the food will collect in one deepest place. This is convenient for the animals, and if they haven’t finished eating some of the food, it’s much easier to put it back into separate containers and reuse it.

When pig feeders are made by hand, then special drawings with the dimensions of the structure are usually used. Always remember that sizes will vary depending on the age of the animal itself, as piglets grow quite quickly.

It is best if the owners have the opportunity to equip the pigsty with two types of feeders at once. You can install a separate container for young animals, and separate dishes for older individuals. However, they will not interfere with each other. If you feed them from the same feeder, the adult animals will push the babies away and may step on or crush them, causing damage. As a result, separating animals during feeding is considered appropriate.

In a pigsty where there are many individuals of the same age, you can install long, deep troughs with your own hands. This way the animals will be able to eat together without pushing each other out. And to prevent the piglets from getting inside the trough (this happens), it can be conditionally divided into sectors of the same size by placing ceilings made of boards. If necessary, they can be easily removed to free up space.

Depending on the number of pigs that will feed from the container, you need to calculate the length of the structure. Thus, for piglets at 2 months of age, a space of 10-20 centimeters is needed, for individuals up to 5 months about 30. For a sow, the width of the gap is required on average 40 centimeters, and for a large boar it is 10-15 centimeters more, since they are wider at the withers. The depth is usually up to 30 cm.

What are the varieties?

Based on the above parameters, a farmer can make a feeder with his own hands, as this is not a difficult task. The structures themselves come in two types.

The first type, a simple vessel, without additional devices is an ordinary basin, a trough.

The second type is automatic, they can also be called bunker. Hopper feeders for pigs can automatically calculate the amount of feed consumed by animals, dispensing it in portions. Making them yourself is problematic, since the drawings are much more complex than usual. They are convenient and are in wide demand on farms. They can be purchased in specialized stores.

Video “Biner feeders for pig farms”

From the manufacturer's story you will learn how the bunker feeder functions and what its advantages are.

How to do it yourself

You can decide for yourself how to install the structure you make yourself. This is for convenience only. You can make a fixed form or a mobile one, tilted or standing straight - it doesn’t matter.

To work, you will need to prepare the material itself, and from which a container and a special tool will be made.

Let's look at several ways to make a pig feeder with your own hands from scrap material.

From plastic bottles

The advantage of plastic bottles over regular ones wooden feeder is that this material does not swell, it does not rot, and is also very light. Unlike metal, it does not corrode. Using plastic bottles, you can make a separate vessel for feeding one animal.

You will need to use large volume bottles - 10 liters. The bottle is cut into two parts. The part with the neck is completely removed. Both parts are connected by opposite sides and secured with glue. It turns out small plastic trough. It is convenient to install it at the right height for small piglets while they are growing. A simple way without extra costs.

From PVC pipes

PVC pipes are often used because they already have an elongated shape. This makes it easier to prepare a feeder for a large number of individuals.

It is important to use pipes with large diameter so that the container is large enough for the feed.

The PVC pipe must be cut lengthwise, and then the plugs must be secured to the ends of the structure. This will allow liquid products do not leak. You can use large-capacity PVC barrels.

From old cylinders

A feeding container can be made from old gas cylinders. If you no longer need the cylinder, it can be used for other purposes. The feeder will be durable, serving the animals for 20-25 years.

Please note that metal processing will take longer and will also require electric tool for cutting. Before cutting, you need to leave the cylinder outside for a day, first opening the valve so that the rest of the gas comes out. If it remains in a liquid state, it may ignite when cutting. Be sure to follow safety precautions here.

Before cutting, lubricate the valve with soapy water. If bubbles do not appear, then you can start working.

You need to secure the cylinder to the ground and cut it along the structure. You can apply markings so as not to get lost while working.

Based on your needs, you can mark the cylinder accordingly and cut it into a suitable shape. For example, you can make a larger part of the cylinder for adult animals, and a smaller part for young animals. To cut, you need to take a grinder with a metal cutting disc.

After cutting, you burn the metal so that there is no smell, and then install it in the right place. This design is quite heavy, so it is better to immediately think through the entire work process.

Among various types In domestic and farm livestock breeding, not the least important is the breeding and keeping of pigs. Animals are quite unpretentious, they eat not only feed, but also any food waste, they quickly gain weight and meat is always needed in stores and on the market. To properly keep pigs, it is necessary to provide the animal not only with food, but also with a place with a high-quality feeder. Lots on sale ready-made structures, but it is expensive to purchase for a small farm. It's easier to make it yourself. How to make feeders for pigs with your own hands, video and photo materials on the topic in this article.

What should the feeder be like?

Pig feed is varied and can be either dry or wet. Before making a pig feeder, it is necessary to choose suitable design and make a diagram. The finished circuits are presented in the photographs in this article, you can use them. The main requirements for a pig feeder are as follows:

The feeder must be accessible to the animal at all times.
An animal should not be allowed to climb into the structure and leave its waste there.
The size of the structure should be such that several heads can feed at once.
The material and shape should be such that the owner does not have difficulty cleaning and washing.
The manufacturing material should not be toxic or melt in the sun.
The edges and top of the structure should not pose a danger to the animal.

The design of the feeder can be one or several sections. Depends on the number of animals kept. For each adult individual, a section of at least 40-50 cm is required. But sections that are too large should not be made, otherwise the animal will penetrate inside and the meaning of the design will be lost. For a large number of individuals, a bunker feeder is made. It makes it possible to save on feed and the pigs eat without interfering with each other.

Following these rules, the design will not only benefit the animal, but will also be useful and convenient for the owner when cleaning. Among various designs the most popular ones are made from metal barrels.

Iron barrel feeder

Most cheap option. which our grandfathers used, wooden trough. But not everyone can make this, so simplified modern version metal barrel cut in half. But the design has a big drawback: a pig easily gets inside and clogs the bowl. In addition, part of the feed will be scattered, this increases feed consumption by 20-30%.

Dirt gets into the feeder and causes the development of various microbacteria, which, when entering the animal’s gastrointestinal tract, lead to intoxication and death of the animal. Pig with open feeders get sick 2 times more often than their relatives with correct designs. This is especially true for young animals up to 2 months old.

In order to prevent pigs from getting into the feeder, it is necessary to improve it. To do this, iron rods are welded on top.

Making iron pebbles

They take metal barrel and cut it in half lengthwise. At the bottom, for better stability, two metal corners are welded along the length. The edges of the feeder must be covered rubber gasket or tap with a hammer. They shouldn't be sharp.

An oval or circle with a diameter 2 times smaller than the top of the trough is twisted from iron reinforcement with a diameter of 8-10 mm. Next, strips are cut from the reinforcing bars, the length from the edge of the structure to the circle. The circle is scalded with reinforcement rods at an angle of 450. The distance between the rods should be such that the pig can easily put its head into the feeder. The ends of the resulting rods must be welded on one side to the feeder, on the other to the circle. You will get a kind of umbrella base with knitting needles made of twigs.

The feeder is easy to assemble with your own hands and prevents the animal from getting into the trough. The food remains clean and the animal gets sick less often. wash metal structure just use a hose and disinfect it from time to time with a mixture of laundry soap.

Feeder made of sheet metal with partitions

You can make a pig feeder from a steel sieve with a thickness of at least 5 mm. For production you will need:

Mallet.
Wooden beam with a section of 50x50 mm.
Metal scissors.

Installation of a sheet feeder

Making a feeder with your own hands from a sheet of metal requires the following steps:

Take a sheet, preferably galvanized steel. It is bent in a semicircle and secured on top with bars. It is easier to bend metal using a rubber mallet or a hammer.
Two semicircles are cut to size from the same sheet and welded at the ends of the bent sheet.
Cut two strips equal in size to the length of the resulting trough and 2 to 5 cm in width and weld them at the bottom for structural stability.
The feeder needs to be treated silicone cord or wooden beam, since the metal sheet is very sharp and the animal can easily get hurt.
To prevent animals from getting inside the pocket, a frame is made on top the size of the trough with jumpers in increments of 40 cm.

The more pigs, the longer the sheets of metal are taken; you can even weld them together to make them longer. The feeder is easy to clean, the only drawback is wooden blocks above. Frequent contact with liquid food will quickly cause the tree to rot. The beam can be replaced metal rods from 10 mm reinforcement. It is simply welded to the edges of the bent sheet.

You can simplify the work by using not a sheet of metal but a simple iron pipe, simply sawing it in half. The only bad thing is the high price of a stainless steel pipe. and simple ones will quickly rust.

Hopper feeder

Bunker structures are used in large farms with a pig population of more than 20 heads, but one sectional structure for 2-5 pigs can be used. A similar design can be seen in the photo. Making bunker feeders with your own hands is more difficult. But if you use the proposed schemes and follow the instructions, you can complete the job in 1-2 days. The bunker feeder is more suitable for dry feeding: mixed feed, grain mixtures.

To install a bunker structure with your own hands you will need:

Galvanized metal sheets (based on personal measurements) with a thickness of at least 2 mm.
Welding machine with electrodes.
Mallet.
Corners.

Installation progress

The work is carried out in the following stages:

A box is welded from metal sheets.
A bunker with inclined walls made of the same material is mounted inside. metal sheet in two layers. The tilt is made in one direction, so that the feed accumulates at the bottom and is poured into the feeder by gravity as it decreases. The size of the bunker should be designed for feed from 40 kg.
A double-sided feeder is placed inside each bunker so that several animals can feed at once. The detailed diagram and shape of the structure is shown in the photo.

How to assemble a bunker feeder with your own hands is shown in the proposed video:

The feeder is washed using a hose with running water, but since the feed is dry, it rarely gets dirty. A a large number of Storing feed will save workers time and effort. But not everyone knows how to work with welding machine, in this case it is easier to make the structure with your own hands from wood.

Wooden feeder

The most environmentally friendly option is to make a feeder from wooden planks. it is easy to assemble and can be of any required length and width. To work you need to take the following tools and materials:

Screws or nails.
Hammer or screwdriver.
Boards with a thickness of at least 40 mm and a width of 60 cm.
Bars with a section of 40x40 mm.
Metal corner.

Assembling a feeder from boards

Assembling a structure from boards with your own hands is carried out in the following steps:

The boards are folded together at an angle of 45 0 and secured metal corner using screws or nails.
From below, for stability, you need to make two bars along the entire length of the structure.
From above, the feeder is divided into sections of 40-50 cm using bar crossbars. They are attached with nails or screws to the edges of the boards.

The board feeder is ready for use. The only disadvantage of this design is its fragility. Wood quickly begins to rot from moisture, and it is impossible to treat the structure with antiseptics due to toxicity.

The second simple and stronger version of the wooden structure is cutting from a single log. To do this, you need to take a solid round piece of wood: pine, aspen or linden and saw it lengthwise. It's easier to do this with an electric or chainsaw.

Next, the core is hollowed out of the wood; the work can be done with a chisel and hammer. The walls of the recess are polished and the resulting structure is divided into sections on top using wooden blocks of 40x40 mm in increments of 40-50 cm. The feeder will last longer than one made from boards, but working with your own hands is more difficult and longer. It is better to use dried wood for work, otherwise the trough may crack when it dries.

Any of the proposed options can be made with your own hands, but you need a little patience and effort. The diagrams and photo materials in this article will help even an inexperienced craftsman cope with the work.