My girls are getting sow rolls and I'm not sure the game feeder would be man enough. Game feed tends to be whole cereal or small pellets. I've just looked at the game feeder via the link you provided. Weaners up to 10 weeks maybe, but adult pigs ? Yes, ad lib is one possible solution but these traditional breeds will soon pile on the fat if fed ad lib. I'm not looking for something to feed them 6 days a week and me just cast an eye over them on Sunday's. I'm really looking for something to cover those days when I'm working away and not getting back til 8 or 9pm, or those odd weekends when my relief pigman isn't available to cover. No fear, I've been involved with livestock long enough to know the potential pitfalls Like Pete, I understand and appreciate your points and like Pete, I have someone who will check welfare, water, etc but not necessarily at feeding times. Maybe we could share ideas and development costs ? I'd be interested in any ideas that you've had. So all we need is a motor that can run off a timer, and turn 45 degrees when triggered I've got a couple of redundant rotary valves on some old plant, but they are not difficult to fabricate with a welder. The rotary valve will typically have 4 segments (they vary) so if we had a motor which rotated 90 degrees with every movement then this would allow feed to drop into the segment under the hopper and then drop down into a feed chute as it rotated - get the idea ? I then considered mounting a rotary valve (if you're not sure what a rotary valve is just Google it) under a small, weatherproof, feed hopper.
The limitation of this idea is that you only get one feed from it. The unit would be positioned outside of the electric fence and probably behind a gate or similar to give it protection. My first idea was to utilise the automatic closing door that you can buy for poultry houses and mount that in front of a food container that would gravity feed down a chute/tube into the area where the pigs are (mine are all outdoors). I've also been thinking about designing and making my own. I have been unable to find something "off the shelf" apart from the collar devices that open a feed hatch allowing individual animals access to feed (used in commercial agriculture) My reasons, and my situation, are identical to yours.
0 kommentar(er)
