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CrealCritter

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Never owned cattle myself, but helped on many different family and in law farms.

One lesson I learned was never underestimate the ability of cattle to destroy things
Cattle logic - they do exactly what you don't want them to do, when you don't want them to do it.

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CrealCritter

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Had eggs in my pocket, walking back from the coop. It was dark and my neighbors black lab minnie or mini came darting from the dark and jumped on me. Yep broken eggs in my pocket 😝. Between my dog, my two neighbors dogs minnie and jake, it's always interesting expecially at night. Good thing they all think I'm their favorite human because I give them treats 😂 I also keep a 5 gallon bucket of water full by the hydrant for them and jack my (fat) cat who thinks he's really a dog with tree climbing super power.

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farmerjan

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Don't know how high you made the 55 gal feeder/waterer... but realize that cattle eat and drink with their heads down... keeps them from getting choked up with feed and from the water possibly going into the windpipe as they swallow... Yes, the lower it is the more likely it will eventually get some manure in it... but I was under the impression this was done for water and could be easily dumped and cleaned out.
Even the better made/ more expensive cattle water fountains or troughs, are only about 2-2 1/2 feet high...at the drinking trough or ball part.... and most have a concrete "step" for the cattle's front feet to be up a little higher so they reach down to drink.
 

CrealCritter

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Don't know how high you made the 55 gal feeder/waterer... but realize that cattle eat and drink with their heads down... keeps them from getting choked up with feed and from the water possibly going into the windpipe as they swallow... Yes, the lower it is the more likely it will eventually get some manure in it... but I was under the impression this was done for water and could be easily dumped and cleaned out.
Even the better made/ more expensive cattle water fountains or troughs, are only about 2-2 1/2 feet high...at the drinking trough or ball part.... and most have a concrete "step" for the cattle's front feet to be up a little higher so they reach down to drink.
It's on a slope being behind the barn. The feeder section is closer to the ground being at the top of the slope. I'll measure the height at both ends. It's a pretty steep slope. I just used middle fence board and built off that, so the back is a stationary 2x6 fence board. I can fill the feeder and waterer from outside the fence this way. I can clean the waterer by removing the bung, same with the feeder section. Hope that makes sense?

I may have time tomorrow to move the stock tank and feeder to the middle pasture, then sort the cattle. See how they do being separated and with the 55 gallon feeder/waterer thingy. Won't know unless I try 😁

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CrealCritter

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I measured the height of the stock tank (2 foot) and feed trough (1 foot). I then lowered the legs and fence board to match as close as I could. Looks like the height of the barrel feeder/waterer is good now. I grained t-bone in it this evening. He enjoyed his cracked corn ration, even licked the barrel clean. So I think it'll do just fine now.
Screenshot_20230331-173222.png


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farmerjan

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I measured the height of the stock tank (2 foot) and feed trough (1 foot). I then lowered the legs and fence board to match as close as I could. Looks like the height of the barrel feeder/waterer is good now. I grained t-bone in it this evening. He enjoyed his cracked corn ration, even licked the barrel clean. So I think it'll do just fine now.
View attachment 23064

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Looks like a better height !!!!:thumbsup:thumbsup:clap:clap
 

farmerjan

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It doesn't directly affect anyone on here with numbers to take care of their own animals for their own consumption... but feeder cattle have been high... we have done good with selling some here lately. BUT... with the OPEC announcement yesterday to curtail production... on top of our stupid cutting production here in the USA while there is still no way we can produce enough electricity through solar and wind yet, the prices of barrels of oil went up over $10..... AND the futures prices of cattle dropped for delivery in the fall .... and then the rumors that are becoming true that more countries are going away from the US Dollar from the basis of the world economy... for buying oil... and Russia and China and India were the first "bigger countries"... now Brazil is joining that group... and there is now a report that there are 18 countries going into that "pact".....
This will in effect push the US into inflation that has never been seen in the history of this country... and slide us into 3rd world conditions... look at the history of Venezuela....
I am not one of these "the sky is falling" type of people... but this is very very concerning... the dollar could be worthless in the next few years if this direction keeps up....
 
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