Using a feeder reduces feed waste and also the risk of contaminated feed – good from economic and hygienic points of view. If you give your cattle supplementary feed, or keep them in loose housing and give the roughage outdoors in winter, a feeder is an option to be recommended. You reduce feed waste, achieve good food hygiene because the animals do not trample around in the feed, simple re-filling but, above all, a high degree of safety for you and the animals.
Our feeders are robust, weather-resistant, movable and available in a number of models for use in the various conditions that prevail in livestock management.
How do you choose a feeder?
When you choose a feeder for your cattle, you should take into account how many animals you have in the same pasture, whether you have horned animals, how large your bales are, how often you want to refill your feeder and where you want to position it.
We recommend that the number of cattle using a feeder should not exceed the number of feed openings, since this often causes friction between them, and the animals press against the feeder and become aggressive, which can give rise to a risk of crushing. Make sure there is plenty of room when hungry animals are going to be fed.
There are various types of feeder to choose from, depending on exactly what suits you. Circular feeders in various diameters, depending on bale size, with or without tombstone rail.
If you prefer a circular feeder and have beef cattle, we recommend FHR with tombstone railing and a strong tubular frame to withstand the pressure of the heavy animals, but the same rule applies here: never more animals than feed openings.
If you choose a rectangular feeder with a roof, you get the bales up off the ground and you get extra protection against precipitation. The feeders are available in different versions with tombstone rail, diagonal barrier or self locking headgate. You can also choose between 12 and 14 feed openings.
Important to bear in mind when choosing a feeder for cattle
Even though cattle all belong to the same species, there are many different breeds, and therefore different behaviours. You know your cattle's behaviour and what is best for them, and in order to avoid injuries we ask you to think about how they react in various contexts where a feeder is involved. You yourself are responsible for your choice of feeder model. Do the animals have horns or not? What is the ranking in the herd? The number of animals that can gather around a feeder is decisive for the size of the feeder you should choose and how many feeders are appropriate, etc. If there are too many animals around the same feeder, the competition, and therefore the pressure on the feeder, increases and there is a greater risk of injury.
We also have feeders for horses - click here, and feeders for sheep - click here
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