Cattle in ring feeders

[Monty]

How do you stop a little heifer walking into, lying down and messing in a ring feeder? We've got 1 at the moment doing it. We put her on her own in a loosebox for a few days as a punishment. She seemed to stop for a while but she's now down at our neighbours and back at it again.

 

[jellybean]

My ring feeders have diagonal bars which helps to stop animals getting into them. I also think it encourages them to keep their heads in while eating, rather than grabbing a mouthful and pulling out to drop lots on the ground. but I am a fussy b---er and also shred one round bale into 4 rings so that there is less poaching around the ring and less chance to pull stuff out. Works for me.
Once made the mistake of being on foot too close to an angry stag with the result that I spent 45 minutes in the ring feeder because it was nearer than the gate, waiting for him to lose interest. Another good reason to always be on the quad or very near it.

I have also put a lorry ratchet strap around a ring feeder as an extra bar to stop beasts getting in.

 

[GTB]

tombstone barriers are good.

 

[Tim G]

tombstone barriers are good.

No, they still get in them.

 

[jimmer]

is she smaller than the rest of the group and therefore not being given the chance to lie down comfortably without a tussle or eat without being bullied

 

[Headless chicken]

How are u getting her back out? Pushing her back through the bars?

 

[bobajob]

http://balejail.co.uk/

To cure it you might need to invest in one of these. More expensive than a normal ring feeder though

 

[flockeye]

As has been said above- ratchet strap around the feeder

 

[early riser]

As has been said above- ratchet strap around the feeder

+ 1

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Get an old cart horse collar and tie in around her neck

 

[caveman]

Get an old cart horse collar and tie in around her neck

Or an old 7.50/16

 

[Monty]

is she smaller than the rest of the group and therefore not being given the chance to lie down comfortably without a tussle or eat without being bullied

She's one of 2 smaller heifers in a group of 7 and there's 8 cubicles for them to lie in. There are 7 bigger ones eating from the other side too and she's usually out of the feeder in the other side with the bigger ones when I go to muck out and feed. Once they get in the habit of going in they seem to carry on.

Ratchet strap sounds good but only half wants doing. Has anybody bolted/clamped a curved rail to half of one?

 

[jimmer]

She's one of 2 smaller heifers in a group of 7 and there's 8 cubicles for them to lie in. There are 7 bigger ones eating from the other side too and she's usually out of the feeder in the other side with the bigger ones when I go to muck out and feed. Once they get in the habit of going in they seem to carry on.

Ratchet strap sounds good but only half wants doing. Has anybody bolted/clamped a curved rail to half of one?

inch alkathene water pipe

 

[Monty]

inch alkathene water pipe

To bolt to the ring feeder or to smack her with?

 

[jimmer]

To bolt to the ring feeder or to smack her with?

around the feeder

use the bit you cut off to do the latter

 

[Monty]

Good idea. I'll give it a go. See how we get on.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

do i get first prize then @grumpy will be speachless

 

[Cowcalf]

just clamp the strap only round half the ring and back along the ring on the outside behind the other piece of strap or use one with hooks