Weighing out feed using auger bucket

[Grass And Grain]

Currently feeding cereal blend out using bags (housed cattle, feed passage, into troughs). 330kg/day, twice a day feeding. Getting tired of filling and lifting 20/25kg bags.

We have an auger bucket on farm which goes in front of telehandler.

Is it possible with the auger bucket to have a method of weighing what we feed out, which will give me the required accuracy. I just want to be able to know when I've lightened the load by say 45kg after I've fed a bunch of 30 heifers 1.5kg each in a morning feed

Weigh cells?

Oil pressure based weighlog type device.

Or some sort of mechanical metering out device? And I know how much each delivered segment weighs.

All good ideas appreciated!

Or anyone doing this successfully?

 

[Dave W]

Some sort of hopper on the end that trips open when filled to correct weight.

 

[HarryB97]

I feed my cattle with an auger bucket on our Merlos which both have weigh cells, I’ve never rated the accuracy of them though. I fill the bucket up with the required amount by counting the seconds the silo chute it open for then just drive at a set speed chucking it out then give any left to the oldest group or group that has cleared it up first. Simple and affective, like most things it doesn’t need to be perfect and over complicated!

 

[Enry]

Currently feeding cereal blend out using bags (housed cattle, feed passage, into troughs). 330kg/day, twice a day feeding. Getting tired of filling and lifting 20/25kg bags.

We have an auger bucket on farm which goes in front of telehandler.

Is it possible with the auger bucket to have a method of weighing what we feed out, which will give me the required accuracy. I just want to be able to know when I've lightened the load by say 45kg after I've fed a bunch of 30 heifers 1.5kg each in a morning feed

Weigh cells?

Oil pressure based weighlog type device.

Or some sort of mechanical metering out device? And I know how much each delivered segment weighs.

All good ideas appreciated!

Or anyone doing this successfully?

Could you fit a restrictor so the auger turns at a set speed and then just weigh a timed output, and then time how long it turns for each pen?

 

[David1968]

I'm not sure how well this would work with a handler, but this is what I do with the loader tractor (pay attention at the back, I'll be asking questions at the end )

1. Fill the bucket
2. Set the tractor at 1500 rpm.
3. Discharge onto the floor for 10secs.
4. Gather the heap up and weigh it.
5. Time the tractor down one of the troughs at 1500 rpm in a few gears.
6. Using your 'weight per 10secs' figure, you can work out the weight discharged over the length of the trough in each gear. Then choose the gear that gives you the rate you want for that trough.

Bit more arithmetic and you can use those figures for other lengths of trough elsewhere.

Sounds a complete faf, I know. But it's a one time exercise to set up, and note down the figures.
And if you change the mix significantly, you only need to do the 10 sec weigh bit again.

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

Could you not fit a magnetic switch to the drive end of the auger near the shaft or chain, then fit a magnet to shaft or chain, and on back or bucket on discharge side fit a large red LED light, then you would only need a live and earth to bucket to power it,
Turn out 10 flashes of the light and weigh it, to get and average of how much per turn of feed you get.
Then just X amount of flashes per pen

 

[bravheart]

Suspect all the above would give an indication but as the bucket empties the flow of feed gets smaller.

 

[davidroberts30]

Cant you just judge how full the troughs are from using bags

 

[Grass And Grain]

Some sort of hopper on the end that trips open when filled to correct weight.

bit like a potato weigher. That was sort of what I was thinking, just volumetric (knowing weight of said volume) would work.

The below method would also sort of work for a nice long feed passage, only thing is each one of our troughs are 7ft long, then little gap to next trough, so makes that method not great for us. Would work along a barrier where they eat off the floor and good long run.

I'm not sure how well this would work with a handler, but this is what I do with the loader tractor (pay attention at the back, I'll be asking questions at the end )

1. Fill the bucket
2. Set the tractor at 1500 rpm.
3. Discharge onto the floor for 10secs.
4. Gather the heap up and weigh it.
5. Time the tractor down one of the troughs at 1500 rpm in a few gears.
6. Using your 'weight per 10secs' figure, you can work out the weight discharged over the length of the trough in each gear. Then choose the gear that gives you the rate you want for that trough.

Bit more arithmetic and you can use those figures for other lengths of trough elsewhere.

Sounds a complete faf, I know. But it's a one time exercise to set up, and note down the figures.
And if you change the mix significantly, you only need to do the 10 sec weigh bit again.

Could you not fit a magnetic switch to the drive end of the auger near the shaft or chain, then fit a magnet to shaft or chain, and on back or bucket on discharge side fit a large red LED light, then you would only need a live and earth to bucket to power it,
Turn out 10 flashes of the light and weigh it, to get and average of how much per turn of feed you get.
Then just X amount of flashes per pen

Thanks for above suggestions.

Our bucket sends it out quite quickly. Maybe if I restrict the outlet a bit, or as suggested restrictor in oil pipe, then counting rotations would work (until bucket starts to run dry). Although this next winter we'll be feeding about 200kg either end of the day, and bucket will hold, I'm guessing, about 350+kg.

My brother used to repair Keenan feeders, so he's capable of fitting a weigh, although suppose we'd have to make the bucket into toe-tip to do it.

 

[Grass And Grain]

Cant you just judge how full the troughs are from using bags

Been using the bucket this last couple of days to see how I get on. Trying to feed 1.5kg/head/feed.

Thought I could do it by judging how full the troughs were, but recon I was miles out. Contract rearing, so need to follow the customer's requirements, which is 1.5kg and adlib silage in rings.

 

[davidroberts30]

Been using the bucket this last couple of days to see how I get on. Trying to feed 1.5kg/head/feed.

Thought I could do it by judging how full the troughs were, but recon I was miles out. Contract rearing, so need to follow the customer's requirements, which is 1.5kg and adlib silage in rings.

My own stock but i judge it and usually over 14 days only about 200kgs out

 

[Grass And Grain]

I feed my cattle with an auger bucket on our Merlos which both have weigh cells, I’ve never rated the accuracy of them though. I fill the bucket up with the required amount by counting the seconds the silo chute it open for then just drive at a set speed chucking it out then give any left to the oldest group or group that has cleared it up first. Simple and affective, like most things it doesn’t need to be perfect and over complicated!

This is what I was thinking. Imagine your merlos use oil pressure to determine the weight???? I've got a batch of 20 heifers in smallest pen, and imagine an oil pressure system won't give me the accuracy I need.

If we're my own cattle I wouldn't worry too much if they got 2.7kg one day, then 3.5kg the next, but want to keep the job right for my customer.

 

[Tim G]

Ad lib feeders.

 

[DieselRob]

If you’re wanting to get technical and it justifies the expenditure then have a look at RDS Weighlog, others might be available but RDS is the 1 I’ve seen about

 

[bravheart]

Don't think it exists but a system similar to a weighcell fertiliser spreader would be the answer. Fitted in a separate frame carrying the bucket before and therefore independent of the forklift or its hydraulics.

 

[Scholsey]

Currently feeding cereal blend out using bags (housed cattle, feed passage, into troughs). 330kg/day, twice a day feeding. Getting tired of filling and lifting 20/25kg bags.

We have an auger bucket on farm which goes in front of telehandler.

Is it possible with the auger bucket to have a method of weighing what we feed out, which will give me the required accuracy. I just want to be able to know when I've lightened the load by say 45kg after I've fed a bunch of 30 heifers 1.5kg each in a morning feed

Weigh cells?

Oil pressure based weighlog type device.

Or some sort of mechanical metering out device? And I know how much each delivered segment weighs.

All good ideas appreciated!

Or anyone doing this successfully?

Trade your handler in for one with weighcells or get a RDS system fitted? If could find a rotted out Keenan could buy and rob the weighcells off that and make a frame the bucket could sit on on pallet tines?

 

[Grass And Grain]

If you’re wanting to get technical and it justifies the expenditure then have a look at RDS Weighlog, others might be available but RDS is the 1 I’ve seen about

Wonder if RDS system is accurate enough?

Trade your handler in for one with weighcells or get a RDS system fitted? If could find a rotted out Keenan could buy and rob the weighcells off that and make a frame the bucket could sit on on pallet tines?

Auger bucket was on 3point linkage originally, with hydraulic ram for tilt, think we've still got that in back of the shed somewhere, so could mount that on a frame with weighcells.

We're only talking about a dozen 20kg bags per feed, but it adds up to over 100t over the year.

 

[davidroberts30]

Wonder if RDS system is accurate enough?

Auger bucket was on 3point linkage originally, with hydraulic ram for tilt, think we've still got that in back of the shed somewhere, so could mount that on a frame with weighcells.

We're only talking about a dozen 20kg bags per feed, but it adds up to over 100t over the year.

I been using the auger bucket for years now
Im of the opinion if its easy to do it gets done right ,if its hard it gets botched or not done near right
Plus im feeding out in the field aswell and i aint fighting with up to 20 near fat beasts to put bags into the troughs

 

[bravheart]

We're only talking about a dozen 20kg bags per feed, but it adds up to over 100t over the year.

 

[bravheart]

Wonder if RDS system is accurate enough?

Auger bucket was on 3point linkage originally, with hydraulic ram for tilt, think we've still got that in back of the shed somewhere, so could mount that on a frame with weighcells.

We're only talking about a dozen 20kg bags per feed, but it adds up to over 100t over the year.

RDS used to make a strain guage you plumbed into a tipping trailer ram. That might give an indication of whats in the bucket if plumbed into the three point linkage tipping ram once calibrated.