Durable, lightweight, easy to clean, and quick to build, feed troughs made of 10-inch diameter Schedule 40 PVC pipe and flat sheet PVC are the best that this writer has ever used.
Supplies needed to make eight troughs: one 20-foot piece of 10-inch diameter Schedule 40 PVC; one sheet of 3/8 inch or 1/2 inch flat PVC cut into two-foot by one foot pieces; eighty (80) 1-1/2 inch long stainless steel screws; electric skill saw; electric hand-held grinder; measuring tape and marking pen; screwdrivers.
Most hardware and building supply stores do not carry 10-inch diameter Schedule 40 PVC; contact a plumbing supply business and special order it. Flat PVC in sheet form is even harder to find, but a plumbing supply company will be able to locate it. Although expensive, flat-sheet PVC serves as both end cap and legs and is worth the cost.
The first step is to cut the *bell* end (about six inches) off the PVC pipe and discard it. Mark the pipe for cutting into four equal pieces and for splitting lengthwise, resulting in eight troughs. Grind off the rough edges where the pipe was split lengthwise and cut crosswise.
Cut the 3/8 inch flat sheet PVC into two foot by one foot pieces, grinding off the rough edges. Some suppliers will pre-cut the flat sheet PVC at no extra charge for ease of shipment to the customer. Mark the flat sheets to the trough height that is desired and screw them to the ends of the cut PVC pipe, using fivestainless-steel screws per end piece.
Insert the screws from the outside of the flat PVC, through it, and into the exposed edges of the pipe. The Schedule 40 PVC pipe wall is thick enough that the 1-1/2 inch stainless-steel screws make a perfect fit.
Some people drill small drain holes in their troughs, but this writer has found that debris (fecal material, dirt, feed *fines*) clog the openings. In extremely wet climates, however, there may be some value in drilling small drain holes. Troughs can be sealed with weather-proof caulk where the end pieces meet the pipe but it is not necessary.
Article By Suzanne Gasparotto, Onion Creek Ranch. These articles have previously been published in Goat Rancher Magazine. http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com
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Feb 18, 2009 Rating
goat feed tips by: Anonymous
1) Just because a goat likes to eat a certain plant or grain does not mean that it is good for them. This writer loves sweets of almost any kind, but she cannot survive eating nothing else.
Corn is 'goat candy,' yet goats will bloat or develop ruminal acidosis and likely die if they are allowed to eat all of the shell or cracked corn that they want. Put some shell corn in a bowl of water and see how it swells up. That's what happens in the goat's rumen.
2) Nutrition is a complex issue. . . . too complex for us laymen. Getting professional assistance from a qualified goat nutritionist is the most important thing you can do for your goats as well as for your 'bottom line.'
