Has anyone ever tried to make their own concrete feed bunks? If so how thick did you pour the bottom and sides? Any other secrets or tricks to doing it? It seems that you could build a form fairly easy and build the feeders for around $50 if figuring right.
concrete bunks
- Thread starter cleland
- Start date
Help Support Ranchers.net:
Big Muddy rancher
Well-known member
Never built my own but we have some precast bunks. The big feedlots up here have poured in place with a form that slides along pulled by a winch.
Lonecowboy
Well-known member
We have some that I helped my dad build over 30 years ago that are still in good shape. For thickness we used 2x4's between plywood, so bunks are 8 foot sections. We poured them right in place but I think you could pour them this way and then move them. They have a post every 8' then with two cables. I would suggest using pipe for the posts. Allot of our posts are rotting off and they are hard to replace. I can get you measurements if you like, wish my camera wasn't broken. for sure make the bottom wider than a shovel because you will have to shovel them out if you live in snow country. I would consider pouring a pad on the cattle side too. I don't remember using any wire or rebar or anything in them.
Big Muddy rancher
Well-known member
We poured a 8ft pad and set the precast bunks on it. I think it would have been better to have 8ft for the cattle to stand on and set the bunks at the edge.
What about pouring a pad and a short wall with the pipe posts in it and no back.If necessary you could put a row of small square staw bales down for a back?
What about pouring a pad and a short wall with the pipe posts in it and no back.If necessary you could put a row of small square staw bales down for a back?
What I did was pour a slab with a 6" step in it and the lower part is sloping away from the step. There are 6X6" post every 8' at the step ( in the raised side ) and the feed goes on the flat. Two 2X8" boards bolted on the side of the cattle then an 18" space and 2X8' boards on the feed side.
This creates an angle for the cattle to eat through but never have cattle in the bunk. If feed gets pushed out to far you can just sweep it back with 1/2 a tractor tire on the front of a bobcat.
The 6" rise prevents anything forcing it's way into the feed and the slope keeps the area where the cattle stand clean so thet keep their feet in good shape.
I built my floor in about 1973 and it has been in constant use ever since - - - -Many of my neighbors have copied it and we all feel it works great and much cheaper than bunks. If cleanup is needed a bobcat makes quick work of it.
PM me if you want pictures as I can't figure how to post here.
This creates an angle for the cattle to eat through but never have cattle in the bunk. If feed gets pushed out to far you can just sweep it back with 1/2 a tractor tire on the front of a bobcat.
The 6" rise prevents anything forcing it's way into the feed and the slope keeps the area where the cattle stand clean so thet keep their feet in good shape.
I built my floor in about 1973 and it has been in constant use ever since - - - -Many of my neighbors have copied it and we all feel it works great and much cheaper than bunks. If cleanup is needed a bobcat makes quick work of it.
PM me if you want pictures as I can't figure how to post here.
Cowpuncher
Well-known member
Suggestion:
We had a ready-mix outfit around here at one time. They had a concrete bunk form and they poured left over concrete in it and sold the bunks at a good price.
If you have a ready-mix outfit around, you might make a deal with them
We had a ready-mix outfit around here at one time. They had a concrete bunk form and they poured left over concrete in it and sold the bunks at a good price.
If you have a ready-mix outfit around, you might make a deal with them
Justin
Well-known member
BMR has the right idea with the short wall. back where i grew up, that is the way everyone is doing it. guys like the short wall to be 12" high and 6" thick. i know of one guy that bought some used bunks and can't wait to tear them back out and build a short wall. one nice thing about this is that if you need to clean the feed row you can use the loader and not have to scoop out a bunk. as far as the pad, i don't think it can ever be big enough, 8 ft is min. if you were going to pour the pad, and set the bunks off the edge like BMR suggested, i think you would cuss when the frost starts moving them around.
just my 2 cents :wink:
just my 2 cents :wink:
NDCowboy
New member
We made our own we poured about 70 bunks we built a form that we would loosen and flip when the concrete set for about 2 days the form was metal and worked very well the sides and bottom are about 4 inches thick the bunks are 7 feet long and weigh about 1800 pounds we have used them for close to 20 years beat the heck out of wooden bunks
gcreekrch
Well-known member
A good friend of mine on the prairies told me once that if a cowman starts thinking he should pour some concrete to feed cattle in that he should just take two aspirins and go to bed.
This fellow had a feedlot that fed 3000 head for 20 years. He said he enjoyed building it the first time.
This fellow had a feedlot that fed 3000 head for 20 years. He said he enjoyed building it the first time.
katrina
Well-known member
Come on guys pictures please for this old blonde.. 
McGee213288
Well-known member
katrina said:Come on guys pictures please for this old blonde..
Ditto!!...cept I'm young... :lol: :lol:
I can't seem to post pictures here but if you email me at [email protected] I will send to any of you
Soapweed
Well-known member
gcreekrch said:
We only have two feedbunks on the whole place, and they are ten-foot steel bunks that are occasionally used for a few early weaned calves. Otherwise, all our cake and hay gets fed directly on the ground.
gcreekrch
Well-known member
Soapweed said:
We've got 18-20 wood grain bunks I built in 1993, they don't owe me anything but are getting tired. As we have more snow on average and then mud it is more efficient to feed any grain or pellets off the ground. If we go the TMR route for our calves next fall we will use tires to feed in so they and not the manure can be moved.
I thought you might appreciate that little sharing of wisdom. :wink:
Soapweed
Well-known member
gcreekrch said:Soapweed said:
We've got 18-20 wood grain bunks I built in 1993, they don't owe me anything but are getting tired. As we have more snow on average and then mud it is more efficient to feed any grain or pellets off the ground. If we go the TMR route for our calves next fall we will use tires to feed in so they and not the manure can be moved.
I thought you might appreciate that little sharing of wisdom. :wink:
I did, and that is why I shared mine also. :wink:
leanin' H
Well-known member
George sent me these pictures of his feedbunk system to share with ya'll. Glad to help out George! He sent the following message as well......
the pictures are of a bunk inside deviding a leanto from
a machinery barn that I built in 1973 and they were used to finish out
about 500 head a year for many years but I now just keep the brood cows
gentle with them.
I have similar feed bunks outside on two other farms so that we can feed
the calves silage with a feed cart. They really work great as I can clean
them with a skid steer on both sides.
He sent the following message as well......the pictures are of a bunk inside deviding a leanto from
a machinery barn that I built in 1973 and they were used to finish out
about 500 head a year for many years but I now just keep the brood cows
gentle with them.
I have similar feed bunks outside on two other farms so that we can feed
the calves silage with a feed cart. They really work great as I can clean
them with a skid steer on both sides.
Thanks H I hope these help someone - - - -When I built these I attended a "short course " at Purdue on feeding cattle - - - -the staff their had determined that there is a relationship between feed heigth and feed conversion.
They stated that feed should be no more than 6" above the floor heigth to get the best conversion - - - -I don't pretend to know the why on this but it made it easy for me to build.
Where we now feed out cattle the bunks are outside and tha slab where we put the feed is 4' wide with gravel beside that allows the tractor and silage cart to pass and the slab on the cattle side is 10' wide with a slope of 1/2" per foot (5" total ) away from the 6" step. This keeps manure build up going naturally away. The concrete is 4" thick ( a little extra right at the step ) with 4000# strength with wire reinforcing ( new slabs now have fiberglass ) and "air entrainment" this is to keep the concrete from being slick when wet.
We also feed one group in percast bunks ( were on the farm when purchased ) and have a problem with manure in the bunks - - - -I don't know why but rarely find a cow dumping it the bunks we have built like this. In the pictures shown I have not swept the feed area all winter and you will notice it is very clean.
And for the best part I think you will find these to be the cheapest you will ever be able to build and work the best of any we have tried! A little dozer work and the wood you use for the forms is then recicled for the fence.
It is 18" from the top of the bottom boards to the bottom of the top boards - - -make sure you place the boards on the sides of the post as shown. This allows the maximun access with the least chance of small calves getting through the fence. The top bottom board and the bottom top board need to be bolted all the way through the post as that is where you will get stress from the cattle - -- the rest can just be nailed. I use white oak outside and the bolted boards need repainting about every year - - - -the others need repainting about every 3 to 4 years.
They stated that feed should be no more than 6" above the floor heigth to get the best conversion - - - -I don't pretend to know the why on this but it made it easy for me to build.
Where we now feed out cattle the bunks are outside and tha slab where we put the feed is 4' wide with gravel beside that allows the tractor and silage cart to pass and the slab on the cattle side is 10' wide with a slope of 1/2" per foot (5" total ) away from the 6" step. This keeps manure build up going naturally away. The concrete is 4" thick ( a little extra right at the step ) with 4000# strength with wire reinforcing ( new slabs now have fiberglass ) and "air entrainment" this is to keep the concrete from being slick when wet.
We also feed one group in percast bunks ( were on the farm when purchased ) and have a problem with manure in the bunks - - - -I don't know why but rarely find a cow dumping it the bunks we have built like this. In the pictures shown I have not swept the feed area all winter and you will notice it is very clean.
And for the best part I think you will find these to be the cheapest you will ever be able to build and work the best of any we have tried! A little dozer work and the wood you use for the forms is then recicled for the fence.
It is 18" from the top of the bottom boards to the bottom of the top boards - - -make sure you place the boards on the sides of the post as shown. This allows the maximun access with the least chance of small calves getting through the fence. The top bottom board and the bottom top board need to be bolted all the way through the post as that is where you will get stress from the cattle - -- the rest can just be nailed. I use white oak outside and the bolted boards need repainting about every year - - - -the others need repainting about every 3 to 4 years.
strawking
Well-known member
I have been building portable bottomless bunks out of oil field pipe this winter. I dont feed much grain to my cows mostly just ground hay and it takes alot of space to hold enough pounds of ground hay to feed a cow. The pipe comes in 30 foot sticks so i split them to make 15 foot bunks. They are 3'6 wide on the bottom and 5' wide on the top with another pipe running 3' high down the center to keep them from climbing in side and makes it easy to pickup and move when it gets muddy around them. I welded angle irons in the corner and bolted 2 2x10s in the sides and ends. I figure 20 cows per bunk and they have been working great.