How Wide

[Northern Rancher]

Ty is welding up some fenceline feeders-the bottom 24 inches is solid but how wide should the gap be before the next pipe-I was thinking 18 inches-i can always run a cable through some pipe to make it narrower. Probably will only be horses or bigger bulls eating through it but you never know.

 

[gcreekrch]

18" high above the apron with a 12-14 " spacing is good for calves. I have some bull panels
that are 30 " high above the apron and 18" spacing, they are adequate. Just don't use them for calves or you will have a corral full every morning with the chance of 1 hanging there dead.
On the other hand I had a scurred cow get her head in the calf feeder and break her neck trying to escape.
I guess there is no perfect world, "He who has, must lose"

 

[little bow rancher]

I built 250" of fence line feeder instead of using slat , we put pipe in front and spaced it 8" about eye level on 4to5 wt calf . work good for dry feed
never had any get out only push out , been working for ten years , even had some cows use it

 

[George]

I built my fence line feeder about 30 years ago and it is 24" to the top of the lumber on the cattle side and then 18" to the bottom of the board on the feed side of the post. With a 6" post this gives them a good angle to eat thru.

I have had small calves get thru but it is very rare and I don't believe I've ever had anything hurt.

Cows, bulls, calves and horses all eat and the only problem I've encountered is the horses will wear their mane off about 1/3 of the way down from their ears.

I believe I got the dementions from the Purdue livestock feeding facility. If you give about 3' of bunk per head you will have little problem with crowding out. They will quickly establish a pecking order and you will see the same cow in her space each day.

You will find it is easy for you to step thru from the cattle side but harder to get thru from the feed side.

 

[Northern Rancher]

Thanks alot I think I'll go a bit wider if anything-it's mostly going to be for bigger horses and bulls.