An Integrated, Homemade, Portable Salt/Mineral Feeder and External Parasite Control Cattle Rub Tool

(Materials and Construction Parameters (Cont.))

Figure 27. The tools runner support of tall riser, gusset, and chain hitch attachment. Note space under support for pasture passage.

Figure 28. Full view of the tall riser with rub attached and the extended chain hitch.

Figure 29. The tall riser top, cap, cattle rub attachment and heavy duty large hook for the chain hitch.

The runner or wheel assist should be long enough to support the total length of the tool. Make the runner end that supports the tall riser for the cattle rub just long enough to hold the support. Secure the rub to be used, which will probably be the 10-foot model, and use it as a gauge to measure and cut the runner length and the riser height. Make the length between the low end of the cattle rub to the top of the riser about two feet longer than the cattle rub so there is space to tighten the rub as it stretches during use.

Make the support for the tall riser very stout (Figure 27). It is greatly stressed in use. In this example, the base support is made of one-inch-by-four-inch rectangular tubing with a one-fourth inch wall thickness. Weld it securely and install gussets on all sides of the riser. This illustration shows only one gusset. There should be more.

The riser should be about six and one-half feet from ground line to the top, with the attachment loop for the top of the cattle rub about six inches from the top (Figure 28). Cap the top to prevent water from collecting in the riser (Figure 29) and leave or drill a hole about one-half inch in diameter at the very bottom of the riser for condensation water to escape, preventing rusting at the base of the riser.

Figure 30. Dropping the permanently looped end of the chain hitch over a ball hitch. The end of the chain hitch could also have a hook to attach to the pulling vehicle.	Figure 31. Some graziers may want to install a ball hitch and tongue jack to the towing end of the tool.	Figure 32. The cattle rub attachment to the feeder at low end should be about 16 to 18 inches above ground line.
Figure 33. The basic optional roof design.	Figure 34. The basic feeder made of a horizontal half of a 55-gallon poly drum.	Figure 35. Drill drain holes in both ends of the salt and mineral feeder to allow water to drain out of the feeder.

The hitch is best made of link chain of about three-eighth to one-half inch diameter links (Figures 27, 28, 29 and 30). Rope hitches wear out too quickly. Cable hitches are not grazier friendly. Make the hitch chain long enough to extend about five feet in front of the runners and attach it permanently to the tool (Figure 28). This allows easy attachment to the vehicle, tractor, or ATV with these transports coming to the hitch sideways or by backing into it. Hitch chains that are too short are not grazier friendly. If the chain hitch is long enough, the vehicle does not have to back into the tool to move it. Simply drive close along side the hitch and drop it onto the ball hitch. Attach the chain hitch to loops on the ends of the runners as shown in Figures 25 and 27. Make a permanent loop in the end of the chain (Figure 30). This loop is the tongue to drop over the ball hitch on the ATV or vehicle and to hook onto the storage hook at the top of the riser (Figure 29). Pull the chain hitch out full length, find the center, and install a large bolt or quick link to create about a six-inch loop (Figure 29 and 30). It is also handy to have a hook on the end of the chain to attach to the pulling ATV or vehicle. Always hook the chain hitch to the storage hook on the riser to keep it out of the mud, manure, ice and snow, and to keep it from freezing to the earth (Figure 29). Make the hook high on the riser so cattle cannot unhook it.

An equipment jack can be added to the cattle rub end to raise the tool up to the ball hitch (Figure 31). This is more useful on the wheeled assist models and on any model where moving distance is great.

Figure 36. The tall riser may be rigged to hinge about 18 inches off ground line (top) to allow passage of the tool under a one wire electric fence (bottom).

The cattle rub should be attached to the loop near the top of the tall riser and to the loop at the edge of the salt/mineral feeder (Figures 21, 29 and 32). The cattle rub should be about six feet above ground line on the high end and about 16 to 18 inches above ground line on the low end at the feeder (Figure 32). Once installed, it can serve all sizes of cattle from small calves to large bulls. Make this connection using a very heavy duty snap and as many easily added "quick link" chain links as needed (Figure 29). This technique allows easy tension adjustment of the cattle rub rope as it stretches. The cattle rub should have a slight droop. It does not need to be extremely tight. It should cover the contour of the cattle body as it is used. A major source for cattle rubs is the P. H. White Co., Box 155, Dyersburg, TN 38025-0155; phone (800) 344-0115.

The optional roof should be about six feet above ground line, or slightly taller than the largest animal in the herd (Figures 21, 22 and 23). For this model it needs to be about six by six feet square to protect the salt and mineral in inclement weather. Basic construction is shown in Figure 33. The roof is optional.

The salt/mineral feeder reservoir is best made from a 55-gallon poly drum (plastic barrel). Use a dark-colored drum with thick walls (one-fourth inch or more) (Figure 34). Blue is long lasting, red, yellow, and white are intermediate in life span, and black is the longest lasting of all. Cut the drum in half length-wise and fasten it to the feeder frame with about three-eighth inch bolts. Support the feeder on the bottom with cross braces welded onto the feeder frame. The feeder designed in this manner will provide salt/mineral for up to about 400 head of cattle (Figure 34). This far surpasses the capacity of the 10-foot cattle rub, but more cattle eating at the feeder tends to cause more use of the rub and more desirable animal impact on the area. Drill about three-eighth inch holes on about one inch spacing in both ends of the drum feeder to allow water to escape (Figure 35). The feeder may be divided for feeding separate feeds (Figure 14).

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