Cake Feeder
(Trip Hopper, Supplement Feeder)

Cake feeders come in a variety of sizes – from 100 pounds up to several tons – and can be either mounted on the back of a pickup truck or on a dedicated tow-behind trailer. The idea is similar across brands and types – they are designed to deliver large quantities of supplemental feed to the cowherd in the pasture while the operator stays inside the vehicle. This facilitates ease of handling and safety for the operator. Another advantage of this type of feeding scenario is that feed may be purchased in bulk, rather than bagged, which will typically save money for the ranching enterprise. There are two basic mechanisms used to deliver the feed out of the bin: an auger or chain. Both have their advantages and disadvantages based upon the type of feed to be used.