Cattle Feeder
€15,00
Cattle Feeder
€15,00
A roofed grain feeder on treated skids, restored from a USDA Cooperative Extension sheet. Grain goes in through a door in each gable end. Inside, two slanting walls lean inward as they drop, meter the grain through a 3" (76 mm) gap at their feet, and spill it onto an inverted-V floor that sheds to a full-length trough on each long side — so cattle feed themselves from both flanks while the grain stays dry under the gable roof. 2×6 studs on two treated 4×6 × 16'-0" skids carry it, trough sills 2'-3" (69 cm) up, and the beveled skid noses let you drag it to fresh ground. Check your gate against the 10'-8" (325 cm) eave width before you build.
At a glance
- Size: Body 6'-0" W × 13'-10" L (183 × 422 cm) · about 10'-6" (320 cm) tall · 10'-8" (325 cm) over the eave boards · skids 16'-0" (488 cm)
- Skill: Intermediate
- Build time: 4–6 days
- Materials: approx. US$2,000–4,200
- In the plan: 21-page PDF, US Letter, 27 illustrated steps, imperial, with metric in the lists and steps
Inside the 21-page plan
- The original public-domain sheet, restored and reproduced in full
- An exploded drawing that shows how every part goes together
- Dimensioned views of the finished build, in feet and inches
- Materials list and hardware schedule, with today's actual lumber sizes and metric equivalents
- Cut list, so you can cut everything before you start assembling
- Clear illustrated step-by-step assembly drawings: one job per step, every part drawn, fastener positions marked
- A modern-build track: screws and today's materials, same dimensions
- The Remix: build it as a Strawberry & Herb Tower
The PDF plan is a digital download; nothing ships. The Printed Workshop Edition (PDF included) and the wall prints are printed to order and shipped. Adapted from USDA Cooperative Extension Service plan 5083, a public-domain original. Restored, redrawn and edited by Square & Furrow, produced with AI-assisted tools and checked against the original drawing.
Restored USDA original
Imperial + metric
Cut list & checklist
Instant PDF download
Built to work
Cattle Feeder
Drawn by agricultural engineers, proven on working farms, and redrawn for the way you build today.
Rendering
This fall · The Remix
Or build it as a Strawberry & Herb Tower
The same proven structure, given a new job in the garden or the backyard. It's included in this plan: a dedicated page shows exactly what changes and what stays the same.
Drawn for the plan
From the USDA archive
Restored from the original plan No. 5083
From the archive
U.S.D.A. EX 5083
Public domain · restored by Square & Furrow
This is the public-domain sheet the agricultural engineers drew. We restore it and reproduce it in full inside your plan, then rebuild it as a modern edition: today's lumber sizes, metric measurements, a cut list and illustrated steps. Every dimension is checked against the original.
Step by step
Every part drawn. Every fixing marked.
Each step is one job with its own clear drawing: the parts it adds are shaded, every nail and screw position is marked, and the hardware and tools sit right beside it. An exploded view shows how the whole build goes together before you make a single cut.
Before you build
Your tools & materials checklist
Tick what you already have. Whatever is left is your shopping list. Your ticks are saved on this device, so you can come back to it from the lumber yard.
0 of 0 on hand
Tools
Materials
Lumber — the sheet's own bill, transcribed; only the skids are called out treated. Two lines are short of what the drawings show: the rafters and the floor joists.
Questions about this plan
What are the finished dimensions?
Body 6'-0" W × 13'-10" L (183 × 422 cm) · about 10'-6" (320 cm) tall · 10'-8" (325 cm) over the eave boards · skids 16'-0" (488 cm). The drawings are dimensioned in feet and inches; the materials list, cut list and steps give metric sizes alongside.
What skill level do I need, and how long does it take?
It's rated intermediate. Expected build time: 4–6 days. It suits someone who has framed a shed or a deck before; each step still names the tools it uses.
How much does it cost to build?
Roughly US$2,000–4,200 in materials at typical US lumber-yard prices. Prices vary a lot by region, so price the materials list at your local yard before you start.
What tools do I need?
Framing square, Sliding bevel, Level (4-ft), Speed or combination square, Circular saw, Handsaw, Jigsaw, Tin snips or angle grinder, Utility knife, Hammer, Drill/driver + bits, Paint brush, Stepladder, plus a tape, pencil, safety glasses, hearing protection and gloves. The interactive checklist on this page lets you tick off what you already own.
Is this an original USDA plan?
Yes. It is restored from U.S.D.A. EX 5083, a public-domain USDA Cooperative Extension Service plan. We redrew it as a modern build guide with a materials list, metric sizes, a cut list and clear illustrated step-by-step assembly drawings, every part drawn. Every dimension follows the original drawing, and the original sheet is reproduced inside.
Can a beginner follow it?
It's rated intermediate, so it helps to have built something framed before, or to have a handy friend on the bigger lifts. Each step is a single job with its own drawing: the parts that step adds are shaded, the nails, screws and bolts it drives are marked where they go, and the hardware for that step is listed beside it. An exploded drawing at the front shows how the whole build goes together before you cut anything.
Can I build it for something other than farm use?
Yes. The plan includes a remix page that turns the same build into a strawberry & herb tower (tiered planters), showing what changes and what stays the same.
What do I get?
A 21-page print-ready PDF (US Letter) to download after purchase. It prints well at home or at a copy shop, and reads fine on a tablet in the workshop.