Grazing Hacks for Feeding Mineral, Blocking Water Gaps and Solar Charger Stands

Steve shared this information with us back in back in January of 2015. They're ideas that will still work today. And if you've got ideas, do share! Your On Pasture community would love to have your help. Dan Divine, a former NRCS agent based in Wright County Missouri, was telling me about his water gap and mineral feeder ideas a couple days ago and I asked him to send some photos. Dan has always been a strong grass farming proponent and Wright County was lucky to have an agent who practiced what he preached. Tug-along Mineral Feeder The mineral feeder was purchased from Fisher Feed and Farm Supply and has three compartments, allowing different minerals to be fed, all protected by a rubber cover. The only problem, as anyone who frequently moves their cattle knows, is moving these kind of feeders without a truck or tractor is a pain. Dan came up with a way to move them with his ATV by bolting them to a loader tire and attaching a bolt with a round head to attach a chain and pull the feeder. It also has the added benefit of spreading out the manure while you move your feeder. Dan ties back the cover the first few days to allow the cattle to learn where the mineral is before letting them raise the cover themselves. Chain Water Gap I’ve seen this variation of a water gap before, but Dan has added his own twists to the process. The basic idea is to stretch your wire across the gap well above the high water mark. Then attach light chain, weighted at the bottom, to the wi