6 Best Customizable Trough Feeders For Mixed Species That Reduce Feed Waste
Discover the 6 best customizable trough feeders designed for mixed species. These models reduce waste, improve efficiency, and save you money on feed costs.
Watching a 150-pound hog shoulder a young goat away from the feed trough is a daily reminder that not all animals play fair. You put out good feed for everyone, but the biggest and pushiest seem to get most of it, while the rest is trampled into the mud. The right feeder isn’t just a container; it’s a tool for managing your herd, saving money, and keeping the peace.
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Why Trough Design Matters for Mixed Herds
The fundamental challenge of a mixed herd is that every animal eats differently. A goat nibbles selectively, a sheep pushes its face straight down, and a pig roots and shoves with incredible force. A feeder designed for one is often a disaster for the others.
When a feeder isn’t suited for the group, feed waste is the first and most obvious consequence. Grain gets knocked onto the ground, where it’s quickly contaminated by mud and manure, becoming a health risk instead of nutrition. This waste isn’t just a few spilled pellets; over a year, it adds up to a significant, unnecessary expense.
Beyond cost, poor trough design creates social stress. A deep, narrow trough might be great for keeping goats from wasting feed, but it also allows a bossy ewe to block access for everyone else. The goal is to find a design that respects the physical size and feeding behavior of every animal, using features like height, depth, and dividers to create a fair and efficient feeding environment.
Brower Poly Trough: Heavy-Duty & Versatile
When you need a feeder that absolutely will not be moved by a determined hog or a playful calf, the Brower poly trough is a top contender. These are typically made from a single, thick piece of heavy-duty polyethylene. They are built to absorb abuse without cracking or breaking.
Their real advantage for mixed species lies in their weight and smooth design. The rounded interior corners mean feed doesn’t get packed into tight spots, making it easier for animals to clean up every last bit and simplifying your cleaning chores. Its low-profile but substantial weight makes it stable enough for large stock, preventing the costly and frustrating issue of a flipped feeder.
While not easily portable, its versatility is undeniable. You can place it directly on the ground for pigs and poultry or raise it on concrete blocks to the perfect height for sheep, goats, or calves. This simple adjustment makes one feeder work for multiple species, just not always at the same time without some planning.
Tuff Stuff Feeder: Customizable & Lightweight
The Tuff Stuff feeder is the definition of simple, effective, and adaptable. It’s essentially a durable, chemical-free plastic tub that’s light enough to be carried with one hand but tough enough to withstand pecking, chewing, and general farm wear. Its flexibility is its greatest strength.
This feeder shines in its customizability. Because it’s a simple plastic trough, you can easily drill holes in the lip to mount it anywhere. You can hang one at ground level for your sheep and another two feet up on the same fence post for your goats. This vertical separation is one of the easiest ways to ensure smaller or more timid animals get their share without being bullied.
The tradeoff for this lightweight convenience is stability. If you just set it on the ground with larger animals like mature goats or pigs, they will flip it. It must be secured to a fence, wall, or custom-built frame to be effective for anything larger than chickens. For rotational grazing systems or situations where you need to reconfigure pens often, its portability is a massive time-saver.
Little Giant Hook Over Feeder for Small Stock
For the smaller members of your homestead—lambs, goat kids, ducks, and chickens—a large floor trough is often counterproductive. They climb in it, soil the feed, and waste more than they eat. The Little Giant Hook Over Feeder solves this problem with elegant simplicity.
As the name implies, these feeders have built-in hooks that hang securely over standard wire fencing or wooden rails. This immediately gets the feed off the ground, which is the single most important step in reducing fecal contamination and waste. You can adjust the height in seconds by simply moving it to a higher or lower rail, matching the growth of your young stock perfectly.
Of course, this feeder is a specialized tool. Its capacity is limited, making it unsuited for large herds or mature animals. But for separating kids and lambs for supplemental feeding or providing a dedicated creep feed area, it is an invaluable, low-cost solution that performs its specific job exceptionally well.
Behlen Country Bunk Feeder for Large Animals
If you have larger animals in your mix—a milk cow, a few beef calves, or a couple of full-grown hogs—you need a feeder that commands respect. The Behlen Country Bunk Feeder is that solution. Typically made of heavy-gauge steel with a poly liner, it’s designed for stability and longevity.
The key feature here is the wide, stable base. The splayed legs make it nearly impossible for a large animal to tip over, protecting your investment in feed. The deep trough design also helps contain feed, preventing cattle or other large animals from easily pushing it out with their noses while they eat. Many models also include a drain plug, a small but hugely practical feature that turns a miserable cleaning job into a simple rinse-and-drain task.
This is not a portable feeder; it’s a piece of infrastructure. You place it where you want it, and it stays there. For a permanent dry lot or a central feeding station in a pasture, its durability and waste-reducing design make it a smart long-term purchase for managing the heavyweights of your herd.
Farmstead Essentials Modular Trough System
Sometimes, a standard-length trough just doesn’t fit your space or your management style. This is where modular systems come in. Instead of a single piece, these feeders consist of interlocking sections that you can assemble to create a trough of the perfect length and shape for your barn or paddock.
The primary benefit is ultimate customization. You can create a 20-foot-long straight feeder along a fence line or an L-shaped configuration to fit neatly in a corner. Many systems also offer optional dividers that can be slotted in to create individual feeding "stalls," which is a fantastic way to prevent a dominant animal from hogging the entire trough.
The initial investment for a modular system can be higher than for a single-piece trough, and it does require some assembly. However, the long-term advantages are significant. If one section gets damaged, you only have to replace that piece, not the entire feeder. This adaptability makes it a great choice for farmers who are constantly refining their animal housing and management systems.
Sioux Steel V-Bottom Feeder Reduces Waste
The design of the Sioux Steel V-Bottom Feeder is a direct attack on feed waste. Unlike flat-bottomed troughs where animals can push feed around and out, the "V" shape constantly funnels grain and pellets down to the center, right in front of the animal.
This simple geometric trick has a powerful effect. It forces animals to clean up what’s in front of them before they can get to more. This is especially effective for goats, which are notorious for sifting through feed and slinging out what they don’t want. The V-bottom design significantly reduces this "sorting" behavior, ensuring more of your expensive feed ends up in the animal, not on the ground.
These feeders are typically made of galvanized steel, making them durable and weather-resistant. The design also naturally discourages animals from standing in the trough, further protecting the feed quality. While excellent for goats, sheep, and calves, their design may be less ideal for animals that root aggressively, like pigs.
Matching Feeder Features to Your Animals’ Needs
There is no single "best" feeder for every mixed herd. The right choice is a balance of your specific animals, your management style, and your farm’s layout. Thinking through the key features is the fastest way to a good decision.
Start by honestly assessing your animals and their habits. A lightweight plastic feeder that’s perfect for a small flock of sheep will be destroyed or ignored by a 400-pound boar. A low-profile trough that works for pigs will be uncomfortable for long-legged goats or alpacas.
Use this simple framework to narrow down your options:
- Animal Size & Strength: Do you need heavy-duty steel or poly that can’t be flipped (Behlen, Brower), or is a lighter, mountable option sufficient (Tuff Stuff, Little Giant)?
- Feeding Behavior: Do your animals sling feed from side to side? A V-bottom (Sioux Steel) or a deeper trough will help. Do they need to be separated? Look for modular options with dividers.
- Portability vs. Permanence: Are you moving animals between pastures regularly? Lightweight, hook-over, or easily movable feeders are essential. For a fixed barn or dry lot, a heavy, permanent bunk feeder is more efficient.
- Ease of Cleaning: Smooth poly surfaces (Brower) and drain plugs (Behlen) save immense amounts of time and effort, promoting better hygiene for your herd.
Ultimately, a good feeder is an investment that pays for itself. By reducing feed waste and minimizing health issues from contaminated grain, the right equipment simplifies your chores and contributes directly to the well-being of your animals.
Choosing the right feeder moves you from being a food provider to a herd manager. It’s a simple change that reduces daily frustration, cuts your feed bill, and creates a calmer, healthier environment for all your animals.
