6 Sheep Feeders For Medicated Feed That Prevent Common Problems
Ensure effective treatment with the right medicated feed dispenser. Explore 6 sheep feeders that reduce waste, prevent contamination, and ensure accurate dosage.
You’ve just spent a good chunk of money on medicated feed to treat coccidiosis in your lambs, but you watch in frustration as the biggest ewe shoves them aside and eats most of it herself. This isn’t just a waste of money; it’s a failure of treatment that leaves your lambs vulnerable. The right feeder isn’t a luxury—it’s a critical tool for ensuring your animal health plan actually works.
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Why Your Feeder Choice Matters for Medicated Feed
Administering medicated feed is a game of precision. Under-dosing can make a treatment completely ineffective, while over-dosing can lead to toxicity and other health problems. A simple ground trough or an open bucket is an invitation for inaccurate dosing.
The dominant animals will always eat more than their share, leaving the timid or younger sheep with little to none. This is especially problematic for flock-wide treatments where every animal needs to consume a specific amount over a set period. Furthermore, a poorly designed feeder leads to contamination from mud, manure, and moisture, which can spoil expensive feed and make your sheep sick.
Think of your feeder as a prescription delivery system. Its job is to ensure the right animal gets the right dose in a clean, safe manner. A good feeder prevents waste, protects the medication’s integrity, and helps you manage your flock’s health with intention instead of hope. It’s a direct investment in the effectiveness of your treatment plan.
Tarter Poly Bunk Feeder for Reducing Feed Waste
The classic poly bunk feeder is a workhorse on many small farms, and for good reason. Its V-shaped trough and narrow base naturally funnel feed toward the center, making it harder for sheep to root around and toss pellets onto the ground. This simple design feature significantly cuts down on waste.
However, for medicated feed, the bunk feeder is a blunt instrument. Its open design allows multiple animals to eat at once, which is great for general feeding but terrible for controlled dosing. You cannot guarantee individual intake with a bunk feeder. The most aggressive ewe will still get more than her share.
This feeder shines when you’re adding a low-dose medication to the entire flock’s daily ration, like a preventative coccidiostat. In that scenario, a slight variation in intake isn’t critical. The easy-to-clean polyethylene also prevents medication from building up in seams or rust spots, which is a major plus for hygiene.
Behlen Country Creep Feeder for Lamb Dosing
A creep feeder is your best tool for selective feeding. It’s essentially a feed container inside a pen with openings that are too small for adult sheep but just right for lambs. This is the solution for when you need to medicate your lambs without dosing the ewes.
Imagine you need to provide a medicated starter grain for your lambs. You simply fill the creep feeder and place it in the pasture. The lambs quickly learn they can slip through the adjustable bars to access a private buffet, while the ewes can only watch. This ensures your targeted treatment goes exactly where it’s needed.
The Behlen model and others like it often include a cover to protect the feed from rain, a critical feature for preserving the potency of medication. The adjustable entry bars are the key feature, allowing you to modify the opening as your lambs grow. It’s an indispensable tool for managing the health of different age groups within the same flock.
Little Giant Fence Feeder for Individual Portions
When one specific sheep needs a precise, measured dose of medication, group feeding is out of the question. This is where a simple fence feeder, sometimes called a hook-over feeder, becomes invaluable. It allows you to isolate an animal and deliver an exact portion.
You simply hang the feeder on a gate or fence panel in a small pen. You then bring in the specific sheep that needs treatment and provide the medicated feed. This method is the only way to be absolutely certain that an individual animal has consumed its full dose of dewormer, antibiotic, or other critical supplement.
The tradeoff is labor. This is not a practical solution for treating an entire flock. But for one or two animals on a specific regimen, it’s perfect. The small capacity encourages the sheep to clean it up quickly, and the plastic or metal construction is easy to scrub clean before the next use. For targeted medical care, the control it offers is unmatched.
Sioux Steel Mineral Feeder for Weather Protection
Medicated feed and supplements are expensive, and moisture is their worst enemy. A mineral feeder, originally designed to protect loose salt and minerals, is an excellent choice for protecting small amounts of high-value medicated feed from the elements.
These feeders typically feature a rotating hood or a heavy rubber flap that sheep must nudge open with their heads. This clever design keeps rain, snow, and harsh sun from degrading the feed. The medication remains potent and palatable, and you’re not throwing away spoiled product after every storm.
This feeder is best for free-choice applications, such as a medicated mineral mix that sheep can access as needed. Because only one or two animals can use it at a time, it’s not ideal for delivering a full daily ration to a group. But for supplements that need to be available 24/7, its primary benefit is superior weather protection.
Brower Creep Feeder: Keeping Adult Sheep Out
While similar in concept to other creep feeders, models like those from Brower often focus on heavy-duty construction. This is for the farmer who has a "problem ewe"—that one determined adult who figures out how to force her way into the lamb’s private dining area.
These feeders often use heavier gauge steel and more rigid, less forgiving creep panels. The design prioritizes security over everything else. If you’ve ever had a standard creep feeder bent or pushed aside by a clever ewe, you understand the need for this level of durability.
Investing in a more robust feeder is about protecting your investment in the medicated feed and, more importantly, the health of your lambs. When a ewe consumes a high-concentration lamb feed, it can cause serious digestive upset. This feeder is for situations where preventing unauthorized access is the number one priority.
Sydell Wall Feeder for Cleanliness and Spoilage
Attract wild birds with this durable, rust-proof stainless steel bird feeder. Its large, easy-to-clean mesh tray features drainage holes to keep seeds fresh, and the included hook allows for versatile mounting on walls, trees, or fences.
One of the fastest ways to waste medicated feed is through contamination. A feeder placed on the ground will inevitably be fouled with manure, urine, and dirty bedding. This not only wastes feed but can also discourage sheep from eating or, worse, spread disease.
A wall-mounted feeder solves this problem by elevating the feed off the floor. By securing it to a pen wall or sturdy fence, you keep it clean and dry. Sheep can eat comfortably without stepping in their ration, ensuring the feed you provide is the feed they actually consume.
For medicated feed, this cleanliness is paramount. You want to ensure the dose is palatable and not mixed with pathogens. Look for models with solid backs to prevent feed from falling out and a design that discourages perching. The primary advantage of a wall feeder is hygiene, which directly impacts the effectiveness of your treatment.
Key Features for Administering Medicated Feed
Choosing the right feeder isn’t about finding the single "best" one; it’s about matching the tool to the task. Are you delivering a precise dose to one sick ewe, or are you providing a flock-wide preventative? The answer dictates the features you need.
When evaluating feeders specifically for medicated feed, focus on these critical attributes:
- Access Control: Can you limit who eats from it? Look for creep panels, individual stalls, or hook-over designs for precision.
- Weather Protection: Does it have a cover or hood? Protecting feed from rain and sun preserves its potency.
- Ease of Cleaning: Are the surfaces smooth and non-porous? Poly and stainless steel are ideal for preventing residue and mold.
- Waste Reduction: Does the shape prevent sheep from flinging feed? V-troughs and feed-saving lips are valuable.
- Durability: Will it stand up to abuse? Consider the material and construction, especially if you have aggressive animals.
Ultimately, your feeder is part of your flock’s health equipment, just like a syringe or a drench gun. Think first about the "who" and the "why" of your treatment plan. Once you know what you need to accomplish, you can confidently choose the feeder that will help you get it done right.
A feeder is never just a bucket. It’s a management tool that directly impacts the success of your health protocols, the cost of your inputs, and the well-being of your flock. By choosing a feeder that solves a specific problem—be it waste, weather, or dosage control— you become a more effective and efficient shepherd.
