Which meal bin?

hopeso wrote: »

Use a 6' block or something similar as a step in front of the bin...You'll reach all the way down no bother then. Tilt it over when it gets light to scoop out the last bucket full........or get one of these... http://mealriser.ie

The square jfc bins are a revelation.
The top of the bin is waist height (well for me anyway).

If anyone has problems bending down into those tall ones. My advice would be forget about the riser and sell on your bin and buy the square one instead.

I've two of them and they've simply been one of the best buys on the farm.
The weanlings here get a bucket and a half of meal at grass here currently and I've the bin with the meal and buckets inside just across the wire from the paddock and trough.
No matter with that riser with the shape of the profile in the bottom of the bin you'll still have to turn it over on it's side to get the very last bit out. I have a saucepan for that job to put into the bucket.

davidk1394 wrote: »

Could you buy meal in 1 tonne bags by any chance ?

All the coop stores around here sell and deliver meal in one tonne bags.
They have small lorries with a crane to lift them off or a forklift on bigger lorries.
Would only be buying small amounts of nuts/ration here. The crane lifts the tonne bag over the JFC bin , open the bottom of the bag, 800kgs of nuts or 600kgs of ration into bin, job done.

If You are only feeding 4 tonne a year that is only 160 25kg bags altogether.
Assuming you feed this over 6 months (autumn/winter) its only a bag a day you are handling. Get a pallet delivered and forget about a bin, bulk bags, jfc container blue barrels, trailer etc.

mr.stonewall wrote: »

Made up an ibc bin. Cut the top ring off it so as not to have to bend and fall into it and put 2 plywood hinged lids on it.vermin proof and just leave into shed. Great for calf ration and a bit of soya bean meal in the winter. . Holds 500kg of nuts and 400kg ration. Big saving on bags and time over the year on just calves.
Lifted on off the pick up with the loader.
Also have 2 big bins for ration aswell and swear buy them
Will post picture later

Pic as promised
https://m.imgur.com/gallery/kK7JNT3

RobinBanks wrote: »

Can you reach all the way down to the bottom?

Yes and I'm not the tallest😉 Dropped the height of it down one bar (approx 8 inches) easy empty as the lids are at both sides

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Just to close the loop here...

The difference between bulk and small bags would be around €20 for beef cubes. Being in a big dairy area, several merchants don't even stock sheep cubes but could order it in if I wanted. I was told this previously but I double-checked anyway.

Between this info and the very useful posts above, I decided to just stick with the small bags for now. Having said that, I might try source a few wheelie bins for feeding calves outside next year - might not save much money but it'd save dragging buckets/bags from the shed to the field.

Thanks again for all the advice.

For 20/ton I would not be bothered. You have to factor digging it out of bins rather than emptying a half bag into a bucket or throwing it on your shoulder and heading down the field.

kk.man wrote: »

Wow... I have 2 jfc bins.. How much are the meal risers?

Did you get a price on them? I just found this..... :eek::eek::eek: https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/machinery/agriinventors-raise-the-bar-farm-laboursaving-ideas-to-the-fore-at-this-years-national-inventions-event-38436371.html

kk.man wrote: »

Wow that's dear!.. I bought my jfc a few years back circ 300e.

If you got the grant it would knock a huge hole in a fixed 3-4 ton bin.