Question about stand and fills and hogs

[Dchilds]

I’m building a feeder for a hog trap and want to make it hog proof. If I’m building a base for a stand and fill feeder with a 55 gallon drum as my corn holder, does anyone have tips for how wide and/or tall it should be so I don’t get it tipped over by the hogs? I don’t plan to anchor it; ideally just relying on gravity and physics.

The finished product will look like the others I’ve seen here - I just want to be sure it’s really stable. Something like this


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[Drycreek3189]

Probably can’t tip it until it’s half empty or more, but they can eventually. A big hog is strong ! I had my empty one tipped, just lucky it didn’t land on the solar panel. I’d drive some steel rods in the ground if I could, otherwise bolt it to a piece of plywood. Be hard to tip it over while they’re standing on the anchor.

I’d build it lower than the one pictured, too much advantage to the hog.

[hog_down]

I would move the solar panel up a little bit versus the one in your picture. Also, I've built a few and would definately anchor, if at all possible. If a big hog can get under it or tip it, then it can probably get pushed over. I'm guessing if its in a hog trap, you aren't worried about cattle, correct?

[Lynn21]

It takes no time at all to drive a T post on two legs that are catty corner from each other and wire them to the feeder. Drive em deep and use heavy wire. Doesn’t take long. I’ve had a feeder ruined cause I didnt tie it down. They even ate the solar panel off after they knocked it over.

[SaintBlaise]

Not sure of your terrain, but if you have to drive your post in rocks like in your picture, then drill it.

recent discussion...

https://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=841555&highlight=drill+t-post

[Dchilds]

All good feedback! Thanks fellas. I think I’ll stake it in just to be sure.


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[kmack]

The dimensions for that feeder stand shown above are mentioned in my thread, but I'll include them here also:

In the meantime (from memory), the top portion of the frame is 24"x24", the bottom base is 42"x42", the legs are 37" long, and the mid-cross bars are 28" and set approximately 12" down from the top frame. The 28" dimension works very well with the spacing of the openings on the 2"x4" horse panel.

As it sits, the stand is about 36" tall, and that puts the top of a standard 55-gal drum at 5'-10". If hogs are a concern. then you could widen the base and shorten the vertical legs to make it more stable as the weight of the corns drops with the level in the barrel.

We have not seen pics of hogs at either of the 3 feeders we set up this season...yet. So I can't say how well they will stay upright with hog use. We do have longhorns on the property now, and I have seen them at two of the feeders, but we've had no issues there either.

Two of our feeder setups are in areas with lots of topsoil and would do well with simple rebar anchors in place, but the one pictured above sits on top of a lot of rocks. That one will be tough to hold down should it be pushed over at some point.

Just some info for those tracking this thread...