How to Build a Wooden Pig Feeder Yourself

Pigs are energetic feeders and will consume just about anything and don't really care what they eat out of. In fact, you can even throw their food on the ground and a pig will eat it. However if you'd like to keep a steady supply of food available for them you will need a feeder or trough. A pig feeder is easy to make with just a few supplies and tools and a little bit of time.

Things You'll Need

  • Wooden 20-gallon barrel
  • Saw
  • Sandpaper
  • Tape measure
  • Colored marker
  • 6-inch stool legs
  • Wood screws
  • Screwdriver
  • 6-inch blocks of wood
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut a large wooden barrel in half lengthwise to form two long containers. The 20-gallon barrels are the best size to use. Large wooden flour containers will work as well. Make sure the barrels never contained anything that could be harmful to your pigs. Clean out the insides thoroughly with soap and water. Look carefully over the cut barrel halves to make sure there aren't any rough edges that could injure your pigs. Use sandpaper to smooth out any rough patches.

    • 2

      Turn your barrels over and make a mark six inches in from each side. Use the measuring tape to make sure the two marks are evenly spaced and straight across from one another.

    • 3

      Using wood screws, attach a stool leg to both marks on the bottom of the barrel. You can usually find premade stool and table legs at most lumber supply stores. You can also use blocks of wood to make the legs, but be sure they aren't any longer than 6 inches, as pigs aren't tall animals and wouldn't be able to reach into the feeder to eat if the legs were too high. Also check to make sure there aren't any exposed metal parts of the screw inside the feeder, as the pigs could hurt themselves when eating.

    • 4

      Clean the feeder every few days by turning it over and rinsing out any rotten food that remains. Leaving a buildup of old food will cause the wood to rot and can also draw flies or make the animals ill.