From NC wall boards to feed trough

The weather has been quite decent the last few weeks. The snow has mostly melted and we are under orders to "Stay Home, Stay Safe." To the homesteader, life goes on as it always does. I just can't go buy toilet paper when I want.

The goats and the chickens (and all the other resident mouths-that-that-need-feeding), haven't realized the world has currently gone loopy. They don't need toilet paper, however, they do need other things and two of the ladies are due to give birth any day now.

Ahem. This is not a post about them. This is a post about a feeding trough.

As I was prepping the birthing pen, I decided to move the home-made hay hopper from the girl pen to the birthing pen. Since I was also using the hopper as a feed trough, I have to fabricate the girls a new feeder.

Digging through the second floor of the barn, I found some tongue and groove wall boards that I took down when remodeling our house in North Carolina, which I transported up north during the move. Exactly why I saved them, this is a perfect use for it.

I quickly saw it in half and edge nail it together.

This bit is a cut off from the flooring in our current house, which was also found on the second floor of the barn. Seems to fit just about right. 

I saw it in half...

and nail it to the ends of the wall boards. 

This was so easy I'm embarrassed to blog about it. 

Here it is below the new hay hopper. 

I didn't like it there so I moved it to the other corner. Elizabeth Collins gives it a looking over. 

There is no problem with getting them to use it. 

The two ladies on the far end are Victoria Winters and Franny, our expecting mothers. Elizabeth has gone from looking at the trough, to standing in the trough. She was planning her attack when all the seating is taken. 

My wife really liked this trough and wants one for the buck/wether's pen. Those guys are currently eating off the floor and honestly don't seem to mind. 

Dan.