Animal feeders
Disclosed herein are devices and methods for livestock feeding and care. The livestock feeding devices include two horizontal bars adapted to be strung through a hay net, and further include at least two mounting brackets which each include a zigzag channel. One horizontal bar is fixed in place on the mounting brackets, and the other horizontal bar moves in and out of the zigzag channels of the mounting brackets.
1 . A kit for a livestock feeding device, comprising:
a first horizontal rod and a second horizontal rod, each horizontal rod having end caps that are larger in diameter than a shaft of the rod;
at least two mounting brackets adapted to be affixed to an associated vertical surface, each mounting bracket comprising:
a mounting member;
a U-shaped channel having an opening and adapted to receive the shaft of both the first horizontal rod and the second horizontal rod, the channel comprising an inner vertical wall and an outer vertical wall connected to each other by a base, and an angled wall extending vertically upwards from a top of the outer vertical wall and horizontally inwards towards the mounting member;
a hinged clip configured to close off the opening of the U-shaped channel;
a connecting member joining the U-shaped channel and the mounting member together; and
a stiffener plate underneath the connecting member joining the inner vertical wall of the U-shaped channel and the mounting member.
2 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the mounting member includes apertures for fastening the mounting bracket to the associated vertical surface.
3 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the end caps are shaped to be at least one of spherical, elliptical, cylindrical, and planar.
4 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the U-shaped channel is shaped such that the first and second horizontal rods are stacked at least one of vertically, side-by-side, and diagonally when placed within the U-shaped channel.
5 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the end caps of the first and second horizontal rods are configured to engage walls of the U-shaped channel such that the first and second horizontal rods do not fall out of the channel if moved horizontally.
6 . A kit for a livestock feeding device, comprising:
a first horizontal rod and a second horizontal rod, each horizontal rod having end caps that are larger in diameter than a shaft of the rod;
at least two mounting brackets adapted to be affixed to an associated vertical surface, each mounting bracket comprising:
a U-shaped channel having an opening and adapted to receive both the first horizontal rod and the second horizontal rod;
a mounting member;
a connecting member joining the U-shaped channel and the mounting member together; and
a stiffener plate underneath the connecting member joining the U-shaped channel and the mounting member;
a lower horizontal rod having end caps;
a first vertical rod and a second vertical rod, wherein each vertical rod are configured to be attached to one end of the second horizontal rod and to one end of the lower horizontal rod; and
two lower brackets.
7 . The kit of claim 6 , wherein the first and second vertical rods have a fixed length, and each lower bracket includes an elongated aperture.
8 . The kit of claim 6 , wherein the first and second vertical rods are telescopic.
9 . The kit of claim 6 , wherein the lower horizontal rod and the second horizontal rod are longer than the first horizontal rod.
10 . The kit of claim 6 , wherein the end caps of the first horizontal rod have a larger diameter than the end caps of the second horizontal rod.
11 . A kit for a livestock feeding device, comprising:
a first horizontal rod and a second horizontal rod, each horizontal rod having end caps that are larger in diameter than a shaft of the rod;
at least two mounting brackets adapted to be affixed to an associated vertical surface, each mounting bracket comprising:
a U-shaped channel having an opening and adapted to receive both the first horizontal rod and the second horizontal rod;
a mounting member;
a connecting member joining the U-shaped channel and the mounting member together;
a stiffener plate underneath the connecting member joining the U-shaped channel and the mounting member; and
a hay net through which the first and second horizontal rods are adapted to be strung.
12 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the first and second horizontal rods are telescopic.