Automatic Cattle Feeder Calculator

A lifting lid with a free-swinging front flap

The top lid pivots about a fixed hinge along the back of the feeder. The actuators connect the box sides to the lid and raise its front edge to uncover the feed. The front flap has its own hinge at that moving edge: gravity lets it hang downward as the top lid opens.

The flap is not a rigid extension of the lid. With clearance around its edges and no latch holding it, it can yield when pushed, including when the top lid is closed. Its weight still loads the top lid through the front hinge. Because the flap can still swing, closing the lid is not a lockout that guarantees feed is inaccessible.

This arrangement controls access to hay or feed; it does not weigh a portion or meter a ration. Choose the feeding schedule and enclosure dimensions for the animals and their management needs.

Measurements for the feeder calculator

The starting box is 60 inches high, 48 inches deep and 72 inches wide. These are example dimensions, not a rated feeder capacity. The rear hinge runs across the width, and the top lid spans the depth.

• Lid and flap sizes: measure the top lid from its rear hinge to the front flap hinge. Measure the hanging flap separately and allow room for its full swing.
• Moving weights: include the lid, front flap, hinges, brackets and attached hardware. Do not enter all the hay in the box as moving weight unless the mechanism actually lifts it.
• Opening angles: choose the required closed and open positions. Check clearance above the feeder as well as the opening presented to the animals.
• Actuator mounting points: measure between pin centers at the box and lid brackets. Both ends must be able to pivot as the lid moves.

For a wide lid, two side actuators can share the load. Equal load sharing requires matching geometry, a sufficiently stiff lid and synchronized motion. A twisted lid or uneven load can place more force on one side than the equal-share result indicates. The single-actuator option uses a central mount with supporting crossmembers; their strength and clearance need a separate structural check.

Choosing the lid actuators

Super Duty actuators are the starting family. Compare the calculated force, travel and pin-to-pin lengths with the exact force and stroke option. The Super Duty specifications list four-wire Hall feedback and compatibility with the FCB-2 controller for synchronized operation.

Provide rigid bracket supports and keep the actuator shafts free of side load. Set travel limits before the lid or flap can strike the enclosure. Outdoor feeder hardware also needs suitable corrosion protection, protected wiring and provisions for rain, dust and accumulated feed.

Scheduling a timed horse hay feeder or cattle feeder

The FCB-2 controller supports time-of-day schedules and interval operation. It provides up to five weekly timer programs, each with separate extension and retraction times. Use the controller's clock and timer settings to command opening and closing; the calculator does not program the controller.

For two synchronized Super Duty actuators, connect the Hall feedback and complete the controller's setup and calibration. Feedback-off operation does not synchronize the actuators. Potentiometer feedback is not accepted by the FCB-2. Follow the FCB setup guide and confirm the direction and travel limits with the animal area clear before enabling a schedule.

The FCB-2 is not waterproof. Install it in suitable protection from weather, dust and condensation, and check the selected actuators and supply against its 10 A maximum per-actuator and 40 A total limits.

Animal clearance and unattended movement

A free-swinging flap reduces the rigid front obstruction, but it is not obstruction detection or a certified anti-entrapment system. Its edges, hinge, the powered lid and the actuator brackets can still create pinch or trapping points.

Before unattended operation, have the complete feeder assessed for the animals using it. Provide appropriate guarding, animal-clearance detection and stop controls for the actual hazards. Keep heads and limbs out of the powered closing path, retain a practical manual release or access method, and test loss of power and control faults. A timer, actuator force rating or free hinge does not guarantee that an animal cannot be trapped.