Whether you’re a beef, sheep or dairy farmer, the humble meal bin is probably one of the most important, underappreciated pieces of kit around the yard. With the portable plastic bins, many farmers can struggle to scoop out the last third of feed in the bin, especially without putting an increased strain on the back. We travelled west to catch up with two entrepreneurs who claim to have come up with solutions to make this job easier.

The Tipsy-Bin

While helping his brother on the home farm, Galway man Michael Egan saw at first hand the difficulty of accessing the last 30% of feed from a standard meal bin. With a background in plastic moulding, he set about designing a product to make the task easier.

The Tipsy Bin is similar to other meal bins on the market, with the exception that once the feed drops to a level that is difficult to reach, the bin can be easily tipped on to the slanted edge to lower the entry point and provide easier access to the bottom of the bin.

When in its original position, the bin stands at 3ft. When tilted on the slanted edge, it reduces its height to 2ft. Here, the feed bin features a built-in flat area, making it easier for the feed to be collected on.

Depending on the bulk density, the 1,000l plastic bin is rated to carry 700kg of feed. Manufactured from high-grade medium-density polyethylene, the bin and lid weighs in at 48kg. It can be transported using a bale handler, forklift or loader and fits into a standard 8x4 builders’ trailer. A drain hole allows for easier washing. The Tipsy bin is priced at €299 (£270) including VAT.

When in its original position, the bin stands at 3ft. When tilted on the slanted edge, it reduces its height to two foot.

The Meal Riser

For those who don’t need a new bin, but would like to make the job of feeding out of an existing bin that bit easier, the Meal Riser could be an option. It was designed by Roscommon-based feed merchant Adrian Keegan. He explained that when he began selling feed in 2013, he saw at first hand the issues with farmers not being able to access the last 30% of the feed in the bins. He said that as a result, farmers sometimes came in for a top up with 150kg still left at the bottom of the bin. He then set about designing the Meal Riser.

The Meal Riser is essentially a spring-loaded automatic dummy floor designed for JFC bins. The spring in the device is calibrated so that for every 1kg of meal you remove from the bin, the spring will rise by 1mm. In layman’s terms, as you scoop out 13kg with a bucket, the spring will rise by half an inch. On a typical bin, the opening is approximately 40in off the ground. With the help of the meal riser, it reduces this to 20in, for much easier access.

In addition, it reduces the furthest point in the bin to the entry point from 59in to 43in.

The patented unit weighs in at 120kg. The frame is constructed from 6mm plate while it uses a 17mm spring. By fitting the unit, you will lose approximately 60kg (ration) of storage capacity. The meal riser can be fitted in under 10 minutes with no modifications to the bin required. With a 12-month warranty, the unit is priced at €620 (£559) plus VAT.