Often, these are the best solutions on the homestead.
Personally, I don't exactly need to have the best. If something works, then it works. My old truck gets us around just fine, and we wouldn't get places any more, or any less, in an expensive vehicle. In the end, we would still get there.
LET'S FIGURE IT OUT!
Recently, I needed a feed trough for our Jacob's Sheep. Animals like this really shouldn't be eating directly off the ground, since that increases the possibility of them getting parasites. Since their manure falls to the ground, you do not want them to accidentally eat their own feces. The first thing I do in a situation like this is to look around at resources and figure our what design would work best.
For other sheep or goats, shallow buckets would work. However, because of the large horns of the Jacob's Sheep, a feeding trough was going to work best. I had acquired a few "junk" boards from a neighbor that he was just going to burn, so I thought that they might be a good a start. Also, I still have some discarded screws that I found at the recycling center. It looked like this was basically going to be a free solution, which are the easiest kind to fit into the budget.
Just by making a few cuts in the boards and screwing them together I had a functional feeding trough. This was just supposed to be a quick, easy, and free temporary solution. I do not plan on being able to use this trough for years to come, but just by investing a few minutes creating it I've got a temporary solution. My next idea, which should last for many years, will require significantly more effort, although I think I've got the necessary resources to make it for free too!
The sheep were able to use it, and although they might not understand all of the reasons that I made it for them, they'll appreciate the effects of it anyway. Personally, I enjoy the opportunities to think, create, and experiment that my current lifestyle gives me. I may never win a craftsmanship award for a project like this, but I still enjoyed it.
As always, I'm 
and here's the proof:
proof-of-free-feeding-trough
