We abandoned metal troughs when the mud got really bad and used those cheap lightweight rubber feeding trugs with 2 handles. They can be placed anywhere, ie. a different place each meal along the fence line, or anywhere else in the pen vaguely dry. They are very sturdy, even when the pigs squabble over the nuts and flip them over. It will all get eaten regardless, whether from the dish or the mud. Also very easy to remove, rinse out and dry somewhere else, especially if you have a double set of trugs.