best Chicken feeder

[UtePassChickens]

chicken feeders come in all shapes and sizes. I have seen them range from about $14 - $60. The one I built following plans on a 5gallon bucket diy web site. It has a 4" 90Degree OVC elbow with the side inside the buckets lip cut off and pushed through a 4" hole cut in bucket and the pvc's cut end pushed through so the cut hole is positioned about 3/4" above the bottom. I did caulk around it to seal it well and haven't had a problem with the chickens picking at the little caulking i used. It holds 25lbs+ of food and can be hung from above so as to take it offf floor. the chickens entire head goes into the bucket so they dont spread it a over floor like traditional type like I used while they were babys (pictured above). No food on floor means less wasted food = more money stays in pocket, also when the feeder is hung from above if you have mice they cant even climb into eat effectively removing your chickens feed from the rodents diet! Last but not least with all the food under the closed bucket lid, your birds food stays clean as well! If someone out there finds or knows a better feeder than this please let me know!! oh BTW at local hardware store the PVC cost $4.24 and the bucket was $4.79 and the lid $1.99 and tube of caulk maybe $1.99 and hold just under 5 gallons worth of food and can be hung anywhere strong enough to hold the weight and is weather proof!

 

[BW56]

I have a treadle feeder I was given. Today I caught a squirrel using it. Later it was pigeons and doves. I also have a feeder I built after seeing some pictures somewhere. Its a covered five gallon bucket on three legs high enough for the hens to touch the bottom. I drilled a 1" hole in the middle of the bottom. I inserted a long 1/4" "ibolt" from the inside hanging down. I drilled a hole in a small lid from a soup can. I cut the lid from the edge to the center, overlapped the edges and put a fastener near the edge making it slightly cone shaped. I put the small can lid over the bolt and locked it in place with two nuts 1 1/2" under the bucket bottom to keep small birds from the food supply. The cone shape allows food to slide on down an off. A piece of rubber tubing locked on the bottom of the "ibolt" gives the hens a target to peck and receive food from over head. The hole and bolt are sized together with the food size. I use pellets, so my hole is large. Start small and increase as needed. I've seen small wild birds try to use it with no results. The hens have no trouble using it after a few lessons and there is no wasted food laying on the ground to draw the wrong critters. The only draw back is a cone (v) of feed left in the flat bottom of the bucket but I can live with that. I am going to discontinue the use of the treadle feeder. I will try and do pictures later if some one needs them.

 

[cavemanrich]

It just shows that great does not need to be expensive. I have recommended this feeder to a number of peeps in various threads over the years. You can get the buckets free if you search around. Bakeries use such for their frostings, and they just throw away or recycle. There are other places that can provide them as well. $5 is not a budget breaker to just buy one as well.
Keep up the good work and

 

[UtePassChickens]

great idea! for all I know i probably read your thread in my researching feeders! We (wife kids and I) remodeled an old dog house and run into our chicken coop and run it has been a blast we actually collected all the supplies from wood we found or harvested from our property and what I had on hand. our only purchase was poultry netting to place over the top of existing ft chain link fence, chicken wire to line the bottom couple feet of the fence and asphalt shigles which i picked up cheap at a habitat for humanity resale store..oh and the nipple waters i screwed into the bottom of again a 5gallon bucket lol! but honestly the 5 gallon bucket feeder and waterer keeps our chickens food and drink clean! So thanks! have a great evening!

 

[UtePassChickens]

oh too funny i was born and raised in chicago land, but have since moved to the rockies!

 

[UtePassChickens]

heres the finished for now coop its insane may 1st and still snowing! chicks are 6.5 weeks so we have a heat lamp in their so they chil at a nice 70F. i also tried the 5 gallon buckets for nesting boxes and cut holes in side of coop. the buckets stick out of side to maximize space in the coop for roost and food water. I was planning on covering the buckets in bark and the bottoms with a slice of log so they look like logs sticking out of side which would insulate them better, but at the same time they let alot of light and solar energy into the coop? any thoughts?
tiled floor with old mixed tile to make clean out easier and the floor water proof. we lined it with 4" of pine needles and pine shavings

 

[Blooie]

heres the finished for now coop its insane may 1st and still snowing! chicks are 6.5 weeks so we have a heat lamp in their so they chil at a nice 70F. i also tried the 5 gallon buckets for nesting boxes and cut holes in side of coop. the buckets stick out of side to maximize space in the coop for roost and food water. I was planning on covering the buckets in bark and the bottoms with a slice of log so they look like logs sticking out of side which would insulate them better, but at the same time they let alot of light and solar energy into the coop? any thoughts?
tiled floor with old mixed tile to make clean out easier and the floor water proof. we lined it with 4" of pine needles and pine shavings

I'd cover them. I know you said they let a lot of light into the coop, and that's great in any other use but not necessarily in nests. They prefer a nice, dark spot to lay, so you'll likely end up with eggs everywhere but where you want them to be laid! And those buckets will likely get pretty warm in summer, especially when they park their hineys in there and sit for the time it takes them to decided to lay that egg. They don't usually pop in the nest, drop the egg, and leave....it can take some time.

 

[cavemanrich]

Any time you can repurpose something, it is great. I'm heavy duty in that department.

... My coop is a converted lil tykes plastic playhouse. You can see it in my pix albums.

Here is a kwik jump to it. https://www.backyardchickens.com/g/i/6793204/a/6931464/rabbit-cage-as-coop/sort/display_order/

 

[UtePassChickens]

ThankYOU!!! will do! we are at 7500' elevation and the coop is in the forest so heat i doubt will be a problem here lol but will cover them, honestly think it will look alot better with the log look as apposed to the buckets!

 

[UtePassChickens]

Thanks! thats awesome! i joke with my kiddos that todays trash is going to be tomorrows building supplies!