Make your own - No waste - 5 gallon (25# feed) bucket feeder for about $3

[jimmywalt]

I'm updating my OP to change the following................

UPDATE -

In the original plan we used caulk to keep the elbow in the bucket. It occurred to me that if I used PVC cement on the outside of the pvc elbow and the inside/outside of the bucket where the hole is that it would PERMANENTLY join the two and there would be no worries that the pipe would move around or even fall out of the bucket.

I just modified my bucket and the two parts are joined nice and tight FOREVER!!!
----------------------------
Just tried to update my OP but the system wouldn't allow me to "edit". So I hope people will see this post and use the PVC cement over the caulk.

 

[bhwk40]

oh, i see now, thanks

 

[bhwk40]

Thanks, made one today, very fast and easy project, thanks for the tutorial. Now i just have to wait a while , my chicks are small enough to climb in the pipe and get lost in there.

 

[Calomel]

Thank you so much for this thread, we just made one of these bucket feeders for our flock yesterday. We have a very determined food-flinger, so we had to modify the access hole to kick feed back down into the bucket.

We had a funnel and thought, "Hey, this could be useful." It was almost small enough to fit into the pvc elbow, but not quite. So we cut it apart with a dremel and smoothed the edges.



Three pop-rivets hold the shield in place.




The idea is that as food is flung around inside the pipe, they won't be able to scoop it out in mass quantities like they could before. Extra feed will knock against the underside of the funnel and because the pipe is curved, will slide back down into the bucket.


I set it up in the run yesterday and it looks like it's working! They figured out how to use it in minutes and our "enthusiastic eater" wasn't able to pull out the food the way she was doing. Checked this morning and no new food spilled all over the run floor. Loving it so far.

 

[jimmywalt]

Bump

 

[white ninja]

just made 1 from a syrup tub with lid included 4 holes for 12 chickens holds alotta feed hope they use it! me and my friend were laughing at this piece of work as we were hauling it out of shop we now call it La Bomba, thanks for info no more feeding in mornings! btw put a funnel in yours if you have more than 1 hole to throw feed toward 90s works great, this site is awesome im all tied up since i joined this site with these projects im finding on here!!!!!!!

 

[losa]

Here's a slightly larger idea. Found these food grade 15 gallon shipping barrels in local classifieds for $10. Added 3 ports and no feed loss! It holds 2 bags of feed for my 20 hens. No more filling the feeder every 3 days. This will last nearly 3 weeks! My brother also has a good size flock and built one with a 55 gallon drum as he gets his feed in bulk. Great idea!

 

[PatriotDad]

I had an interesting problem yesterday with mine. I noticed that my feeder had 2 little feet sticking out.....

My 6 week old pullet fell in and couldn't get her way out, I thought I had lost her. I opened the lid and scooped out a bunch of food, turned the 90 deg elbow and my little pullet was looking up at me. After I pulled her out she righted herself and was a bit out of sorts for a few minutes but she's fine today.

So far it's the only problem I can see with this feeding system. be careful with younger pullets, I assume in a week or so that same problem will be completely gone as she gets bigger.

 

[jimmywalt]

I had an interesting problem yesterday with mine. I noticed that my feeder had 2 little feet sticking out.....

My 6 week old pullet fell in and couldn't get her way out, I thought I had lost her. I opened the lid and scooped out a bunch of food, turned the 90 deg elbow and my little pullet was looking up at me. After I pulled her out she righted herself and was a bit out of sorts for a few minutes but she's fine today.

So far it's the only problem I can see with this feeding system. be careful with younger pullets, I assume in a week or so that same problem will be completely gone as she gets bigger.

Good thing you found her!!!

I only use mine with full grown chickens. There's not way they can get their shoulders in the 3" pvc - only their heads.

I wouldn't advise this set up for younger chickens unless you were to use an ice cream bucket and a 1" to 2" pvc elbow.

 

[PatriotDad]

I think that the one (smallest) pullet that fell in was just a bit small for it, in a few days she should be large enough not to do it again. I've placed enough food around the run to make sure she isn't in need of using the feeder.