My DIY PVC feeder.

[PouleChick]

Thanks to everyone who has posted on here with this idea - I loved it and bought my PVC pipe bits (already had the pipe) before I even had my chickens!

Like others I came across the 'what to do at the bottom to stop all the food falling out / getting wet etc' problem. This was compounded by the fact that the bottom bit of the y fitting I got was a male not a female fitting (I didn't think about it!) so I couldn't just fit another cap to it. Hubby and I went for a trip to our barn to see what we could work out and found a pretty pink Vanish (type of stain remover) lid that fitted almost perfectly with the help of a hot glue gun He stuck it so that it was just below the "Y" so hopefully the chickens should be able to get to the whole lot and not leave any that they couldn't reach deep in the Y to go bad (DH was worried about that happening - I hadn't seen any of you worrying about it so I wasn't but we came up with a solution anyway!). As you can see it keeps the food well above ground level as well:

The 3 year old checking it is all as it should be!

All together! I fitted about 5 or 6 kg of feed in there:

The chickens took to it straight away. There was a little spillage so going on what I have read from other threads I'm going to sit it on a brick to make it a little higher, I thought it would be OK as they are still growing but looking at this pic it is well below thier backs:

I'm so pleased with it

 

[RonP]

Very nice!
I have the same design, three in total.
I filled the bottom with quick setting cement... works well.
I also added a 2" spacer to eliminate waste completely.
Hope this helps.

 

[PouleChick]

Thanks @RonP - I did suggest cement but dh was worried it would still get damp - does it? I'm pretty happy with the results from the pretty pink lid - it'll be moved around a lot I'd say between now and next winter as we do about 3 phases of run / coop building!

I'd forgotten about the extension to help with the spillage - thanks - I'll see if I can find one (not sure French hardware stores have quite as many options as you guys have in the states!).

 

[RonP]

Thanks @RonP - I did suggest cement but dh was worried it would still get damp - does it? .

I keep my feeders inside the coop.
Never had a dampness issue, once the cement cured...

Cement was also quick and easy for me as I had it on hand.
Sometimes you just have to use what's available.

I have not moved mine since they were built, am very satisfied.

 

[PouleChick]

Mine is currently in their day play area (10 x 2.5 metres) and in the open. Once I build their proper run it will be in the covered section of that. I'll consider the cement when I build more once the run is done and I have more chooks as I wont' need to move them around then! How many chickens per feeder do you have?

 

[RonP]

My indoor feeding station, 3 tubes.
One each for grit, feed, and oyster shells.
All 3" tubes (7.62 cm).
Services about a dozen birds with no issues.
Holds enough food for 3-4 weeks depending on what other interesting things they find.

 

[PouleChick]

That is interesting, I thought I'd need more than that ratio - good to know

 

[mustangjayyyme]

Thank you so much for this, late...but I was searching pvc feeder ideas for stuff and love this cap idea! Actually just found some food container lids I could trim and fit in there like this! And we had hot glue too! Really didn't want to have to go buy concrete or gravel to fill the bottom

 

[B-Goock]

Nice job!
For an extension you can use something like a cottage cheese container with the bottom cut out.

Sometimes when I build something like this that isn't holding pressure ill use silicone so if I want to change it later I can take it apart.