Show Me Your Feeders!!

[jetdog]

I was thinking about doing the same thing.

 

[jimmywalt]

So I was thinking, I like to see how much food is in the feeder at a simple glance and its hard to tell in this new waste free feeder. So I made a few windows in my bucket this morning.

Found an old plastic bin in the garage and cut out a rectangle shaped piece. Used the hole saw and put two holes in the bucket. Added a few dabs of silicon to the plastic and a couple of rivets to fasten the plastic to the inside of the feeder.

That's nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How do the rivets work? Do you have any pictures what it looks from inside the bucket? What kind of tool do you need for the rivets?

Wonder how it will hold up since the chickens can see the food too. Wonder if they will peck at the windows?

I wonder if a 1" wide x 12" long window would work.......... A thin vertical window........... Ummm........... I might have to come up with something like this. I love the window idea!

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: This is the most versatile rivet system:

http://www.stanleyengineeredfastening.com/brands/pop

 

[yogifink]

Quote:
Rivets work on compression, think of a plastic bottle and then the shape the same bottle takes if you flatten it end to end, it is short and fat. Basically, you drill a hole through whatever you want to fasten together, stick a rivet through the hole, and then use a rivet gun to flatten the rivet so that there is a little mushroom looking piece on each end. You tube how to use a rivet gun, its pretty easy. You can get a set from harbor freight for a few bucks, although I would opt to pay a bit more to get something from a big box store. I was thinking about doing a thin narrow window, but thought it would be easier to just use the hole saw that it would be to take the time to cut out a rectangle. Not to mention I can't cut a straight line with the dremel to save my life! I was also thinking about the integrity of the bucket, and thought it might weaken if I cut a long strip in it.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: The trick is to mark your cuts, then clamp on a straight piece of scrap wood as a guide

 

[SC Marine]

Just finished this one today. Much like several already posted just added a air vent roof cap to keep feed dry from rain. Should do the job.

 

[Lockbox1111]

Great idea, very creative!

 

[Kadjain]

I wanted a bulk system that would serve it's duty in the run and inside the coop while minimizing it's footprint. I ended up hanging a box on the outside of the hen house that dropped into a feeder. On the wall it was hanging on I cut a long narrow hole and put a tray underneath it to deliver food to the inside of the coop during the times when the birds are locked inside due to weather or whatever. Since typical summers here hit somewhere around 500% humidity, I lined the box with plastic, sealed it tight with caulk, and used a foam gasket around the top of the lid to keep moisture out. I even have a window on the front to let me know when it is getting low. If I filled it to the brim it would hold about 75 lbs of food, which is overkill for our flock of 7.

Inside the run area.

The lid

The window lets me see the level inside so I know when to go to the feed store.

This gives them feed when locked inside. The shelf above serves double-duty to store food, scratch, etc., and it is a poop deflector for the food. Works really well.

That's the coolest feeder!

 

[HeadRoo]

Thanks Kadjain, but I have found an issue with it during the last polar vortex we had. And I guess this goes for any bulk feed system. It needs a drain. I had just filled it with 50lbs of food and went out of town. I had to rush back due to the weather and I didn't get around to covering the north side of the coop. The snow and ice covered the exposed food at the bottom and clogged up the bottom of the feeder with soggy food leaving 50 lbs of good food in the top portion.

I was able to save all of the feed, but it took hours of digging the soggy muck out of the bottom portion with a small homemade tool. Once the ladies go through this 50lbs of food I am going to modify this feeder to give me a drain on the front or side that can empty it in cases like this. I imagine most bulk feeders need to have an emergency drain for similar reasons.

 

[Kadjain]

Thanks Kadjain, but I have found an issue with it during the last polar vortex we had. And I guess this goes for any bulk feed system. It needs a drain. I had just filled it with 50lbs of food and went out of town. I had to rush back due to the weather and I didn't get around to covering the north side of the coop. The snow and ice covered the exposed food at the bottom and clogged up the bottom of the feeder with soggy food leaving 50 lbs of good food in the top portion.

I was able to save all of the feed, but it took hours of digging the soggy muck out of the bottom portion with a small homemade tool. Once the ladies go through this 50lbs of food I am going to modify this feeder to give me a drain on the front or side that can empty it in cases like this. I imagine most bulk feeders need to have an emergency drain for similar reasons.

Good job but .. . What's a polar vortex? Sounds scary