Show Me Your Feeders!!

[SunHwaKwon]

I have my waterers on wood to but I suppose I need them higher as I still have to periodically clean out the bedding.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

I have my waterers on wood to but I suppose I need them higher as I still have to periodically clean out the bedding.

That's sometimes hard to avoid unless all the chicks are the same hight, mine scratch at the ground and throw bedding 10-12 inches high some times and the oldest are only 3 weeks (Australorps) so as long as the bedding is manageable and no poo is getting in the water just keep and eye on it, I had to raise my feeder yesterday because the little buggers were scratching food out of my 30lb hanging feeder, I raised it 4 inches and they tried but was unable to perch on the feeder or scrape food out, I'm sure I will have to do it again soon, if I don't think all can reach the feed I put blocks of wood on one side to make sure all can reach the food and water, when they start eating or drinking it's all 22 or non lol

 

[SunHwaKwon]

That's true. Even though all my birds (guineas) were hatched within a day or so of each other their size varies significantly... And yes, they do make quite a sport out of throwing bedding everywhere. However, it seems they mainly do that once the feeder is empty so hopefully with my new set up they will be less inclined to do so. I also moved the waterer further from the feeder as I think they were mainly digging around the feeder area for scraps. Time will tell.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

That's true. Even though all my birds (guineas) were hatched within a day or so of each other their size varies significantly... And yes, they do make quite a sport out of throwing bedding everywhere. However, it seems they mainly do that once the feeder is empty so hopefully with my new set up they will be less inclined to do so. I also moved the waterer further from the feeder as I think they were mainly digging around the feeder area for scraps. Time will tell.

Mine scratch all the time and everywhere, they scratch by the feeder, than run across the room and scratch by the wall on the opposite side, mine look for bugs, feed, everything and anything they can peck, it's really funny to see them chase after a bug, 6 attack and start digging, they lose the bug and eventually give up, the Australorps I don't think are quite big enough to swallow a bug, they have a hard time with a dried mealworms and I don't give that to them often for that reason, my coop is dirt floors with pine on the floor which will soon be sand.

 

[kwhites634]

Been keeping chickens off & on for about 10 years. Been wiped out a time or two by predators, but I think I've got that problem licked, finally. Put my old kennel panels to work, added some welded wire to the bottom of the panels to accomodate the slope of the ground, with welded wire "aprons" on the ground & running several inches up the chain link panels to discourage unwanted critters. Keep a live trap just outside the run, as well. It's caught a few coons and, unfortunately, a skunk.

My biggest problem right now is the feeder. I've tried the trough types, with & without tops; the birds scatter feed to the four winds & flip the feeders over. I'm currently using a hanging gravity feeder, but the birds still waste a good deal of feed. I generally leave it empty for a day after they get all they can out of it so they have to clean up what they've slopped out, but I still use about 2.5 quarts of layer crumbles over a 2-3 day period for 6 RIR hens & a rooster. I just saw the PVC feeder one guy made & posted on this forum; gonna give it a try.

Incidentally, one of my hens, the oldest, went broody, which I understand isn't all that common for Rhode Island Reds. My birds are "factory" birds, purchased thru the local co-op, and they're obviously crossed with another breed, given their lighter color. My guess is that whatever they're crossed with is more prone to set eggs than the Rhode Island Reds generally are. Didn't really want to fool with chicks, but everything I've ever bought from the co-op has had the beaks cauterized, and I really don't care for that.

I've learned quite a bit from this BYC site, and thank the administrators and contributors for their fine service and all they do.

 

[sego]

Hi,

I figured I would share my setup because I haven't seen it on this post. It works great!







As you can see in the images, I simply cut some PVC for the feeding holes and routed it up and outside the run. This allows me to fill it from the outside. I still need to fashion up an inside feeder for when the colder months start to roll around. This has worked GREAT! I ended up having to put a cover over the left side because there is a roost directly above the feeder. This cover catches the poop and keeps it out of the feed. It fills very well, I have never had an issue with it getting backed up. The piece of wood behind it is because some coons were reaching in and stealing food at night. I think we have caught all of them, but I had to be sure.

Enjoy!

 

[Blooie]

This is our feeder, made from a vinyl gutter. We took one gutter and cut it in half. We used rubber grommets in the 4 holes we drilled - 2 per side of one half gutter - and ran a short piece of chain between them, secured at the apex of that triangle that formed with S hooks. So we ended up with a 4 foot length of gutter with two triangles of chain and 2 S hooks per side.


We drilled a hole in the inverted top end of the other piece of gutter on both sides then ran the end of a long length of chain up down into those holes, attached to the S hooks on the small triangular chain. This formed the trough part of the feeder. You can see that attachment point in the top photo.


Feeder with the inverted cover ready to slide down into position.






You can adjust the length between the trough and feeder by sliding the cover up or down along the length of the chain. We use it for both dry and fermented feed. The chickens can stand side by side and eat, have to put their heads in, but their combs don't get hung up. They can't jump into the feeder because of the cover, and the cover is so slippery that the few birds that tried to roost on top got a rude awakening when they slid off the other side, and it tends to be unstable when they try to land on it. I slide the cover up and out of the way to fill, then back down for their access. Because it's slippery, it cleans with a quick squirt of a garden hose. Our run is covered, so we hooked two more S hooks in the wire of the run and it suspends from them.

 

[kwhites634]

Saw this post just yesterday. Liked the idea so much I went to Lowes today & bought the makings. Got home & started to assemble it, only to discover that the flexible rubber cap wouldn't fit over the end of the pipe.

Counting the 1/4" thickness of the pipe wall (didn't have a lot of options regarding wall thickness) the inside diameter of the cap needs to be at least 4 1/2", but I don't want to use a 6" cap if I can avoid it...too sloppy.

Do you happen to know where I can find the size cap I need?

 

[beginnergirl]

I went to a plumbing store.

 

[snhchick]

This isn't exactly a feeder question, but I've been following this thread and it brought me to a feed question.

I had been planning to make one of the very clever feeders that I have seen here. Then my husband proudly brought home a galvanized feeder from the farm store (his first purchase for the chicks). I moaned and hung it in the coop.

So here's the question. My kids are still on grower's crumbles and don't waste a bite. Most of the posts refer to chickens digging through the feed to find their favorite bits. If i move them to layer crumbles when the time comes, won't they just eat it all? Is there some advantage to feeding them another form of mixed seeds?

Thanks for your help!