Stop roosting on buckets

[Peeps n Bees]

I made my feeder and waterer out of 5-gallon buckets with screw-on lids, both of which work great. Except that my chicks (6 weeks) insist on passing the time on both buckets. I'm looking for ideas on something to put on the lids to keep them from roosting there. I'd prefer not to have to drill holes (especially in the waterer), since right now they are water-tight seals. (It wouldn't be the end of the world, but it'd be great if I didn't have to drill holes in a perfectly good lid.)

Any thoughts?

(Also: Woo hoo! I'm Just Hatched!

)

 

[Den in Penn]

A cone or funnel placed on top will not allow them to sit on the buckets.

 

[Belle7]

no mater what you have for feeder and water they will do that. It can be avoided by simply rapping chicken wire or steel wire fence around the top of them connected with zippties or whatever you can find to do it with weld it, use string to tie it glue it ect to the ceiling if not to the ceiling they will try to jump from perch and hurt there self same thing with a cone if the cone is ti high and the feeder is to high when they fall they will get hurt.

 

[Belle7]

whoooooooo fellow person from albany NY hello

 

[Den in Penn]

They can handle very large falls. Besides if they try to land on the cone they will slide and that gives them time to react and fly off.

 

[RJSorensen]

I use these Little Giant no roost lids on my feeders and waters. No problems what so ever with these installed. I think they were three dollars at my local farm/feed store. I suppose a square of wood with a hole in the center would work as well, but I prefer not having them soiled and easy cleanup when I change my water and etc. I use a piece of leather around the bucket handle and then drill a hole in it for an removable chain link, I attach a snap swivel to the link, perhaps you can see it in the picture. The hardest part for me with this was learning to use leather on my buckets, feeders work easy enough, but the buckets gave me pause for thought, until I used my grandfathers plastic… leather. Works very well for me I have four of these round the place.



Hope this helps,

RJ