The waste! Oh the wasted feed...

[NapaChicknGal]

are you kidding, that's cool. I'm not a good carpenter -- I'm breaking down and getting 8 x6 shed so I can put all 9 girls in there and w/keep food as well,since putting it away at nite and schlepping it over to a covered bin isn't gonna get it when El Nino strikes -- I'm in Napa, CA --not thrilled abt doing so, but figure I can sell two smaller coops -- someone on this site said one of them was too small -- but now the older girls go back & forth - so it's probably accommodating -- but dreading schlogging around in wet weather and them get chilled I figure the change w/b a great improvement; plus my old body won't have to bend to clean one of the coops nor scrounge around for eggs. This way it w/b large enuf so I can leave food containers out. I'm even thinkg of investing in one of those crazy auto doors since I discovered there are battery operated ones--I have no electric hookups where girls are.

 

[SpaceCowboyT48]

I don't know why I can't get the hang of this.

 

[SpaceCowboyT48]

Hell, yeah, its heavy. And its about fifteen years old, too. Bought it at Glenview Feed back in the day. That was before the owner died loading a truck with a bale of alfalfa. Now its some kind of coffee shop. Not a Starbucks at least. Where was I? YOU ARE NOT OLD! Just smart enough not to toss a ton of feed around. I've never filled it up to the top anyway. With this feeder thing, I don't move it around nearly as much.

 

[SpaceCowboyT48]

I Go Away, yes. Its called 'Work'. I get up in the morning, I let the ladies out. I used to not lock up the coop at all, then the raccoons found us, and now I've got a padlock, and basically a bar that goes across the gate so the beasts can't pry up an end. Then when I get back from work, I open the gate to the run and let them in the Back Forty. When there's not a garden, of course. We used to go on vacation for a couple of weeks, and then friends would come over check on the flock. Those times I kept the run locked, but the coop stayed open. Never had a serious problem until the raccoons.

 

[SpaceCowboyT48]

Interesting enough, I happen to be working on an off-grid solar project right now. Did you want lights for the ladies, and then spare power for the door? You might want to check out the Harbor Freight 45 watt solar kit. You still need to get a battery, and that's the expensive part, but if you wait for a sale or hunt down a coupon, you can get the kit for $137.00. They come with two DC fluorescent lights, and a combination battery charger controller and inverter, although not to AC. Everything but. Same place has what they call a 'Universal Battery' that goes for something like $75.00. Don't use a car battery. They're geared totally different than the Deep Cycle things you want. Trojan is a good name in golf cart like batteries, off grid, as well as Royal. If the door has a built-in battery, you might want to see if there's a way to plug in solar panels. Just need a battery charge controller to keep from ruining your investment.

 

[NapaChicknGal]

solar panels? I can't afford them on MY roof--this is getting to be an investment rather than an "easy-peasy" hobby in my old age!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELP!!!!! Need an old fart who lives close by w/nothing to do, right?

 

[SpaceCowboyT48]

Mea Culpa, young lady. I hate when other people spend my money, and here I am trying to spend yours. You mentioned a battery-powered gate, and I was off and running.

 

[NapaChicknGal]

how longis thegutter? hard to tell; thnx

 

[abesaine]

do not hang the feeder ,i keep mine on a block of conkret ,and it works great,they all eat with zero wast,

 

[NapaChicknGal]

ok. w/try; thnx