Another successful BYC inspo DIY, and some thoughts...

[TheRusticRebel]

So my second diy , inspired by BYC is this no spill feeder.
Now at first i though this would be a money saver. And im sure in the long run it will be. But this was not a "cheap" solution to our feed waste problem.

Previously ww were feeding trough style. With 5 chickens this was fine. With 13 ita a little more problematic and since chicken math requires i get more in spring we needed some way to stop wasting feed.

So of course i come to BYC and find this thread.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...o-spill-feeders-and-creative-waterers.822112/
Alot of great ideas on that thread.

So I went wirh the tote and elbows idea.

I bought:
6 3" pvc 90degree street elbows ( they only have the ridge on one side) 3.98 a piece.
A tote ( actually 2 because dh destroyed the first one. He tried to use a reciprocating saw since we didnt want to shell out $16 for the hole saw)
$10 a piece

We didnt have to buy water proof silicone since we has some. Dh finally found a friend who had the hole sae but it was a 3 3/8 inch and it was tight getting the elbows in. Others have recommendes a 3 1/2 inch.

So we spent $45 on this feeder .

If you were doing it yourself and had to buy everything ( assuming youbhave a drill for the hole saw) it would cost about $55.

Now consider that this feeder is only $5 more . also holds a 50 lb bag.

So i love my feeder and its fun to diy but sometimes its good to buy it too.

So i decided im going to buy this feeder next...and hang it on the side of my coop. These should be the last feeders I need for the size flock I plan on having.

 

[TheRusticRebel]

also supports American small business!

 

[gtaus]

...So i love my feeder and its fun to diy but sometimes its good to buy it too....

So true. Most DIY projects I have done cost less ONLY when I don't count my time as labor and don't count the cost of tools I already have. The chicken feeders and waterers I bought 30 years ago still work today (but I only raised chickens a few years in that 30 year period). Any DIY project I work on has to provide some additional benefit over a commercially available item that works well. Also, I prefer to reuse older equipment that still works. I only upgrade to a new unit when the benefits clearly are worth the additional investment.

Having said that, I have spent more money on some DIY projects because I just really wanted that new tool(s) and I enjoyed making the item myself. I definitely get some satisfaction over building my own projects, and can understand people who prefer to DIY over buying a commercial alternative.

FYI, I am also making a 5 gallon bucket feeder with the elbows. But I already had all the tools, hole saws, and the bucket. My PVC elbow cost me about $2.00, which I cut in half to make 2 feeding slots. So I had very little additional investment on that DIY project.

 

[TheRusticRebel]

Cutting the pvc in half is genius. Post s pic when done. Maybr I'll take 3 back

 

[Timothy Menezes]

I like this style, but my local feed store had them for $50. I like the fact that the feed is elevated away from the ground. Keeps it way cleaner. Also have the matching waterer. They make them bigger, but then they start getting to heavy.

https://www.nrsworld.com/little-giant/poultry-dome-feeder-wlegs-175254

Found the other brand I saw.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/homestead-siphon-drinker-20l-heps1011?cm_vc=-10005

 

[123RedBeard]

No hole saw required ... https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-waste-free-funnel-bucket-feeder.67218/

 

[gtaus]

No hole saw required ... https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-waste-free-funnel-bucket-feeder.67218/

Lots of versions on this idea. By the looks of this feeder in the link, there is a lot of wasted space from the water bottle funnel into a small pipe. That would surely reduce the amount of feed you could put in there at one time. But I know the goal for most people is to reduce the amount of wasted feed, not necessarily how much feed you can put in the feeder. Evidently it works for this guy.

 

[gtaus]

Cutting the pvc in half is genius. Post s pic when done. Maybr I'll take 3 back

My DIY PVC 5 gallon feeder project is pretty low on the list right now. I still have to build my chicken coop and run first. I have other feeders, so this DIY project is not high priority. I just took the idea from a YouTube video where the guy cuts the PVC elbow in half, and presto you have 2 feeding pipes! Seemed to work for him so that is what I am going to try.

 

[123RedBeard]

They make them bigger, but then they start getting to heavy.

By the looks of this feeder in the link, there is a lot of wasted space from the water bottle funnel into a small pipe

Just can't have it all ...

 

[gtaus]

...I just took the idea from a YouTube video where the guy cuts the PVC elbow in half, and presto you have 2 feeding pipes! Seemed to work for him so that is what I am going to try.

At the expense of quoting myself, I have to update my thoughts on the idea of cutting the PVC elbow in half to make 2 feeding pipes. I finished building my 5 gallon feeder and I did cut the PVC elbows in half. It does work, however, the angle on the remaining half of the elbow make it too high and the chicken feed is easily spilled out when moving the feeder. Once moved and hung on the chain, it seems to work OK.

If I make another 5 gallon feeder, I would not try to make 2 feeding pipes out of 1 PVC elbow.