Anyone have feeders and waterers that last for a weekend?

[debid]

I have two 11# feeders and a 5-gallon bucket nipple waterer. Normally, I just put a scoop in each feeder daily and a pitcher of water as needed so everything stays very fresh. But for a vacation, I'd put however many days' worth in there. I've gone away for 4 1/2 days so far and they still had plenty of everything when I got back. Oh, and I'll be adding a small bucket heater to the water so it doesn't freeze in the colder months. They make some with thermostats so it won't make the water hot, just enough so it doesn't freeze.

My folks went on a longer vacation and I stopped by their place every three days to feed and water and check on the chickens. Their heated dog bowl was DISGUSTING

Putting sand in the bowl and an ice cream bucket with higher sides might help but I would not go longer than a weekend with open water out. This is the main reason I started my chicks on nipples in the first place -- I didn't want to be stuck home or depending on a chicken sitter!

ETA: Oh, and I have 8 chickens (7 pullets and a cockerel).

This is the type of feeder I have. They're perfect for me because I can hang them from a hook screwed into the nesting shelf and they are at just the right height. The shelf blocks any efforts to foul the feed from above.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
Nice idea! But how does the feed continue to fall out and keep the compartments full of feed?

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
A trash can feeder sound VERY creative. Do you have a pic or a link to the feeder page?

 

[Beekissed]

I regularly leave my flock and dogs for 4-5 days, free ranging, and all my feeders and waterers are adequate for this length of absence.

 

[HEChicken]

Quote:
Nice idea! But how does the feed continue to fall out and keep the compartments full of feed?

Gravity. Actually, I totally forgot but that pic is of version 1. Version 2 has the holes drilled into the bottom instead of the sides and it works far better. Version 1 worked okay but as you noted, once the feed level was low, it stopped falling through. (The chooks knew it was there though and would stick their beaks in the holes to continue to get it out.)

 

[Cambium29]

We have an automatically filling water bowl. It's connected to a garden hose and has a float mechanism to fill the bowl when the level drops. We set it on the ground a bit off-kilter so that it will constantly drip thereby always providing fresh water. I know that TSC, Southern States Coop, and some pet stores have them. Otherwise, you can order online at Amazon. This is the model we have "Miller Ever Full Bowl Automatic Dog Watering Pan 5 Quart ".

For feed, we have a huge metal poultry feeder, sort of like an upright bucket with a circular tray below. It holds more than enough for week, however we only have a small flock.

We also leave an entire head of romaine lettuce and a big bunch of hay out for them. They'll peck at the romaine all weekend and forage for hayseeds.

 

[kizanne]

Quote:
A trash can feeder sound VERY creative. Do you have a pic or a link to the feeder page?

I can get pictures but I stole it from here. I modified it based on stuff I read here and what was available at Lowe's but this is the basic idea https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=33744-trash-can-feeder

I used a 20" pot tray (nice deep side) from the garden area of the garden center then went to the trash can area and got a plastic trash can that fit with a little extra room for the food but not as much as what is shown here to reduce waste.
Drill holes in the bottom do not exceed the height of the tray to keep it from spilling out.

Later I'm going to get rid of this and get make hubby build me one that they have to stick their heads in to eliminate waste (but that isn't OT).

The waterer is a 'standard' nipple idea from you guessed it here . https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=53426-fang-dangled-automatic-waterer

Mine is very similar but doesn't go through any walls or outside the coop. I have the bucket, the pipe, the three nipples in the pipe. My bucket sits on a little made up wooden table with the pipe coming out the bottom and under the nesting boxes. That way they don't get pooped on. The pipe has a connector that can be undone when I want to clean it. I have a little metal trough under the nipples so that what little water drips when they drink goes in the trough and most evaporates instead of getting the litter wet.

If I get a chance I'll take snaps of mine but those are both similar to mine because I stole the ideas from here LOL

 

[BellevueOmlet]

I am good for 2 weeks at a time on food and water

 

[gale65]

Quote:
I have chickens. Like I mentioned in my post, I have 12 chickens. 11 are pullets and laying and I am the only one that waters them. I fill the water with 2.5 gallons about every 6 days. Sometimes 5 if the weather's been warm.

Okay. I guess I was just confused by your statement that "either turkeys drink a LOT of water" followed by "we have a 3 gallon watere which i fille to 2.5 gallons about every 6 days for 12 chickens", so I wasn't sure which you had, or if you have both

Sorry. I never mentioned that I have turkeys-I was quoting this post which says:
How big a bath basin? We have ten hens and a turkey. Right now they have a two gallon hanging waterer but we fill it twice a day usually and sometimes they accidentally knock it around enough to spill it. And what about ice build up if it's freezing? Does the brick help keep it from freezing solid?

 

[kcwazzu]

My water feeds from a 55gal drum to the cups in and out of the coop. I top it off once a week. My PCV feeders, one in the coop, the other outside, both hold enough food for close to a week.
My outside feeder is designed for minimum waste. Someday I'll get around to posting pictures and assembly instructions but suffice it to say it involves u-bolts and a golf ball.

Keith