Best PVC Homemade Feeder, Super Easy!

[Renee']

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I don't think it will work because there is no vacuum to prevent the water from running out.

 

[chookmama]

there is a nipple waterer made w/ PVC pipe and a bucket here .

I'd already gotten some nipples but hadn't puzzled through how I was going to use them - when I saw this picture on the link I went and got materials for the feeder and the waterer at the same time. I shopped at Menards in an "off" time, and they cut the 10 foot eves trough into two for me, and the 4" X10' PVC pipe into 3 pieces - 2 -4 foot long pieces for two feeders, and 1 2 ft. long piece to make a waterer. I just described the pictures and the guy in the plumbing department helped me scavenge parts to make it work. I wanted to use the 4" pipe for the waterer because it's big enough to fit my hand inside easily so I can attach the nipples on the inside. I didn't want a suspended bucket because I'm afraid it might fall. This allows me to set a bucket up on one of the bales of the chick's haybale house walls, and run the waterer down and attach it to the welded wire yard wall, and adjust the height as the chicks grow. Two of my chicks already know how to use a nipple waterer, since that's what I have in my temporary "hospital" where each stayed briefly after pecking incidents. Took them zero time to learn to use them.

I'll get busy this weekend and see if I can get one of each made and up and running. (I'm not very handy, so it takes me much longer than the average person, plus I'm not sure how I'm going to drill the holes yet.) Cost me more - $43. all-in right now - but if it all goes together as planned I'll have 2, 5' feeders and a 2' waterer w/ 5 nipples. And I'll be taking back the $36.00 5 gallon waterer I just bought.

If, that is, I manage to be handy enough to get it all put together properly! Cutting/drilling PVC pipe does have me a little spooked.

(later) I just did a google search, and looks like FarmTek has all of the parts to put this together - you might want to google them and take a look.

(later yet) Look here . This youtube is GREAT! I can see I totally missed how the nipples just stay in on their own, so you can use quite a small PVC pipe for this. I still like the idea of attaching the PVC pipe to a flexible hose that is plumbed to a 5 gallon bucket (or larger reservoir, if needed and you have it. But using small containers, like he does in the first ones he makes, would be great for chicken tractors! I'm excited now, can't wait to try my hand at it.

 

[nuttyredhead]

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My first feeders were just like these, the only issue I ever had is a couple of birds would rake with their beaks the feed out into the coop, nothing will prevent them with this style and I had 6, with the gutter type they can only reach down and eat and scrape all they want but you will lose Zero feed. When I raise little ones in the spring I will lower all the way to the ground and adust when nessesary.

I currently have these (the y style) and that is just what mine do, rake the food out and im losing a ton of food. I am making a new one tomorrow, i will post pics if it come out good ! lol!

 

[FireTigeris]

Beautiful

 

[GaleFamily]

Thanks for the fabulous PVC feeder idea! I have this half-way done, we have the gutter and end caps that work like a charm with little or no waste. I've purchased the PVC pipe so all I have to do is attach it to the wall above the feeder & voila! Thanks for sharing the idea and your photos which were super helpful to a chicken noob like myself!

 

[kuntrychick]

This looks GREAT! My only concern is what do you do to prevent feeding mice & other critters with this system?

We are in the process of building a coop & I wasn't sure what type feeder we were gonna use, but this might just be IT!

 

[effie]

Cool beans-I am gonna make one of those-already have the gutter here. My girls are knocking my hanging bucket feeder apart when they fly off the roost and slam into it all the time--forget the fact their roost has several ladders to get up and down--they aren't exactly graceful--sometimes I wonder how they don't break a leg. I have BO and BR and as the former poster said-they are big ol pigs!!! LOL So I am gonna love the no waste part.

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

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We have never had issues with mice in our coop, but if one got in I can promise it would never make it out alive!

I believe it really depends on your coop and it's setup, if a mouse really wants the food, no system is perfect they will get in, but our coop is protected and no mice have ever been seen or noticed around the food. Good luck and you'll love how easy this feeder is and how little room it takes up, and the best part is no spillage!

 

[omartorres]

i like your idea

 

[Tracydr]

This is so great! I'm going to make one. I have to make sure it's pretty watertight because my coop is very open, no place to put feed where it might not get rained on. I assume the PVC pipes with caps on them are watertight so the only feed that could possibly get wet is in the gutters? Which is feed that is immediately getting eaten and should be fine. Now, just have to figure out where and how to hang it.