Bobs do like a natural hide-out!

[NGT ANGL]

I love the coop - especially the feeder..........may be visiting the plumbing section of Lowes and copycatting your idea!!

 

[wilds of pa]

Also remember bobwhite require a certain amount of feeder and water space per bird, which can also lead to picking as well if they don't get it..
first thing in the morning and before bed time they will all battle to feed and drink first in most cases..
when breeding starts it will even get worse with limited drinking and feeding space..

Just something to think about when raising bobwhite..

We do the same with Xmas tree parts in our pens as well..


Any stress can trigger cannibalism. One of the
most common causes of cannibalism is
overcrowding, which usually includes a lack of
feeder or waterer space. Never crowd the birds, and
always provide more than adequate, easily accessible
feeder and waterer space. Do not feed dusty, powdery
feed, which readily collects on the birds' toes. Watch
for beak and toe picking. Chicks brooded on wire
floors are more susceptible to toe picking. Another
common cause of cannibalism is an uncomfortable
temperature in the birds' environment. Even though
picking is usually worse in summer than in winter,
being either too hot or too cold can trigger
cannibalism.
General Prevention
There are several other suggestions that may help
prevent cannibalism.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/PS/PS01700.pdf

 

[_Randall_]

Quote:
Thanks. Yeah, I kinda like my feeder, too

I got tired of reaching in every day and grabbing the poop-covered metal slide-top chick feeders (the ones with the 22 ob-round slots), and filling them. Was at the feed store at lunch a couple of weeks ago, and picked up the little fruit jar chick feeder ($3.49), and was wondering what PVC fitting would come close to fitting where the jar screws on. Got it home, and had a 3" to 2" reducer fitting that fit right down inside the neck (once I got rid of the little ridges inside the neck that the threads on the fruit jar catch on to). These can be ground out with a Dremel tool, or mashed flat with pliers. I just drilled through the neck 4 places big enough for a small sheet metal screw to go through, seated the reducer fitting in the neck, and drilled some tiny pilot holes in the PVC so the screws would go on in nicely. Went and got a 4" to 3" reducer from the hardware store, and stuck in the 2" x 3" reducer, and ran it on up with 4" thin wall (sewer and drain) PVC. Already had that on hand, too. I also bored two 3/4" holes in it at different heights for "sight windows" so I could watch the feed level. Covered these up with some heavy clear vinyl and Super Glue. Put a thin-wall "Y" on top so it's easy for my scoop when filling. Cap the "Y" in both places to keep dampness and critters out. Nothing got glued together.........PVC stuff fits snugly enough without gluing. I did pop-rivet a thin piece of sheet metal strip to the bottom of the little feeder that would be long enough to extend out where I could put a screw at each end of it so it would be anchored, and wouldn't move.

I love it. Only have to fill once a week now. The stack is about 46" from the feeder bottom to the top of the "Y", and holds 1/2 of a 5-gallon bucket of feed......(ever how many lbs. that is?) And the best part.......The way it's designed, the birds have just enough room to walk up and eat, yet can't get up on top to have a poopin' contest

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/43975_quail_pen_5.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/43975_quail_pen_6.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/43975_quail_pen_11.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/43975_qual_pen_8.jpg

OK, I think I've found THE solution for what little feed waste I had with the feeder. I removed the jar connector ring from the feeder, and trimmed the opening so that the small end of a 1-1/2" x 2" PVC reducer would fit off down in there to where the taper part of the reducer is just setting on the top of the feeder. (Then connect the 2" part of this reducer to the existing 2" x 3" reducer with a short piece of 2" PVC pipe).

This fitting is now recessed down low enough to where the feed won't completely fill the feeder up where it almost comes out the feeder holes as you see in the pic below.........but yet lets just enough out to where those big jug-headed Jumbos get their big noggins in there and get the feed............and not able to rake it out. I've had this for over a week now, and waste per feeder refill is about .000000001%

Here's the ring I was talking about......I'll take a close up pic of the finished project and post in a day or two. It's the Cat's Meow

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/43975_43975_quail_pen_6.jpg

Here's the feeder showing the feed level with the new reducer coupling as a bottom discharge. Feed level never gets high enough for them to rake it out with their beak, but yet is high enough for them to get food easliy. I've had a catch pan under the feeder on the ground for a week, and there's only about a teaspoon of crumbles in it. Waste problem solved.

 

[Madcap621]

Quote:
Just browsing your thread. The feeder is almost identical to the one I use for my banties [except for the great filer top! WOW!] I use a 2" to 4" pvc adapter in the brooder, then add the tall pipes when they go to the grow-out pens [2'tall - an adapted puppy play pen

] and 4' tall for the coop. The way I prevent spillage is to cut the cardboard roll from toilet tissue in half, fit it into the hole in the center of the jar-feeder-bottom so that it is within 1/2" of the bottom before I add the adapter -- this prevents the feed from being close enough to the feeder openings to being scooped out. This em of an idea came from another BYCer and works great! Just passing on his random act of kindness in sharing. Thinking of hatching some buttons to donate to nursing homes to keep their aviary pen's floors clean. Know myself well enough to know I will want to keep a few

Here is a picture of my base.you can't see the cardboard TT roll inside it fits tightly enough to stay where you put it. I also use just the one adapter 4" to 2". When I add the 4" PVC pipe, I will turn over the 4" 'test lid', drill a hole in it, thread a 12" length of nylon rope thru', tie a double overhand knot in the 'tube end' and a loop knot on the outside for a handle to pull it off/out for filling [no fingernails to pry it loose

]

ETA pictures

 

[mightieskeeper]

I like those feeders. How about some pvc pipe waters?

 

[_Randall_]

Quote:
Just browsing your thread. The feeder is almost identical to the one I use for my banties [except for the great filer top! WOW!] I use a 2" to 4" pvc adapter in the brooder, then add the tall pipes when they go to the grow-out pens [2'tall - an adapted puppy play pen

] and 4' tall for the coop. The way I prevent spillage is to cut the cardboard roll from toilet tissue in half, fit it into the hole in the center of the jar-feeder-bottom so that it is within 1/2" of the bottom before I add the adapter -- this prevents the feed from being close enough to the feeder openings to being scooped out. This em of an idea came from another BYCer and works great! Just passing on his random act of kindness in sharing. Thinking of hatching some buttons to donate to nursing homes to keep their aviary pen's floors clean. Know myself well enough to know I will want to keep a few

Here is a picture of my base.you can't see the cardboard TT roll inside it fits tightly enough to stay where you put it. I also use just the one adapter 4" to 2". When I add the 4" PVC pipe, I will turn over the 4" 'test lid', drill a hole in it, thread a 12" length of nylon rope thru', tie a double overhand knot in the 'tube end' and a loop knot on the outside for a handle to pull it off/out for filling [no fingernails to pry it loose

]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/43761_4-5-6-wellies.jpg

ETA pictures

Thanks for sharing. Hope I didn't infringe on somebody's copyright.....LOL

 

[_Randall_]

Quote:
I don't have those yet....

 

[GBov]

What a good idea! I was planning something like that but rigged up OUTSIDE the cage with a bend to go through the wire into the feeder. My guys are in an 8 ft tall cage built for finches, budgies and a cockatiel. Well, had to have SOMETHING in the cage earning its keep lol

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
I don't have those yet....

I saw some yesterday at another breeders I was at I wish I would have taken pictures. It was just a pvc pipe running horizontally thru the cages at the front it stuck out of each end of the cage maybe 9-10" a adator and a clean-out plug at one end and a 90* elbow at the other pointing upward he poured water in that end there were 2-3 holes cut on the top of the pipe where it went thru each cage

 

[Madcap621]

Quote:
x 4" (OK, Coturnix lovers..........Sorry

)

FYI.............a 2" x 4" pvc adapter fits those little chick feeders perfectly, and the overhang keeps the poop out. An aluminum pie tin catches any feed scatter, and a 1 1/2" length of toilet tissue roll cardboard slipped into the feeder tube will keep the level of food flow below what they can scrape out.