Bucket feeder?

[squeakyballs]

Has anyone tried the 5 gallon bucket feeders with the holes in the sides for the chickens to put their heads in, like:

http://toolmakingart.com/2008/06/10/chicken-feeders/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=4655-Auto_Waterer

I particularly like the first one... will they really eat and drink out of them? Or is it a pain in the butt and falls over or ...?

 

[The Chicken People]

I tried the one with the holes on the bottom but the chickens billed out too much food and it went to waste...also got wet and molded...I like the pvc feeders and will be making those real soon! They take up less space and work great!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I use these.

Waterer

Feeder

The waterer works well. Get it up to the height of their back and it stays clean. I agree they can bill out some feed, but I use pellets and they clean them up.

I put something on top of them to keep the chickens from trying to roost on them so they don't knock them over or poop in them. If you hang something over them, make sure it is heavy enough so the wind does not blow it out of the way.

I hang the feeder so they cannot knock it over. I put the waterer on a solid base since I read on here they spill more water if it is hanging. I spread the base out as much as I can and it is very stable. If I don't spread the base out, they can knock it over. Hope that makes sense.

 

[squeakyballs]

Thanks you two! Ridgerunner - how big are the holes in the feeder?