****** DIY chicken feeder pipe! ******

[TNBEARCHICK]

AMEN GOD first.

 

[Phottoman]

OK, you asked for it, here goes.

I went to Home Depot today and bought the elbows and caps I needed to add the second feeder to the original coop. I think I mentioned that wild birds have been feeding themselves with my chickens feed, here is what a feeder looks like two days after I filled it. There are eight chickens and a rooster in this coop, the feed should have lasted about a week, this is TWO days after filling it.



As I said, SOMETHING had to be done.

I laid out the length of 4" drain PVC I had on hand and after measuring very carefully, I wrapped string around so that I could make a circle with a pen, then cut sort of carefully along that line after drilling a hole to start the skill saw. There was an end that was sized to accept another piece of the pipe that I had to cut off, here you can see the string, the line I am about to cut, and the starter hole.





I had to do this on several sections so I could have the pieces I needed to finish this feeder. Here are the final cut pieces, and the caps. The only thing missing in this picture are the 45 degree angles. Oops, I forgot to remove the cigarettes, and I thought SO HARD as I was taking these pictures.

Here also are the first measurements for the round holes I was cutting, the two outside are approximately 2 1/2" and the center is 3 1/2" (so the rooster can eat with his large comb)





Now I had all the pieces I needed so I put everything together. This time I tried experimenting with two 45 degree angles rather than a 90. I was originally going to put this outside the coop but there is a roof in the way, so this is what it looks like now, though I may change this later.







When I held the feeder up to the coop where I was originally going to put it, I saw that wouldn't work, then I looked under the roof and decided to place the WHOLE THING inside the coop. I filled it several times before installing it, just to be sure that the 45's would work, then I attached it right where I wanted, but for one small detail, the rood wouldn't close, so ... I had to cut off a small bit of the 4" tubing.






The battery you see is attached to a solar panel, and the timer turns on the 12v dc light at night for a while and again in the early morning, so my girls will have their "14 hours of daylight."

If you look carefully, you can just see the feeder on the left side of the run, under the coop.









The pallet you see is actually my way of being lazy on some things, that's actually the 'door' to the coop, and if you look here VERY carefully, you can see the 5 gallon bucket I have for their water, with three nipples.




I think I spent maybe two hours total, including running around picking up stuff to make the pictures look better. And the second coop you see in these pictures has the original 4" pipe outside.



OK, as I said, I never intended to hijack your thread, I just wanted you to know I had some of your same ideas, and your posting pushed me into finishing what I started quite some time ago, and the birds flying out of the coop yesterday did the final trick of getting me off my duff and getting it done.

Now if only I could get that door finished so I wouldn't have to pick up that heavy pallet twice a day.

Skip

 

[mat2dong]

OK, you asked for it, here goes.

I went to Home Depot today and bought the elbows and caps I needed to add the second feeder to the original coop.  I think I mentioned that wild birds have been feeding themselves with my chickens feed, here is what a feeder looks like two days after I filled it.  There are eight chickens and a rooster in this coop, the feed should have lasted about a week, this is TWO days after filling it.



As I said, SOMETHING had to be done.

I laid out the length of 4" drain PVC I had on hand and after measuring very carefully, I wrapped string around so that I could make a circle with a pen, then cut sort of carefully along that line after drilling a hole to start the skill saw.  There was an end that was sized to accept another piece of the pipe that I had to cut off, here you can see the string, the line I am about to cut, and the starter hole.





I had to do this on several sections so I could have the pieces I needed to finish this feeder.  Here are the final cut pieces, and the caps.  The only thing missing in this picture are the 45 degree angles.  Oops, I forgot to remove the cigarettes, and I thought SO HARD as I was taking these pictures.

Here also are the first measurements for the round holes I was cutting, the two outside are approximately 2 1/2" and the center is 3 1/2" (so the rooster can eat with his large comb)





Now I had all the pieces I needed so I put everything together.  This time I tried experimenting with two 45 degree angles rather than a 90.  I was originally going to put this outside the coop but there is a roof in the way, so this is what it looks like now, though I may change this later.







When I held the feeder up to the coop where I was originally going to put it, I saw that wouldn't work, then I looked under the roof and decided to place the WHOLE THING inside the coop.  I filled it several times before installing it, just to be sure that the 45's would work, then I attached it right where I wanted, but for one small detail, the rood wouldn't close, so ... I had to cut off a small bit of the 4" tubing.






 The battery you see is attached to a solar panel, and the timer turns on the 12v dc light at night for a while and again in the early morning, so my girls will have their "14 hours of daylight."

If you look carefully, you can just see the feeder on the left side of the run, under the coop.









The pallet you see is actually my way of being lazy on some things, that's actually the 'door' to the coop, and if you look here VERY carefully, you can see the 5 gallon bucket I have for their water, with three nipples.




I think I spent maybe two hours total, including running around picking up stuff to make the pictures look better.  And the second coop you see in these pictures has the original 4" pipe outside.



OK, as I said, I never intended to hijack your thread, I just wanted you to know I had some of your same ideas, and your posting pushed me into finishing what I started quite some time ago, and the birds flying out of the coop yesterday did the final trick of getting me off my duff and getting it done.

Now if only I could get that door finished so I wouldn't have to pick up that heavy pallet twice a day.

Skip

Well Skip, don't make me kick you in the butt to get that done

I like the new design but I don't know how it's going to work with the two 45s. Keep an eye on it to see if the feed flows properly. I know other people that abuse 45s and they seem to have problems with it.

I think it's important for your chickens to be able to peck at the base of the feed in the pipe so that it releases more feed.

I'm really interested and how that light set up was done! Can you put together a parts list for that?

God bless man

 

[Phottoman]

I haven't been outside yet to check on the feeder, but I will let you know tonight how that works.

Hmmm ... parts list? Well, I went on line to find 12 volt dc lights. I found some from China that were about $3 each, LED, and screwed into a regular light bulb holder, I am NOT sure of the tech terms I should be using.

I wired those to the timers I bought on eBay for again I think about five dollars each including shipping.

The solar panels I can NOT help you with, they are a small portion of the 26 panels I used when I lived in the desert off the grid. My Dad and I would get together once a week when I went to town to do my photographic shopping, he lived in Torrance (South of Los Angeles) and I lived up the the high desert, so once a week I would drive down the hill to shop for film and chemicals, and he would meet me at a Denny's in Hollywood.

There was a solar panel manufacturer in Torrance, and they would sell me 'seconds' of their produce for around $100 that had small blemishes, 40 w, 12v panels. These panels were normally priced at around $200 to $250 each, and I had Dad buy one a month and give them to me when I was "in town."

When I moved to Arizona, I brought several with me, these were the one's that had been on my motor home, or trailer, what ever I was using on various trips.

The batteries I asked for at Sams Club. There was a man servicing the batteries in the carts they loan to handicapped people, and I asked what they did with the old batteries, and he said they trash them. I asked if they could be trashed "in my direction." He placed two of them in my cart.

When I got home, I tried placing a charger on them, but they were so bad that they wouldn't take a charge, one was so bad that the terminals were reversed, pos from neg, and neg from pos. I put them on a solar panel for two days and both charged beautifully, even reversing the reversed polarity battery back to normal. So .... there is your "Parts List."

Two batteries, 12 volt, small
two 12 volt lights
two Chinese timers
two solar panels (I see that Harbor Freight has a solar kit, and would run two or more 12 volt lights)
Enough wire to hook everything together
One Wife to figure out the set up and wiring (Told you she does things like this) and solder all connections.

If you want, I'll take pictures and post a diagram.

Skip

 

[Phottoman]

Well Skip, don't make me kick you in the butt to get that done
I like the new design but I don't know how it's going to work with the two 45s. Keep an eye on it to see if the feed flows properly. I know other people that abuse 45s and they seem to have problems with it.
I think it's important for your chickens to be able to peck at the base of the feed in the pipe so that it releases more feed.
I'm really interested and how that light set up was done! Can you put together a parts list for that?
God bless man

Matt, I think the 'abuse' you mentioned here was more that they were trying to go around corners, or have a short piece in-between the 45 degree elbows that doesn't allow gravity to help with the flow of the feed. If you look again at mine, I think if anything, I may have TOO MUCH feed dropping into the trough. It's a straight run. Originally I was going to use it so that the part where I fed the feed into the system was all outside, but I had to make it stand well away from the coop because of the shape of the roof. I had planned on using plumbers tape (the metal stuff with the holes) to hold it against one of the 2" X 4" studs holding the roof, but then I realized that wouldn't work without making MAJOR changes to the whole coop and roofing. Placing this all inside and up against the roof also eliminates using a cap, which now wouldn't fit without cutting the top back considerably.

I still have a ton of work to do, including roofing on both coops and finish painting them. As it is now, I don't worry too much about rain but when I know it's going to rain, I cover each coop with a waterproof drop cloth, until (again with the excuses) I have the time to work on all of this.

My thinking is, two gentle turns at 45 degrees would be an easier transition that one hard 90 degree turn at the bottom. And I think placing each feeder under the coops will keep moisture out, well, for me at least, here in Arizona. It doesn't rain here, ever, but we DO get our share of 'liquid sunshine.'

Skip

 

[mat2dong]

I haven't been outside yet to check on the feeder, but I will let you know tonight how that works.

Hmmm ... parts list?  Well, I went on line to find 12 volt dc lights.  I found some from China that were about $3 each, LED, and screwed into a regular light bulb holder, I am NOT sure of the tech terms I should be using.

I wired those to the timers I bought on eBay for again I think about five dollars each including shipping.

The solar panels I can NOT help you with, they are a small portion of the 26 panels I used when I lived in the desert off the grid.  My Dad and I would get together once a week when I went to town to do my photographic shopping, he lived in Torrance (South of Los Angeles) and I lived up the the high desert, so once a week I would drive down the hill to shop for film and chemicals, and he would meet me at a Denny's in Hollywood.

There was a solar panel manufacturer in Torrance, and they would sell me 'seconds' of their produce for around $100 that had small blemishes, 40 w, 12v panels.  These panels were normally priced at around $200 to $250 each, and I had Dad buy one a month and give them to me when I was "in town."

When I moved to Arizona, I brought several with me, these were the one's that had been on my motor home, or trailer, what ever I was using on various trips.

The batteries I asked for at Sams Club.  There was a man servicing the batteries in the carts they loan to handicapped people, and I asked what they did with the old batteries, and he said they trash them.  I asked if they could be trashed "in my direction."  He placed two of them in my cart.

When I got home, I tried placing a charger on them, but they were so bad that they wouldn't take a charge, one was so bad that the terminals were reversed, pos from neg, and neg from pos.  I put them on a solar panel for two days and both charged beautifully, even reversing the reversed polarity battery back to normal.   So .... there is your "Parts List."

Two batteries, 12 volt, small
two 12 volt lights
two Chinese timers
two solar panels (I see that Harbor Freight has a solar kit, and would run two or more 12 volt lights)
Enough wire to hook everything together
One Wife to figure out the set up and wiring (Told you she does things like this) and solder all connections.

If you want, I'll take pictures and post a diagram.

Skip

Please do Skip!! That would be great

 

[mat2dong]

Matt, I think the 'abuse' you mentioned here was more that they were trying to go around corners, or have a short piece in-between the 45 degree elbows that doesn't allow gravity to help with the flow of the feed.  If you look again at mine, I think if anything, I may have TOO MUCH feed dropping into the trough.  It's a straight run.  Originally I was going to use it so that the part where I fed the feed into the system was all outside, but I had to make it stand well away from the coop because of the shape of the roof.  I had planned on using plumbers tape (the metal stuff with the holes) to hold it against one of the 2" X 4" studs holding the roof, but then I realized that wouldn't work without making MAJOR changes to the whole coop and roofing.  Placing this all inside and up against the roof also eliminates using a cap, which now wouldn't fit without cutting the top back considerably.

I still have a ton of work to do, including roofing on both coops and finish painting them.  As it is now, I don't worry too much about rain but when I know it's going to rain, I cover each coop with a waterproof drop cloth, until (again with the excuses) I have the time to work on all of this. 

My thinking is, two gentle turns at 45 degrees would be an easier transition that one hard 90 degree turn at the bottom.  And I think placing each feeder under the coops will keep moisture out, well, for me at least, here in Arizona.  It doesn't rain here, ever, but we DO get our share of 'liquid sunshine.'

Skip

Well, if it works, then it works

 

[wolftracks]

So excited. I've been trying to learn anything SOLAR for a long time. I need things explained so I understand and can comprehend. And since you love pics..................Post away! Please

 

[Phottoman]

OK, I'll take pictures and try to explain as well as I can. But it may be a while before I can get to it.

I made the mistake of saying that it doesn't rain here in this part of Arizona, but that we get our share of "liquid sunshine," well, let me tell you, for the past two days, we have had enough liquid sunshine to float a boat.

To top that off, I was so "under the weather" yesterday and last night that I never went out to gather eggs, nor to close up the coops, which of course means that I have two very happy flocks of chickens. They didn't have to wait for their Daddy to open the runs for them, they are already out roaming all about the property.

I'll add more when I take those pictures.

Skip

 

[Phottoman]

Since I was asked for pictures and a diagram, here goes.

Picture one is the solar panel, It is a 40W 12V panel I have had for many years, just now getting back to being used.





Picture two is the battery I am using, as I said it was 'gifted' to me at a Sams Club when they were servicing the carts in the store. These are the carts for Handicapped Persons, and they run on 12 volt systems with what looks to be a motorcycle sized battery. I asked for and received 2 of these batteries, they were both discharged totally, one in fact had discharged so bad that the terminals were reading reversed polarity, the positive terminal was reading a negative charge.

When I got these home, my trickle charger ran for two days and neither battery would take (or hold) a charge. Not giving up, I put each on a solar panel and at the trickle amount allowed into each battery, they were both fully charged in two days of sunlight.

Not shown in this picture is the hole under the panel where the line for charging the battery goes through the roof, use your imagination on that. Also, not seen is the diode I put in the panel so that night time would not drain the battery, it allows voltage to run unimpeded from the panel to the battery during the sunlit day, but stops the voltage from running back to the panel during the night. Yes, this WOULD happen if left undone, making the panel receive heat from the battery.



This next picture shows the battery with clamps from the solar panel and to/from the timer. With the diode placed between the battery and the solar panel, voltage can only flow in one direction, from the panel to the battery, and from the battery to the timer.





This is the timer being used. I am not endorsing this seller, but it will give you an idea of what I was looking for, and this IS the timer I bought, though it may not have been this seller.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12V-LCD-...453?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53f1c143e5

If you go on line to eBay and search 12 volt timer, search carefully, you will find several sources for this timer. I think I paid $5 each plus free shipping from China, and they arrived in about ten days.





And the 12 volt light being used. This light has a standard screw in bottom, but is definitely a 12 volt light LED, uses very little power and could probably burn for a week or more without the battery getting recharged. I bought two bases for standard light bulbs and wired them into this 12 volt system. If you look carefully, you will see several of the L.E.D lights in the bulb.





Finally, here is the schematic for the entire system. Thank you Jamie for your help and soldering abilities. I told her what I would like to see and she did it, twice, one each for two hen houses.




Any of these pictures (as I understand the forum system) can be clicked on to make bigger.

And a personal note, Jamie didn't sign the schematic, she had some silly name she wanted to put on it, I should have just left her alone with that, but this is what you are getting. And I might mention, Jamie worked on her computer for well over an hour to make this schematic, then gave it to me to post in this article, THANK YOU JAMIE.

If there are any questions, either address them here in the forum or PM me, I will do my best to get back to you in a timely manner

(edit: the schematic above is wrong, sorry if any one copied it thinking that was how it was done. I will change the schematic to the correct one, but it will be in a later post, thank you for understanding .... Skip)

Skip

(edited to add signature, duh ... )