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

[Sondacop]

Quote: Yes, it seems to happen when there is a lot of food in the tube, so I am not sure it is rats. I had mice this year, but I haven't seen any (in my house) for a while. It happens during the day, would a rat do that when the chickens are up and about?

 

[mat2dong]

I'm having a huge problems with rats at the moment, I'm infested with them. They are all baby ones and can squeeze through the smallest of holes to get into the cage, when I went out last night to have a look there were at least 20 in there if not more, and I closely watched as to where they were getting in and out, I have since found another couple of tincy wincy holes that I had ignored before and to be honest I'm not sure how to get rid of them, trapping is not working cause they're too smart for that, baiting is the only thing I have not tried for fear of hurting other wildlife in the process.

Cheers,
John

Put a light in the coop for a week, grab a BB gun and as they come pick them off I got a rat in a tree and it was awesome!!

 

[mat2dong]

Yes, it seems to happen when there is a lot of food in the tube, so I am not sure it is rats. I had mice this year, but I haven't seen any (in my house) for a while. It happens during the day, would a rat do that when the chickens are up and about?

I would say no. It may be your girls! LoL!! How is it going now?

 

[johnmw1]

I know this is an expensive idea to wrap your entire cage/run with 1/4" hardware cloth, but it will pay off in the long run. Hardware cloth is available in 4' and 6' widths, comes in rolls of various lengths, and can be cut with several tools. I don't think the rats/mice can get through it as small as the openings are.

I have to seriously consider the same thing. I have wild birds getting into my girls run and eating the food.

It's so bad that I am seriously considering getting one of the feeders where the girls step on the front to open the top so they can get to their food, that may be a consideration for you also.

There is a very good thread going on that very thing here on BYC.

Good luck, and let us know what happens.

Skip

Hi Skip,

Sorry buddy I missed your last post so apologies for that.

As for recovering my run with hardware cloth, well for the moment that will not happen as the coop / bird aviary which has probably been here for at least the last thirty years is slowly starting to rot where all the roof timbers cross one another and so I envisage in the not too distant future that it will have to be rebuilt but this time out of galvanized steel.

Yes I had been looking at that chicken treadle thread also but for the time being am just feeding by hand as I will not give them anymore than what they need so as to lessen the amount of food the rats have access to.

Speaking of rats, since I was forced to start baiting I have all but eliminated the problem. Baiting on an every other night roster for the last couple of weeks I have been picking up lots of those dead pesky rats that have obviously taken the bait. Last nights bait I laid as far as I can tell has been untouched which so far is a first so I think they're getting the message so to speak. I may have more than one family of rats as I laid bait in a new location last night and it was all eaten so fingers crossed.

Cheers,
John

Put a light in the coop for a week, grab a BB gun and as they come pick them off I got a rat in a tree and it was awesome!!

Hi Matt,

Yeah that would be kinda cool, but somehow I think I would have the "Star Force" officers knocking on my door pretty quick especially in suburbia cause even a BB gun would not be allowed these days.

On an unrelated matter Matt have you heard about a wicking technique used for raised garden beds? I'm just about to start building a raised garden bed and stumbled quite by accident about this wicking thing and am doing more research into it now.

Cheers,
John

 

[mat2dong]

Hi Skip,

Sorry buddy I missed your last post so apologies for that.

As for recovering my run with hardware cloth, well for the moment that will not happen as the coop / bird aviary which has probably been here for at least the last thirty years is slowly starting to rot where all the roof timbers cross one another and so I envisage in the not too distant future that it will have to be rebuilt but this time out of galvanized steel.

Yes I had been looking at that chicken treadle thread also but for the time being am just feeding by hand as I will not give them anymore than what they need so as to lessen the amount of food the rats have access to.

Speaking of rats, since I was forced to start baiting I have all but eliminated the problem. Baiting on an every other night roster for the last couple of weeks I have been picking up lots of those dead pesky rats that have obviously taken the bait. Last nights bait I laid as far as I can tell has been untouched which so far is a first so I think they're getting the message so to speak. I may have more than one family of rats as I laid bait in a new location last night and it was all eaten so fingers crossed.

Cheers,
John




Hi Matt,

Yeah that would be kinda cool, but somehow I think I would have the "Star Force" officers knocking on my door pretty quick especially in suburbia cause even a BB gun would not be allowed these days.

On an unrelated matter Matt have you heard about a wicking technique used for raised garden beds? I'm just about to start building a raised garden bed and stumbled quite by accident about this wicking thing and am doing more research into it now.

Cheers,
John

No sir, I have not. Any links I can follow?

 

[johnmw1]

No sir, I have not. Any links I can follow?

Sure,

Here are a couple of links with good explanations, http://www.sgaonline.org.au/?p=7306 and this second link also has YouTube to watch http://www.bitsouttheback.net/p/wicking-bed-ibc-barrel-construction.html.

Of course you guys over there may not have the same issues with water that we do here in Oz and so it may or may not be any value to you.

Sorry I did not mean to hijack the thread and change topics, but I'm sure you'll post it in your home farm ideas.

Cheers,
John

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

 

[mat2dong]

Sure,

Here are a couple of links with good explanations, http://www.sgaonline.org.au/?p=7306 and this second link also has YouTube to watch http://www.bitsouttheback.net/p/wicking-bed-ibc-barrel-construction.html.

Of course you guys over there may not have the same issues with water that we do here in Oz and so it may or may not be any value to you.

Sorry I did not mean to hijack the thread and change topics, but I'm sure you'll post it in your home farm ideas.

Cheers,
John

Thanks John Have you joined our group yet? If so can you post these links?

 

[mat2dong]

I like that they can't dig the food out but the feed will not drain properly out of the bucket. There's a good chance it'll get caught especially when the feed is low. I love that you can move it around!!!

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Yea, the last bit does stick around the sides of the bucket. I usually just push that down the pipe before refilling.