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

[WVDoug]

It would seem you would still have to go into the coop to feed. I wonder why not a PVC feeder that is attached vertically to the outside then comes in the inside of the coop and dog legs either right or left for either a trough or a drill holed system? That way you can keep them fed, and if you don't want to go in, you don't have to with the exception of occasional clean outs.

That's what I have, except it doesn't dog leg.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

That's what I have, except it doesn't dog leg.

My thought process for dog legging it along the wall, is it conserves space in the coop rather than running it lengthwise into the coop. I suppose the other alternative would be individual pipes 10 for 20 birds, but that would seem annoying and make it look like the Mormon Tabernacle choice with as many PVC tubes that would be lined up a row.

 

[WVDoug]

My single tray at the bottom of a four inch 45* elbow feeds 31 birds currently.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

Interesting, do you have a photo?

 

[WVDoug]

Interesting, do you have a photo?

I've been thinking of making a larger tray, but it's not a priority. They all seem to get plenty to eat.

 

[WVDoug]

Had to abandon the barrel/hose/pvc pipe waterer today. Even inside the barn, covered with tarps, with a ceramic heater blowing warm air across it, the vertical nipples froze shut.
Now using a large bucket with horizontal nipples and a small stock tank heater. Took the first girl about 2 minutes to figure it out, then the rest followed.
I'll see if the 250W heater kept the water in the bucket liquid in the morning.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

Had to abandon the barrel/hose/pvc pipe waterer today. Even inside the barn, covered with tarps, with a ceramic heater blowing warm air across it, the vertical nipples froze shut.
Now using a large bucket with horizontal nipples and a small stock tank heater. Took the first girl about 2 minutes to figure it out, then the rest followed.
I'll see if the 250W heater kept the water in the bucket liquid in the morning.

Where are you at?

 

[WVDoug]

Northern WV.

0*F last night, maybe a little warmer in the barn where the coop is.
The 250W stock tank heater kept the bucket of water (with a loose lid) thawed all night. So far, so good.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

Northern WV.

0*F last night, maybe a little warmer in the barn where the coop is.
The 250W stock tank heater kept the bucket of water (with a loose lid) thawed all night. So far, so good.

Yeah, that's definitely colder your way than it is here. It is getting down to freezing, potential icing tomorrow.

 

[smokeybearvii]

Northern WV. 

0*F last night, maybe a little warmer in the barn where the coop is.
The 250W stock tank heater kept the bucket of water (with a loose lid) thawed all night.  So far, so good.

I made my waterer with a 5 gal bucket and lid, used 4 nipples on the bottom, and added a small fishtank heater inside a large pickle jar that was filled with water, then placed the jar inside the bucket. Heater was only like $8 at Walmart, the jar I just had lying around. And even if water runs low, heater is inside a jar filled with water, so it won't melt the plastic bucket. Had temps down in the single digits, and no problems yet. I'll see if I can get a pic tomorrow.