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

[Phottoman]

And the sun is finally shining here in Golden Valley.

Skip

 

[Phottoman]

Temporarily, here is the corrected schematic for the solar panel control. Jamie corrected this overnight, but it is way to small to be effective, that will change when I get home from work tonight.




She advised me that there was no positive connection to the L.E.D. light, and is IS hard to see in this version.

Sorry about that.

Skip

 

[Sondacop]

Cool solar panel lighting system, way beyond me, but exactly what I would wish to achieve at some point.

I finally had some time to work a bit on the coop, added the magnets to keep rodents from accessing the feed at night. I also cut a new stopper, one of the chickens would fling food about, getting most of it on the floor, emptying it out too quickly. This one is more of a U shape, it works a bit better, but she still flings food about, and I still found a large amount on the floor today so this is not yet the shape that works the best.

Picture time:

The magnets - one on the lid and one on the stopper. They were from some art project, they already had holes in them.

The U shaped stopper as compared to the half a circle one, this one works a bit better, but I still find food on the floor.

The food flinger caught in the act.

 

[Phottoman]

Nice work Sondacop.

And here is the corrected schematic in a size that can be read. Click on the picture for a larger version.




In looking at this schematic, it would LOOK like a negative is being fed to both sides of the diode, however, as marked on the timer, the relay has an input of positive, and when closed the circuit allows the positive flow out and into and through the diode. The plus and minus going into the "POWER" side are to power both the relay and the timer.

Simple, right?

Skip

 

[Phottoman]

Hee Hee, NOW can we get back to pipe feeders?

Skip

 

[mat2dong]

Cool solar panel lighting system, way beyond me, but exactly what I would wish to achieve at some point. I finally had some time to work a bit on the coop, added the magnets to keep rodents from accessing the feed at night. I also cut a new stopper, one of the chickens would fling food about, getting most of it on the floor, emptying it out too quickly. This one is more of a U shape, it works a bit better, but she still flings food about, and I still found a large amount on the floor today so this is not yet the shape that works the best. Picture time: The magnets - one on the lid and one on the stopper. They were from some art project, they already had holes in them. The U shaped stopper as compared to the half a circle one, this one works a bit better, but I still find food on the floor. The food flinger caught in the act.

I have to think about how to stop that chicken from spreading feed all over the place... How do you think the magnets are going to work out? It looks great

 

[mat2dong]

Nice work Sondacop. And here is the corrected schematic in a size that can be read. Click on the picture for a larger version. In looking at this schematic, it would LOOK like a negative is being fed to both sides of the diode, however, as marked on the timer, the relay has an input of positive, and when closed the circuit allows the positive flow out and into and through the diode. The plus and minus going into the "POWER" side are to power both the relay and the timer. Simple, right? Skip

Very nice Skip!! You know what, I'm going to make a coop ideas topic. Maybe you can post this idea there as well

 

[mat2dong]

Nice work Sondacop.

And here is the corrected schematic in a size that can be read. Click on the picture for a larger version.




In looking at this schematic, it would LOOK like a negative is being fed to both sides of the diode, however, as marked on the timer, the relay has an input of positive, and when closed the circuit allows the positive flow out and into and through the diode. The plus and minus going into the "POWER" side are to power both the relay and the timer.

Simple, right?

Skip

Repost your lighting idea and all your ideas here Skip As a matter of fact, everyone on here post all your coop ideas here on this topic!!!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/730038/post-all-your-coop-improvements-here

 

[Sondacop]

I don't think I will ever know if the magnets work. It takes a bit more of an effort for me to pull on the string that lifts the lid, not much though, I don't know if a mouse or rat could lift it. Hungry creatures can be very strong. I'd have to rig up a video

.
A bit off topic - but I wanted to share - I free ranged the girls after I got home from work today (about 40 minuets before sundown) and DD (age 4) was eating an apple. One of the chickens (appropriately named Apple) chased DD around the yard, intent on taking a bit out of her apple, we both thought it was hilarious! I caught most of it on my cellphone video, both of us giggling the whole time.

 

[Phottoman]

Sondacop. that's why we refer to it as "Chicken TV."

And ... ahhh ... where is the video?

Skip