DIY Thread - Let's see your "Inventions".

[aart]

I wanted to share my low feed alert system. I built several of the pvc feeders for my pens but wanted an easy way to see when they started getting low on feed. I tied a "flag" on one end of a long string, drilled a hole into the feeder and fed that string through and tied a weight on the end that is inside the feeder. The weight sits on top of the feed and as the feed level drops, the weight also drops and pulls the string. When the "flag" gets near the top of the feeder I know it is time to add feed. It enables me to know what the feed level is without going into each pen. I need to fashion something similar for the waterers. Anyway, I am proud of it and it was really easy to do. It could be added to most DIY feeders.

Is that string just hanging? Have the chickens messed with it?

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
No the string appears to be fastened to something outside of the feeder a ring of pvc of sorts... Or am I mistaken. I need to look at the full sized picture.

deb

 

[ChickCrazed]

Is that string just hanging? Have the chickens messed with it?

The chickens have not messed with the string and it is just hanging with a rubber guy on the end acting as my flag. There isn't anything they could damage and the string is easy to replace if they ever start to mess with it. You could use fishing line or white string also.

 

[ChickCrazed]

No the string appears to be fastened to something outside of the feeder a ring of pvc of sorts... Or am I mistaken. I need to look at the full sized picture.

deb

Ah, I can try to take a close up picture. The end of the string is tied to a bit of bendable rubber that I found at Lowes in the hardware section, not sure what its purpose is meant to be but I thought it was perfect as a bright colored, easy to see stopper to keep the string from going through the hole when the feed got low and give me an easy visual. It has not gotten caught on anything.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Excellent. Whew I did look at the pix and what I thought was a ring of PVC was actually the lip of the part that has the feed access.

deb

 

[ihunt]

Chicken waterer 46'' long,stand pipe 6'', 3''PVC, 8 nipples, this holds approx 1.65 gals.
increasing capacity simply add to length or height each foot adds 0.3672 gals. Drill small hole in top cap.

 

[Mehjr10]

Chicken waterer 46'' long,stand pipe 6'', 3''PVC, 8 nipples, this holds approx 1.65 gals.
increasing capacity simply add to length or height each foot adds 0.3672 gals. Drill small hole in top cap.

Nice setup.

Or tap a hose nipple into the top cap and add a tube attached to a bucket or barrel placed above.

 

[acemario]

Thanks!  The dilemma with the waterers is that anything light enough to float isn't heavy enough to pull the string down (I would think).  I will think about it and see if I can get something put together at some point.

You could drill a hole towards the top of the feeder and feed a string with a flag on the outside end in the hole. The string would be attached to a bobber in the inside of the waterer. As the water level drops, the bobber will drop, pulling the string down and raising the flag on the outside. If the flag gets close to the top of. The waterer, you know it's time to refill.

 

[ihunt]

Great ideas I'll do that when I move them into the coop.
Thanx ihunt

 

[Bens-Hens]

I wanted to share my low feed alert system. I built several of the pvc feeders for my pens but wanted an easy way to see when they started getting low on feed. I tied a "flag" on one end of a long string, drilled a hole into the feeder and fed that string through and tied a weight on the end that is inside the feeder. The weight sits on top of the feed and as the feed level drops, the weight also drops and pulls the string. When the "flag" gets near the top of the feeder I know it is time to add feed. It enables me to know what the feed level is without going into each pen. I need to fashion something similar for the waterers. Anyway, I am proud of it and it was really easy to do. It could be added to most DIY feeders.

Thats a great idea. I use a similar feeder but with a longer flat section at the bottom with holes in the top.

For my water tanks I have a plastic tube system like mentioned above, except I used 6mm electrical glands to hold the hose in place.



Your flag idea would work a treat for mine too and save me taking the lid off so much!