Dual PVC Feeder - Internal/External - Will It Work?

[JustStartin]

Greetings! Long time reader (lurker), first time poster. There's no better single source of info on the web!

15 Speckled Sussex being delivered in March from eFowl? Check.
Chicken Coop construction underway? Check.
All the details figured out? Nope.

I've used a homemade PVC feeder in the backyard for years now. About a 4' section of 4" PVC going down to a 2" reducer, then to a 30 degree "Y" with a section of the top cut out. It feeds the squirrels, bear, deer, coons, etc. And knock on wood, but I've kind of perfected it after many botched designs. It works well. It only seems natural to bring a similar design in for the chickens.

What I'm planning on is this:

1. In the corner of the coop, have a similar 4-6" wide by ~4' tall PVC canister serving as the reservoir
2. Reduced to 2" (extreme amount of waste otherwise)
3. Going to a "Y" - one end of which will be "internal", the other plunging out the coop and going into the fenced chicken run. "Externally"
4. I forgot to put it in the schematic, but I'll actually have the top have an external plunge access as well so you can fill the whole thing from outside without opening the door. But alas...

What I'm wondering is this:

1. What am I forgetting or overlooking? Frankly, it seems like a "duh" solution. But often those lead to easily overlooked problems down the road. Problems I'd like to avoid!
2. Is there any real benefit to giving them essentially 24/7 access to feed?

I'm not really worried about moisture, that'll be handled. I'm not overly concerned about it being an attractant for other predators either - that'll also be handled.

Don't know of a smarter group - so - let me know your thoughts.

Thank you!

 

[blucoondawg]

No 24/7feeding is not a bad thing I provide feed at all times as well. I would just make sure that the areas where the feed dumps out of your PVC and into the feeding area is large enough to allow plenty of your birds to eat at once otherwise you will have problems with the top of the pecking order not allowing the lesser birds to the food. This problem is not going to be as bad if you have 24/7 feed acess because the lesser birds will be able to eat after the others

 

[aart]

I would stop feeding wild critters if you're going to get chickens...
......you might even want to remove food from the coop at night .....
.....just because those animals, most of which should now be called "predators", are used to coming to your house to eat....and everyone likes to eat chicken.