Feeder Build

[jthornton]

What about making the roof slope the other way so that you can fill it from the outside of the coop? Have a small window for the feed tray to fit inside the run, but the hopper is affixed to the outside.
Clean shoes

I'm sure you could, just use this a guide and build to suit your needs.

JT

 

[ariri30]

On my laptop, when I click on the links they download then I have to open them to see or save. If you're on mobile, sorry, I have no clue how to do it.

Ok. Thanks. I’ll do it on a computer and print them then. Thanks a lot for your help

 

[SteveWin]

Quite later than promised - sorry - this is what I built...

 

[jthornton]

Quite later than promised - sorry - this is what I built...

Looking good!

JT

 

[aart]

Quite later than promised - sorry - this is what I built...

Nice!
Looks like they are billing it out the ends of the troughs?
Might need to reduce the gap where feed comes out.
Tho not sure that would help much.
It's crazy how hard some of them try to get that feed onto the ground...SMH.
Even with a 3" deep 'dish' they were dragging it out, until I added the tubing.
Then slit the ends of tubing to keep them from pulling that off!

 

[SteveWin]

Nice!
Looks like they are billing it out the ends of the troughs?
Might need to reduce the gap where feed comes out.
Tho not sure that would help much.
It's crazy how hard some of them try to get that feed onto the ground...SMH.
Even with a 3" deep 'dish' they were dragging it out, until I added the tubing.
Then slit the ends of tubing to keep them from pulling that off!
View attachment 2065172

They are pushing some out of the ends. If I built another, I'd have the trough end caps about 3" taller, and I'd put 3 dividers the same height along each trough.. I agree with an earlier observation in this thread, that chickens seem to prefer to peck their food out of corners.. it's probably instinct related to how bugs found near trees or rocks are easier to eat because their escape paths are limited..

The fun thing about that project was designing all of that to come out of a single piece of 1/2" plywood, with almost no wood left over. So the materials cost about $40 total, including glue and airgun staples, and the build took about an hour or so..

 

[archeryrob]

I copied @jthornton 's feeder and the dividers he used worked perfectly. I tried it with a larger gap in the feed drop and without the dividers and they made a mess still. reducing the feed drop gap from 1 3/4" to 1" with 2 1/2" sides on the feed area helped a lot. The dividers keep them from pushing the feed around. I watched them and they push it to the side, it slops over. Then they will not eat what is on the ground unless you scope it out into the run and they they act like kids given christmas candy trying to eat it.

 

[aart]

Then they will not eat what is on the ground unless you scope it out into the run

Or let the feeder go empty....which I guess kind of defeats the point of a bulk feeder.

 

[Kgbao]

JT,

Just wanted to say thank you, I’m new here and I am fixing to start building my coop and I’ve used a lot of your trials and errors to plan mine. I am going to try to make one of these for my coo also, thank you for posting this kinda of great stuff.