Feeder for chickens in outdoor run, avoiding mold

[msa6]

My son built a pretty little "farmhouse" coop with a ramp down to a fenced in run. The house is too small (we're talking 6 birds) for any feeding to be done, and the outside run does not have roof. I put together a PVC feeder, with a cap on top, but after a few weeks its got lots of mold in it. We'd really like to keep the food off the ground, and the PVC feeder seemed like a good idea, but the mold situation (presumably because it's getting too much moisture in it, is a problem.

Any other suggestions for a feeder setup that we might try in the outdoor run (short of bringing them fresh feed every day)? Thanks.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I think I'd consider covering the run perhaps, or part of it so there is a sheltered area, if expanding the coop is not an option. If the coop is that small they probably won't want to crowd in there for shelter during bad weather either so covering the run would help there as well. There are feeders with covers that are intended for outdoor use but feed can still absorb moisture from the air in wet/stormy weather get wet in blowing wind/rain, so the potential for mold remains.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Moldy feed can kill chickens and so it is life or death for them to have dry feed.

I would make a shelter for the feed (like a box with a roof that can be closed up at night to prevent rodents eating the feed) and so that the rain doesn't blow in there. Also I'd only put out enough feed for a day at a time (or a day and a half so they don't run out of feed).

 

[Alaskan]

I love my "dump in almost the entire 50 pound bag" hanging metal feeder, but you need the space to hang it of course.

The point being, I keep my extra feed in a trash can in my chicken shed, and I dump a great deal of feed about twice a week into two different free choice feeders. One is a standard metal hanging feeder. The other one is a long wooden trough with a roof. I don't get mold in any of those spots. I live close to the coast, so high humidity.

So, my main point (wow, aren't I making lots of points?

) is, why do you have mold and I don't?

I would sit there and really stare at your feeder. there has to be some way that water is getting into the feeder, because the basic PVC pipe feeder is not a "need to fill up every day or it will mold" feeder.

There has to be some way that water, or some condensation, is entering the feeder.

Figure out how it is getting wet, then bleach the entire feeder, dry it completely, and refill.

 

[jetdog]

Try making one of these with a 5gallon bucket with two 90degree pvc elbows I used two but you could use 4.Just make sure the elbow gets cut so it is about 3/4 of an inch off the bottom of the bucket. Mine is outside in the run never gets wet and no problems it holds about a month's worth of food.

 

[Sportsmom2]

I love my "dump in almost the entire 50 pound bag" hanging metal feeder, but you need the space to hang it of course.

The point being, I keep my extra feed in a trash can in my chicken shed, and I dump a great deal of feed about twice a week into two different free choice feeders. One is a standard metal hanging feeder. The other one is a long wooden trough with a roof. I don't get mold in any of those spots. I live close to the coast, so high humidity.

So, my main point (wow, aren't I making lots of points?

) is, why do you have mold and I don't?

I would sit there and really stare at your feeder. there has to be some way that water is getting into the feeder, because the basic PVC pipe feeder is not a "need to fill up every day or it will mold" feeder.

There has to be some way that water, or some condensation, is entering the feeder.

Figure out how it is getting wet, then bleach the entire feeder, dry it completely, and refill.

I put in pvc pipe and ran down the chicken run. However I noticed there is a little mild growing on inside top of it. How can I stop this?

 

[Alaskan]

I put in pvc pipe and ran down the chicken run. However I noticed there is a little mild growing on inside top of it. How can I stop this?

Not clear to me what you made.

But once you have mold... clean it all out, wipe it dry... see if you figure out how moisture got in.

 

[neo71665]

Try making one of these with a 5gallon bucket with two 90degree pvc elbows I used two but you could use 4.Just make sure the elbow gets cut so it is about 3/4 of an inch off the bottom of the bucket. Mine is outside in the run never gets wet and no problems it holds about a month's worth of food.

My 5 gallon bucket feeders never get wet.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...lon-25-feed-bucket-feeder-for-about-3.834227/