Feeder/ is the holes large enough

[kizanne]

I have a feeder that I bought for my brooder standard red plastic tray with 8 holes and has a quart jar that get filled with feed and placed upside down on top.

I want to use that in my coup when they get older. I want to modify it be an auto feeder with a larger reservoir. Will the holes the chicks can fit their head and almost their body in be big enough for the chicken's beak when they get older. It seems like it would but just wondering if anyone had done this already? or if they had a more educated guess as to whether it would work.

 

[catdaddy66]

The feeders you describe can be used for larger birds and their beaks will fit, but not many birds actually have feeding space. And yes, there are hoppers that will keep it full. I think this will work for small numbers of birds (4-6) but anymore than that and they will have you scrambling to keep them fed adequately. In my experience with as few as 12 hens I needed a larger capacity feeder that would hold 2-3 days worth at a time. I made a nice one from a round tray and 5 gallon bucket. Just made 2 more like it in the 1 gallon size. I always change to the larger ones after about 2 weeks. That's when they sit on and kick over the ones with the quart jars in them!

Oh, and BTW...

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

I made a extra lg. feeder out of a 5 gal water cooler jug. I cut holes 3/4 of an inch apart around the bottom and cut off the top at a point where it is used as a lid. It sits in a pan an inch and a half bigger around than the jug. I put a smaller jug filled with sand and sealed in the middle so it funnels the feed to the holes. I fill it about once a wk. for 24 chicks 17 and 20 wks. old. Also have a matching waterer.