Got fed up and finally made me a PVC feeder!!

[cackydoodledoo]

Ok I made mine similar to the one in this thread. Post #2


https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=463751


Only one major problem. I can't get the feed to slide out to the other end. I have one end elevated and that didn't help. I think I will modify it to the upright ones with the Y at the bottom. Really glad that this stuff I can at least do on my own. DH's honey do list is long enough as it is.

Also made me one waterer with the nipples so far and hung it up tonight. Had a couple of the chickens figure it out pretty quick. I don't think it will take the others too long to figure it out. I mean chickens aren't curious or anything. Only two more waterers to go and quite a few feeders!!!

 

[birdbrain5]

well given that they emptied about 6-8 quarts of pellets onto the ground scratched and scattered everywhere, i refuse to put feed in there until i notice the others are getting low. this pen in particular are such pigs! i am going to try to get a cap and cut a small hole just so they can fit thier beaks in there. they really cant reach it with thier feet i didnt think, i just used to see they push the mash out with thier beaks in huge piles. i really wanted feeders that lasted a week before filling because im wanting them set up so i can go away and they will have food/water without having someone come everyday or multiple times a day to feed them. this shouldnt be so hard! i will see what i can do over the weekend and post if anything works.. thanks for the suggestions.

 

[PetRock]

We started off with 2 L shaped PVC feeders, one in the coop and another in the run. We had to adjust the angle a few times in order for the food to come out. Then when the winter rains started, with the way our run is designed, the outdoor feeder would have gotten wet. So had hubby build two vertical feeders like Schwartzfarmnc has. We loaded them up and the girls took to them immediately. By that evening, all the food was out on the ground!

Had hubby cut two 3-4 inch pieces of PVC to extend the mouth of the feeders plus we put the bottom of the feeders on a cement block. The girls have to extend their necks a little longer to get the food but no more food slinging!

We are getting ready to build nipple waterers with PVC pipe as soon as the nipples I ordered get here!

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

Quote:
I used mix matched paint I think it was eggshell from Lowes, you can buy the paint that people either return or was mixed improperly for $5, and Yes we did put down linoleum for easy clean up of the coop floor.

 

[colebarnhart]

I think it just depends on the chickens. However, I'm far from and expert and very new to the chicken thing, but have gotten addicted for some strange reason. 2 years ago if a fortune teller would've told me I'd be doing this now, I would've laughed and called them crazy, but here I am, haha!

I have built the L-shape 3" PVC feeders with off setting feeding holes and my chickens in the coop/run DON'T waste any feed at all and I have built the L-shape 3" PVC waterers with the poultry nipples and they figured them out within an hour.

I built a treedle feeder for the coop, but still waiting on the stain to dry before it goes into use, I got the plans from the BYC feeder section and basically all my feeder/waterer ideas from BYC people. THANK YOU ALL so very much!!!!! Changing poop & bedding filled water got old real fast!!!! Now I have to feed and water every 3 days and since my chickens aren't laying yet, I don't even have to go to the coop, except to check on them.

I have more baby chix in the brooder and they seem to be kicking out a ton of feed from the small little typical feeders that are sold, which my 1st set of chix that are now in the coop never did, so not sure how they'll do when they get to the coop, so thats why I'm thinking it just depends on the birds. However, I have some of the rabbit waterers that I got at Tractor Supply for $2.50 each and they figured it out immediately and prefer them over the other typical waterers that I would always have to clean. So I would highly recommend going that route for brooders, because of possible space constraints with the PVC water type systems and cost of buiding.

 

[cackydoodledoo]

Quote:
birdbrain check out this feeder!!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=57130&p=3

I am thinking of maybe going this route. If it holds 50 lbs of feed that would get me through a week hopefully!!! The slot at the bottom looks like it's just big enough for them to get their beak in there.

ETA: Duh it holds 150 lbs of feed!!!! Man that would last me a long time!! Gonna show to the hubby and see what he thinks!

 

[crossgirl]

The L shaped feeder is next on my project list even though my chickens are remarkably neat with their food which is in a crock style pet dish. The chicks, however, are horrible food wasters so I think I'll need this for when they move out. Glad I can learn from ya'll's experiences!

 

[Chopaka81]

Reading this post got me to thinking. The problems using conventional feeders appear to be with those that are sitting on something.

I would think if a galvanized feeder or one of those plastic red bottomed ones were hanging from a chain, it would prevent a bird from climbing up in the feed troff area without the feeder begining to swing wildly.

Unless the bird is part tarzan breed, they are not going to maintain their balance and be able to scratch.

Perhaps I am just full of bad pizza...? But I would be curious enough to try it and then sit back and watch for the entertainment value.

Chopaka

 

[vjbakke]

Quote:
Been in your shoes! I built 4 PVC feeders and am so happy I did, little buggers can't waste the feed like the other feeders.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/58941_food_station.jpg

We have two like this and we are seeing a lot of feed waste, they are able to shovel it out. I made another post about this problem. We can raise them anymore or some of the girls won't be able to reach it. Are you finding the problem as well. We use mash feed. I think we need to change it in some way to cut down on the waste. They do eat it off the coop floor however.

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

I only find them wasting if I don't raise it to their back level, but now they are full grown they don't shovel out anymore and find little to no waste.
If you have one or more that cannot reach, I have kept 1 feeder lower than the others but it is usually the one on the very end, because we do have an EE that is much smaller than the others, and the the big girls just ignored the lower one and went for the other 5. I think some breeds tend to fling more food than others, but mine grew out of it.