Home made auto feeders and waterers.

[shmccarthy]

I would like to set up an auto feeder and auto waterer for my coop and I was wondering if anyone had some ideas or designs they would like to share. I have a lot of supplies at my house (tubing, different sized buckets, lots of scrap wood, ect) and would prefer to not spend a lot of money on supplies if possible.
I have a chain link fence for my chickens and could attach it on the inside or outside. I've been drawing up some ideas but would like to see other people's designs for their auto feeders and waterers if possible.

 

[Mountain Man 60]

Buy a 10 ft length of 3 inch PVC, a Y clean out and three caps from Lowes, Fit the PVC into the top of the down Y. Cut a four inch piece of PVC and put a cap on it. This fits into the 45 on the Y which is your chicken feeder outlet. Cut another 4 inch piece of PVC and attach the last cap. Cut a piece out of the bottom of a large soda bottle that will fit over the 3 inch PVC which will stop feed from going past the bottom of the Y. Put the cut bottle bottom into the bottom of the Y and attach the short piece of PVC and cap into the bottom of the Y, Cut the PVC top to the length desired and attach the last cap to the top to keep moisture and debris out of the feed. I close the feeder at night to keep any critters from eating the feed. If your hens pull the feed out place the 4 inch put into the Y and this will stop them.

 

[PheasantsFirst]

Look through this thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/631861/diy-thread-lets-see-your-inventions/1170#post_12183317

 

[Mountain Man 60]

For the waterer I used a metal roof on my coop, attached a piece of plastic gutter with a bulkhead fitting and two gutter ends. From the bulk head fitting I attached a conversion fitting from the bulkhead to a garden hose. I cut the length of garden hose to the length needed then to a plastic T. I fit plastic hose from the T exits with radiator hose type clamps into gallon water jugs mounted on the side of the coop. I have an extra T on one of the hoses to fill a second jug. Jugs have nipple feeders on the bottom with holes to fit the hose into the jugs and small holes in the top of the jugs to vent air. When it rains I get three gallons of water. If it does not rain for a week I put the hose in the gutter until they fill. The jugs will over flow out of the holes in the top when full so this design if for the outside of a coop. I used forked hangers from the garage organization section of lowes to hold the jugs to the side of the coop.

 

[jetdog]

My auto feeder is a 5 gallon bucket with two 90degree elbows gravity feed and holds about a month's worth of food for my hens, water proof with the lid on, very simple and works great.

 

[shmccarthy]

Look through this thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/631861/diy-thread-lets-see-your-inventions/1170#post_12183317

Thanks! I am looking through it

My auto feeder is a 5 gallon bucket with two 90degree elbows gravity feed and holds about a month's worth of food for my hens, water proof with the lid on, very simple and works great.

I rely like that design! This may be a silly question, but how do you keep the food from falling out of the hole?

 

[jetdog]

The elbows are about 3/4 of an inch off the bottom of the bucket, the chickens have to stick their heads in the elbow to get to the food and they can't fling it around, basically the food goes down before it comes up in their beaks which means no wasted food.

 

[Penhook Drafts]

I made a waterer similar to the Chicken Fountain (or i assume it is from the way i think the "Fountain" works)...I took a 4" PVC drain Tee, 5 feet of 4" ofPVC drain pipe, (3) 4" end caps, a toilet pressure fill valve, and 6 Chicken Nipples...i also heated it with a 15 watt aquarium heater and a Thermocube thermostat.

I cut the pipe to 1 length of 1 foot and 2 lenghts of 2 feet...drilled in the Chicken Nipples on the bottom of the 2 footers and glued them to the Tee...capped the ends....I drilled the bottom of the Tee to accept the 7/8 fill valve inlet, and installed in in the bottom of the Tee...i added the heater to the bottom of the Tee and ran the wire up the 1 foot section and and thru the cap...glued the up right pipe to the Tee...DONT glue the cap on the upright pipe...you need to be able to access the fill valve and heater.....mount the unit high enough on the wall to let chickes reach the nipples...the waterline is attached at the base of the Tee with a hose or pipe....the unit seems to be freeze resistant except the water feed line has to be insulated...in colder climate use a hotter heater...the heater is plugged into a 110v outlet with a Thermocube set at on at 35 and off at 45 deg...i have underground water to the coop and the supply line is wrapped in insulation between the ground and the waterer

The waterer has no line pressure at the Chicken Nipples...it only has line pressure into the fill valve which will open when water level in the upright pipe drops...the valve can be adjusted from the top by removing the cap and turning the screw adjuster on top of the fill valve.

** The horizontal pipes can be made to any length and more nipples added for large coops....or made smaller...the upright pipe MUST be about a foot tall to make static water pressure to control the fill valve

Parts List:
Lowes:
24140 4" Drain Pipe, 10 ft length
24125 NDS 4" PVC Drain Tee
24132 NDS 4" End Caps (3)
246712 Plumb Pak Toilet Fill Valve
388536 16" toilet fill hose (3/8 - 5/8)

Ebay:
Chicken Nipples
HYDOR mini 15 watt aquarium heater
Thermocube TC-3 Thermostat outlet


teflon tape
pvc cement
strap/wire for mounting
3/4 Garden Hose to 3/8 NP adapter

I have it in PDF format if wanted...send me a message with an email and i will email the drawing and parts list

Total cost is under $40.00 for the unit with no heater...and $27.00 more with the heater and thermostat.

 

[Penhook Drafts]

I made a waterer similar to the Chicken Fountain (or i assume it is from the way i think the "Fountain" works)...I took a 4" PVC drain Tee, 5 feet of 4" ofPVC drain pipe, (3) 4" end caps, a toilet pressure fill valve, and 6 Chicken Nipples...i also heated it with a 15 watt aquarium heater and a Thermocube thermostat.

I cut the pipe to 1 length of 1 foot and 2 lenghts of 2 feet...drilled in the Chicken Nipples on the bottom of the 2 footers and glued them to the Tee...capped the ends....I drilled the bottom of the Tee to accept the 7/8 fill valve inlet, and installed in in the bottom of the Tee...i added the heater to the bottom of the Tee and ran the wire up the 1 foot section and and thru the cap...glued the up right pipe to the Tee...DONT glue the cap on the upright pipe...you need to be able to access the fill valve and heater.....mount the unit high enough on the wall to let chickes reach the nipples...the waterline is attached at the base of the Tee with a hose or pipe....the unit seems to be freeze resistant except the water feed line has to be insulated...in colder climate use a hotter heater...the heater is plugged into a 110v outlet with a Thermocube set at on at 35 and off at 45 deg...i have underground water to the coop and the supply line is wrapped in insulation between the ground and the waterer

The waterer has no line pressure at the Chicken Nipples...it only has line pressure into the fill valve which will open when water level in the upright pipe drops...the valve can be adjusted from the top by removing the cap and turning the screw adjuster on top of the fill valve.

** The horizontal pipes can be made to any length and more nipples added for large coops....or made smaller...the upright pipe MUST be about a foot tall to make static water pressure to control the fill valve

Parts List:
Lowes:
24140 4" Drain Pipe, 10 ft length
24125 NDS 4" PVC Drain Tee
24132 NDS 4" End Caps (3)
246712 Plumb Pak Toilet Fill Valve
388536 16" toilet fill hose (3/8 - 5/8)

Ebay:
Chicken Nipples
HYDOR mini 15 watt aquarium heater
Thermocube TC-3 Thermostat outlet


teflon tape
pvc cement
strap/wire for mounting
3/4 Garden Hose to 3/8 NP adapter

I have it in PDF format if wanted...send me a message with an email and i will email the drawing and parts list

Total cost is under $40.00 for the unit with no heater...and $27.00 more with the heater and thermostat.

 

[kuulgrl]

Newbie setup- $6.00 for nipples