Home made auto feeders and waterers.

[handyman42]

I was thinking a lot about it and came up with the idea (with a little help of course) if using one of those large 5 gallon water containers as the tank. We were going to set it on a base inside a tray, with sides that go up about an inch roughly and secure it to that. Drill a hole in the bottom that isn't higher than the top of the base's wall and not too low either. To keep it heated I was going to make a hole in the lid and run the cord through there and seal it back up again so it's airtight.

You could possibly also run water out to it and put a toilet fill valve in it to make it truly automatic. Then there wouldn't be any work involved other than about once a week to clean it out and make it fresh which would take all of 15 minutes. Just a thought. Good luck.

 

[KICKN CHICKN]

very nice design great idea

 

[jojochickens]

so i am assuming the elbow is pointing downwards in the pail?

Got it looks great, Thanks for the info

 

[jimmywalt]

so i am assuming the elbow is pointing downwards in the pail?

Yes. Absolutely. Otherwise it would come flowing out like water! LOL!

View looking into my pail:

 

[vderks]

Just now building and out fitting my first coop. When I install the auto feeder/waterer, should it be inside the coop or in the run? Thanks for your patience I know it is probably a silly question.

 

[Blooie]

Just now building and out fitting my first coop. When I install the auto feeder/waterer, should it be inside the coop or in the run? Thanks for your patience I know it is probably a silly question.

Did you ask it? Is that because you'd like an answer? Then nope, it was not a silly question!

I swear I have must have a box next to the computer and every time I think of a question I must stick it in there and then pull one out each time I sit down - that's how many questions I've had and still have. The one thing everyone has in common here is that they didn't leave the womb owning chickens....everyone started somewhere.

This is probably not what you want to hear, but really it's up to you and your set up. For me, I have a nice big run and a nice big coop. My run is protected by a covering, so I don't worry about their food getting wet. We have built this puppy like the Fort Knox everyone talks about here, so it's as predator proof as tons of protection can make it. Their pop door stays open all of the time. Chickens sleep in the dark, they don't eat or drink, so for lazy little old me it's easier just to let them decide when it's time to get up and go have breakfast and get a drink. That will probably change when our wild Wyoming winter hits and they are confined to the coop for longer times. Your situation might be different - you may want to shut them in the coop at night and might not be able to get to them at the crack of dawn, so keeping it in the coop might be more practical for you. There are fans of either way, and some use a combination.

You know best what will work. I've said before and I'll repeat.....if there was only one "right" way to do something then this entire web site could be read in half an hour. As it is so many great people take their time to answer questions, know what questions to ask newbies like me to give me a better answer, and explain why they do what they do so I can compare their set up to mine and make a decision. I've changed my mind about some things a hunnert-'n-eleventy times, but I haven't lost any of my chickens yet! Have fun!

 

[vderks]

LOL, thanks

 

[SurferchickinSB]

PVC pipe with Beaktime Automatic Waterer Cups

I just made an auto water bucket with Beaktime water cups just like yours, but my chickens can not figure out how to fill the cups so I am always doing it with my finger to try to show them. Has anyone else had that happen and how do you show them?