homemade feeders by RendonRoo

[barefootchef]

Really neat feeders! Some people with goats do the same with minerals. Love it!!!!

 

[Klorinth]

Katy,

No problem. I filled the bottom, as I said, with sand. This keeps the feed from collecting in the bottom and creates a good base for the feeders to sit on. I didn't want to have all that weight hanging unless I had too.

I still need to create another one for grit and oyster shell(unless I do something different). But, so far so good with this design. The chickens got the idea very quickly and they seem to be at a good height. Not much spilling either. My Dark Cornish really like to try scratching in the feeders. These seem to prevent that completely.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Do y'all not have chickens who want to roost on that? They look so clean!

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

cj yours look absolutely awesome, I'm sure you other half is going to appreciate them! your set up is beautiful too!

Punkinpeep mine tried to rost on theirs when they were little but they are to slippery and now they don't even try.

Klorinth I am going to post a pic of mine again, tell me what you think. Maybe I am expecting to much but see in the pic of cj's how the feed is visible? that's what I expected with mine and it works that way about 50% of the time, but it seems to get kind of choked up at the base and not flow forward as much as I would like. That's why I was wondering if/how you got yours to flow back uphill? I get the sand at the bottom, great idea; wondering about the flow now

I would like to make them as hands free efficient as possible.

 

[Klorinth]

Katy,

I understand the issue. So far I have not had an issue. They are still in the trial stages though so it might change. I did have a bit of that probl;em when I was using a commercial crumble. It seemed to pack into a bit of a plug as it absorbed moisture.

The other thing is that mine doesn't actually have that uphill flow. If you look at them... the neck is actually quite short, and the chickens reach right in to pull out what they want. As they toss the feed around in there it seems to flow out on its own.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

I see . . . back to Home Depot! LOL!

 

[cjexotic]

I use crumbles for my silkies and it does bunch at the neck but they stick their head in there and get it and then it comes down. At night I take a long screw driver and wiggle it in the neck to make sure its not clumped in there and it slides down. But they can get it on their own.

Now the ones for the pheasant don't seem to do that as it is pellets and cracked corn. But they do throw the pellets to get the corn. My OH wanted to take them off but its a 50/50 thing. If you use bowls they roost on the side and potty in the bowl. So you have wasted feed. I just told him instead of mixing it just give pellets in half and when they eat it they get the corn. and see if that works. But the flow for them in these hoppers work great for pellets and corn.

I still have a couple silkies who are not sure about sticking their head in this thing that might get them. But they watch the others eat and get closer and then they eat what they drop. I spread feed around under the feeder to intise the others to come to the feeder. I will be taking out the troughs as soon as I know all is eating from the new hoppers. I love them. A lot less mess. They can not get in there to scratch it around as they do the troughs.

edit: no they don't even try to roost on them.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

now if some one could just figure out a waterer on the same principl.

 

[RendonRoo]

You can do this for a waterer but it's more difficult to fill and more expensive because of the "extra" parts needed to make it work. I haven't made one because i think it would be more trouble than it's worth. I am working on a self filling waterer that will serve all my pens and will fill from a commode valve. It's gonna be a couple of months before i will get around to making this. When i get it done and work out any kinks, i will post pics and instructions. Till then i'll have to keep filling mine the old fashioned way. lol

 

[cjexotic]

I bet it would be a fortune. It was a fortune for the feeder (for as many as I needed for the pheasants). Was not as bad for me. But I got a pile in the feeders but love them so far.

My OH is not sure of them as they are pitching out the pellets to get to the corn. But in the bowls they were roosting him them and pooping on the food so not sure which is worse. lol