How do you get water and food to your chickens? (Share your storys!)

[Mehjr10]

Water is caught in a 55 gallon drum from rain run off, and then feed to a nipple system in the run.


Layer pellets in a 5 gallon bucket with a metal hog pan attached to the bottom, 4 - 1.25 holes bored around the bottom to drop pellets.


Scratch delivered with a deer corn feeder, I had to add a piece of plastic to the inside to reduce the hole size, because of the smaller grain sizes. The chickens peck at the orange stick to release the scratch.

 

[el pollo rey]

Water is caught in a 55 gallon drum from rain run off, and then feed to a nipple system in the run. Layer pellets in a 5 gallon bucket with a metal hog pan attached to the bottom, 4 - 1.25 holes bored around the bottom to drop pellets. Scratch delivered with a deer corn feeder, I had to add a piece of plastic to the inside to reduce the hole size, because of the smaller grain sizes. The chickens peck at the orange stick to release the scratch.

I like the deer feeder idea it is a good deal to make them work for it it will cut down on waste and keep rodent at bay . I have a few moultrie deer feeders in the shop only used at deer season was the mod u did permanent ? Or can you revert back to shell corn for use at deer season ? Also do you have any issues with your nipples seeping with the 55 gal drum ? Tnx

 

[Mehjr10]

The mod was not permanent, i just cut a piece of bucket lid with a hole slightly larger than the stick that goes though the bottom for the smaller grain sizes and screwed it in place..

The nipples do not leak on there own (unless they get a piece of trash in them) but you do get some water that drops when they are drinking from them.

 

[el pollo rey]

I will dig out one of my feeders and give it a look I like the idea , as far as the nipples I tryed a 30 gal drum and had issues with seepage the ones I bought off line were 1/4 // npt red in color they work great don't get me wrong I'm very happy as opposed to fountain style waters that I had to clean daily I went to a six gal bucket and the seepage issue was solved I would like to try a larger 55 again as im building a chicken turkey duplex down the hill from my house and would like to have the barrel up here under the roof of the porch and run PVC down the hill to about ten nipples in the new duplex it will be about 300 feet top to bottom I might be able to regulate the pressure with a ball valve what do you think ? To much pressure ?

 

[Mehjr10]

Yes you may get too much pressure with that much elevation. I only have about 1foot difference on mine and as long as the threads are sealed good i don't get leaking.. You may have to add a second tank with a float valve ( toilet tank) that is closer in elevation and then run it from that or an inline pressure regulator.

A standard ball valve shut off type will not regulate the pressure, I don't think..

 

[el pollo rey]

yes i was thinking the same as the valve will regulte flow but not pressure @ .43 per foot of elavation x8.2 lbs x 55 gallons it may be to much i think a float valve and second tank will work tnx

 

[aggiemae]

We have those basic 3 gallon metal feeders and waterers. I check and/or fill them at night when I do my bedtime hen check and egg gathering. I think it's a good habit to check the chickens at least 3 times a day but also agree that doing the feeding and watering in the morning is a drag.

 

[el pollo rey]

you have any wider pics of the pallet coop ?

 

[Mehjr10]

Yes go look at the pictures on my profile and we took some start to finish photos and i have a post that has some details of the build.. Where are you in Costa Rica? The DW and I made a trip down there and went fishing for Tarpon in the river at Los Chiles. Great Times.

 

[el pollo rey]

i am located about two hours from los chillies in the central highlands outside of cervantes i have never done any tarpon fishing over on that coast but i have been told it is world class i spend my time chasing yellow fin tuna in the fall rooster fish cuberra snapper and sail around quepos on the pacific side we have taken some blue marlin this year in the 600 pound class but i don't get as much time on the water as i would like my fishin Buddy's are up in the states and only get down 4 or 5 times a year i have been down here almost seven years and am married to a tica (Costa Rica national) i was brought down with my job for six months and what was temporary has turned out to be a love affair with this place i never left ( it happens allot) we bought a few hectares of land and quickly bought some local birds well they are nothing like the birds we have at home so i started bringing hatching eggs down a few years ago and now have a small breeding flock of new Hampshire white leg horn silver laced wyandottes and breed red sex link layers i sell to the locals for eggs oh three great Danes two parrots and two turkeys and four rabbits ya gotta have hobby's right lol