How do you manage?

[Folly's place]

I have feeders that are large enough to last for two days or more, and also waterers that don't run dry in one day. Everything gets topped off as needed, so that's not an issue. Locking them in at dusk can be a problem with my work schedule, and sometimes they stay in so it's not a problem. I also have DH, who can let them out or lock them in when I'm not home. Also a neighbor who loves the eggs, and will help.
Mary

 

[fur-mum]

I use 5 gallon water buckets from home depot buy horizontal nipples from Amazon
made our own feeder fill once a month.. The one of the feeder is in pieces if you need the finishView attachment 1584295 View attachment 1584296 View attachment 1584297 ask I will go take one

I'd like a finished pic...

 

[pennyJo1960]

I'd like a finished pic...

ya it last a month first thing tomorrow I will take photos

 

[pennyJo1960]

alright have two photos of the darn feeder forgot them sent my BF back out for them
one is blurry

 

[imnukensc]

Feeder and waterer. I actually have two of those feeders. Easily built in just a couple of hours. I'm uncertain why folks seem to like working to keep chickens. Put a little work in on the front end and keeping chickens is pretty easy.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I could see my crew mess your feeder doing ours with the slant they cannot roost on any part of it

 

[RoosterML]

View attachment 1585754 View attachment 1585756

Feeder and waterer. I actually have two of those feeders. Easily built in just a couple of hours. I'm uncertain why folks seem to like working to keep chickens. Put a little work in on the front end and keeping chickens is pretty easy.

Very well said
I have a similar feeder, if you build another one i recommend not cutting the slot in the feeder. Try drilling a few roughly 2 1/4" holes it seems to keep the feed in the feeder as its harder for them to pick thru the food.

 

[centrarchid]

For the next four months my birds get fed and watered once a day before dawn, just before. This allows one good drink before water freezes when it gets real cold. A backup water source is in a bowl of soaked oats that carries them through the day. Feed is usually alloted to all be consumed by end of day although if weather harsh more will be applied. When it gets really could I will apply shelled corn just after dark and they will come off roost to consume it. Otherwise, each evening about 8:00 PM I check pens to ensure all roosting and everything is in order. My preference is the birds stay on roost at that time. Most sleep through my visits. On weekends and holidays they get more attention throughout day and just before roost time. With larger groups of hens, things like hay piles are added with grain thrown on top to keep birds busy through day. Only a few of my hens are free-range without me being present as hawk pressure makes odds of loss unacceptably high.

Soon I will be switching over to read lights that should allow birds to eat without photoperiod stimulus to lay.

 

[christwodog]

Wish they would just forget the DST thing...but until then - I have the pvc tube feeders also, fill them once a week and they are good to go. I use the 5 gal buckets with horiz nipple dispensers, they also last a week. It's dark when I leave for work and dark when I get home, so they have to stay locked up all day, but their coop set up is really like a big run, so they have space. No free ranging till the weekend. I do check them morning and night with a flashlight, and I scatter some scratch grain in the morning to give them something to do when they get down from roosting.

 

[llombardo]

First year with chickens and I'm learning as I go. I had already made the pvc feeders. One is in the coop and two are outside.

It got cold here fast--I got most stuff set up in time, still changing some stuff as I go.

They have a heated nipple waterer in the run but I can't get them to use it. I put a heated water bottle in the coop as a test. I saw one pecking at it. Tomorrow I'm putting a heated dog bowl with a plastic jug in it to see how that works.

I have adjusted my work hours so that its light or almost light when I leave. I now have to travel an hour mid day to come home for lunch, but I got dogs to let out and chickens to check. I put a light in the run so that when I come home and it's dark they are still out and about and I can see them for a little bit.

That light helps me when I have to check food and water. Water is frozen now because we are at 15 degrees. I think we are looking at a very cold winter. I have work to do out there tomorrow and it's going to be cold, not looking forward to it at all. I'm definitely way more miserable then they seem to be.