How to DIY no roost for buckets?

[RoseHawke]

I've spent a couple hours googling and looking for a decent DIY solution to this problem. There's got to be something cheap and readily available that I can use to keep the girls off the top of the 5 gallon bucket I'm using for their feeder. I've done a cursory search of the forums here as well but I'm apparently not using the right combination of search terms.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

There's some plastic sheets you can get from Home Depot that would work. They look like cardstock but are weather resilient.

 

[Kleh]

I've spent a couple hours googling and looking for a decent DIY solution to this problem. There's got to be something cheap and readily available that I can use to keep the girls off the top of the 5 gallon bucket I'm using for their feeder. I've done a cursory search of the forums here as well but I'm apparently not using the right combination of search terms.

I've spent a couple hours googling and looking for a decent DIY solution to this problem. There's got to be something cheap and readily available that I can use to keep the girls off the top of the 5 gallon bucket I'm using for their feeder. I've done a cursory search of the forums here as well but I'm apparently not using the right combination of search terms.

I

I've spent a couple hours googling and looking for a decent DIY solution to this problem. There's got to be something cheap and readily available that I can use to keep the girls off the top of the 5 gallon bucket I'm using for their feeder. I've done a cursory search of the forums here as well but I'm apparently not using the right combination of search terms.

I went to the Dollar store and got a large plastic bowl, flipped it upside down and put a C hook in it. The bowl fits perfectly upside down on the lid of the 5 gallon bucket, and the C hook stops the chickens from roosting on it. I got 2 for $2.70

 

[saysfaa]

I read someone glued large zip ties to stand straight up on top of what they wanted to keep their hens off. An update a year later said it worked.

 

[kerbotx]

Use some wire to make a cone of some sort; if you choose not to attach it to the bucket, you could weigh it down with a small brick - then just move it off when you need to refill the bucket. My Pet Chicken sells a plastic cone for about $15.

 

[RoseHawke]

Use some wire to make a cone of some sort; if you choose not to attach it to the bucket, you could weigh it down with a small brick - then just move it off when you need to refill the bucket. My Pet Chicken sells a plastic cone for about $15.

You know, this just occurred to me about 15 minutes ago. Perhaps we're on the same wavelength .

 

[NatJ]

Oh, yes. I really want to avoid buying anything though and make do with stuff I have on hand.

Some of them aren't too expensive, but I understand wanting to do it with what you have.

There are so many with similar styles, I assume it must work pretty well: a cone that wobbles, usually threaded onto the rope the feeder hangs from, or balanced on the top handle of the feeder, or some other method of attachment that keeps it up there and wobbly.

 

[Beeftin]

What about an upside-down tomato cage? zip tied in place and with the pointy bits folded over or snipped off?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Maybe take some cardstock and trwist it into a cone to fit on top?

 

[RoseHawke]

Maybe take some cardstock and trwist it into a cone to fit on top?

Unfortunately, my feeder is out in the weather so this wouldn't do. I do have some leftover sheet aluminum from some aluminum trim that I have actually thought about doing something of the sort with, but my hands are starting to fuss a bit these days and I'm hoping for something that will require a bit less physical effort than handling a pair of aviator snips.