FOR ANYONE CONTEMPLATING BUILDING A PVC TUBE GRAVITY FEEDER
I just discovered that they're not totally maintenance free. I noticed that the feed level in the "Y" fitting was getting low, so I started filling the tube. It normally takes almost two buckets to fill the tube if it's allowed to get almost empty. This morning it took a bit less than one, telling me there was a blockage somewhere.
I took the feeder down and brought it into the house, where it was warm, and dismantled it. I discovered that feed had gotten damp near one of the intentionally unglued connections, and had restricted the free flow of feed from the tube. I removed all I could, turned the hose on the rest, and the "Y" fitting, along with the bottom plug, are currently sitting in front of the woodstove to dry before reassembly.
Were I to build a 2nd feeder of the same design, I'd do it the same way. While gluing the joints may have prevented the problem I found, it may not have; then I'd have a major problem, requiring complete replacement of the entire feeder.
If a feeder of this design were used inside a walk-in coop, leakage at the joints wouldn't be an issue. As it is, I got 4-5 months of use out of it before having to do anything to it; a small price to pay, in my mind, to have feed available free choice. I found, after 40 years of raising dogs, that animals will normally eat only as much as their body needs once they learn that feed's always available.
I'll still take this design over any I've found. It does everything I expected, and totally eliminates wasted feed from birds flicking it out on the ground or floor.
Just my thoughts & experience, for any who may be interested; use them as you wish.
I just discovered that they're not totally maintenance free. I noticed that the feed level in the "Y" fitting was getting low, so I started filling the tube. It normally takes almost two buckets to fill the tube if it's allowed to get almost empty. This morning it took a bit less than one, telling me there was a blockage somewhere.
I took the feeder down and brought it into the house, where it was warm, and dismantled it. I discovered that feed had gotten damp near one of the intentionally unglued connections, and had restricted the free flow of feed from the tube. I removed all I could, turned the hose on the rest, and the "Y" fitting, along with the bottom plug, are currently sitting in front of the woodstove to dry before reassembly.
Were I to build a 2nd feeder of the same design, I'd do it the same way. While gluing the joints may have prevented the problem I found, it may not have; then I'd have a major problem, requiring complete replacement of the entire feeder.
If a feeder of this design were used inside a walk-in coop, leakage at the joints wouldn't be an issue. As it is, I got 4-5 months of use out of it before having to do anything to it; a small price to pay, in my mind, to have feed available free choice. I found, after 40 years of raising dogs, that animals will normally eat only as much as their body needs once they learn that feed's always available.
I'll still take this design over any I've found. It does everything I expected, and totally eliminates wasted feed from birds flicking it out on the ground or floor.
Just my thoughts & experience, for any who may be interested; use them as you wish.
) it was a very round egg. BUT, when I cracked it, I could see eyes on the embryo! Sad, but very cool. The other blood ring was just a ring and no baby. Sorry, I didn't get pics of the dead ones. On another EE, there was a light ring ish thing, but I left it as I was not sure that it was not veins.
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