Make your own - No waste - 5 gallon (25# feed) bucket feeder for about $3

[MyChicksRBuff]

You may need to get a bigger port for your rooster. I had to get a 4" elbow when I had my Cream Legbar cockerel. He had a large comb and really didn't like putting his head inside to eat. Once I got a bigger opening for him, he was fine with the feeder.

I think I may try your idea of using a 4" elbow. I just went back through the video feed from yesterday and confirmed how the rooster is eating: by butting in just about every single time he sees a hen eating. He'll stick his head near the hole till it pusher her out of the way, and in the process sometimes she'll drop a pellet on the lip of the hole or ground. I watched the recording in fast forward for about 10 minutes and for the probably 12 times I saw a hen stick her head in, he came and pushed her out of the way every single time. I just went to a random spot in the video, so I can only imagine that this goes on all day. Here he is, caught in the action:

 

[aart]

Quote:
Originally Posted by aart

I do not think there have been any mice in there, feeder is hanging in the coop 24/7.
My coop is in a shed where there are mice-have trapped plenty, coop is 6 sides HC but there are door gaps, have seen evidence of mice in another feeder but never in the funnel feeder.

I have 1/2" hardware cloth on all the walls in my coop also. I was out there this spring taking down my plastic since winter was over. I happened to look up and I saw a mouse that had squeezed it's way through the 1/2" hardware cloth. He was about half way through & was just a wiggling to get his rear end through the wire. If I had my phone with me, I would have taken a pic. I didn't think they could get through that size wire. It really surprised me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by junkman56





I made a 2 gal. feeder with 3 ports, holes are 2" for my chicks. I just put it in the brooder today. they have not put there head in the ports as of yet. they are scratching around the bucket. but not eating. I have it raised up on a piece if wood.. anything else I should be doing to get them to eat out of it.
thanks Jack

update..... Chicks have found the food, (not all as of yet)

I have made a couple of these smaller buckets. I have a 1 1/2" port in one & a 2" port in another one. I usually start my chicks at around 2 weeks old using these feeders. They sure waste a lot of feed by the time they get to this age.
I may try one of these for next chick feeder, I have a couple mini funnel feeders(without trigger) that work good, but capacity is somewhat lacking.

 

[henless]

I think I may try your idea of using a 4" elbow. I just went back through the video feed from yesterday and confirmed how the rooster is eating: by butting in just about every single time he sees a hen eating. He'll stick his head near the hole till it pusher her out of the way, and in the process sometimes she'll drop a pellet on the lip of the hole or ground. I watched the recording in fast forward for about 10 minutes and for the probably 12 times I saw a hen stick her head in, he came and pushed her out of the way every single time. I just went to a random spot in the video, so I can only imagine that this goes on all day. Here he is, caught in the action:

I know pictures can be deceiving, but are you sure that is a 3" elbow? It looks kinda small, but again, it could just be the picture.

I will give you warning, when you get the larger 4" elbow, you can only fit one in a 5 gallon bucket. I've used one port for 10 chickens, and didn't have any problems with everyone eating.

The street elbows are larger than the regular pvc elbows. If you can find the right one, it has a lip on it so that you don't have to use any caulking to seal the elbow. I get my street elbows over in the sewer section of Lowes, not in the regular pipe section. Here is what I'm talking about on the sewer elbow: 4 in sewer drain elbow

This is the one I made for my Cream Legbar cockerels. They have a very large comb and had difficulty using the 3" pvc. They did use it, but they didn't like it.




These are the first ones I made. They have 3" elbows. They look bigger than the one in your picture, but it could just be the picture. I could fit 4 of these in the bucket if I needed to.

 

[MyChicksRBuff]

I know pictures can be deceiving, but are you sure that is a 3" elbow? It looks kinda small, but again, it could just be the picture.

Yeah, they are 3" street elbows from Lowes. Thanks for sharing the pics and info of your 4" bucket. I have 9 birds, so its good to know that you havnt had problems with just one 4" elbow with the 10 that you have. I actually noticed earlier on the Lowes site that those 4" sewer elbows were like $4.50 or something as compared to the standard elbows being almost $10, so i'll definitely follow your steps in getting the sewer one.

 

[junkman56]

The feed is not supposed to fill the elbow, that is the point... The elbow forced the chicken to reach inside the elbow and once inside they can't toss the feed out all willy-nilly like they do with othter feeders... Are the bottoms of the elbows about 3/4" off the bottom of the bucket so that feed 'flows' under them?

yes the elbows are 3/4 to 1 " off the bottom, I put the bucket feeder back in the brooder, some seem to be eating pretty good but others are not

 

[henless]

Yeah, they are 3" street elbows from Lowes. Thanks for sharing the pics and info of your 4" bucket. I have 9 birds, so its good to know that you havnt had problems with just one 4" elbow with the 10 that you have. I actually noticed earlier on the Lowes site that those 4" sewer elbows were like $4.50 or something as compared to the standard elbows being almost $10, so i'll definitely follow your steps in getting the sewer one.

Another thing you can do is use a plastic tote instead of the bucket to hold your feed. That way you can put in more than one of the bigger elbows.

 

[MeepBeep]

Another thing you can do is use a plastic tote instead of the bucket to hold your feed. That way you can put in more than one of the bigger elbows.

Yep, that is what I did, holds 150 pounds of food and has 8 ports...

 

[MyChicksRBuff]

Another thing you can do is use a plastic tote instead of the bucket to hold your feed. That way you can put in more than one of the bigger elbows.

Just reporting back that I was able to fit the 4" elbow in with a 3" elbow on the same bucket. So i have 4" on one side of the bucket and 3" on the other. I was taking a chance by cutting one of the holes bigger to 4", but in the end it worked out. Also happy to report that the rooster is now eating from the 4" elbow, so all is well!

 

[coop410silkies]

Just reporting back that I was able to fit the 4" elbow in with a 3" elbow on the same bucket. So i have 4" on one side of the bucket and 3" on the other. I was taking a chance by cutting one of the holes bigger to 4", but in the end it worked out. Also happy to report that the rooster is now eating from the 4" elbow, so all is well!

What good news! Thank you for posting this.

 

[Jglauser]

I've made one of these bucket feeders for my four hens. I used pvc cement to have it stay in place. However, that didn't hold very strong. So, the elbow keeps adjusting lower and makes it so the feed doesn't automatically fall down. I have to go adjust it every day or so so the birds can actually get the feed. Does anyone have any other solutions on how to "glue" the elbow in the correct position without it budging?

Thanks in advance. I love these forums.