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

[Mosey2003]

I just attended a chicken seminar at my county Farmer's coop, and the Chicken Man said he feeds his birds twice a day.
Do most folk do it that way?

I do, in a way. I feed them every morning, and if they've eaten all the feed when I get home after work (3-4pm) I'll top them up a bit. Typically I do feed once a day, but certain times of year and when the numbers of birds change, it takes a little fiddling to determine the right amount of feed, since I won't leave full feeders out. I feed just enough that they have a little bit left at bedtime.

 

[Chickengene]

I believe chickens should be free fed(feed available every hour they are awake).
Rodent problems can make that frustrating, but they are usually only active at night so putting the feed up at night can help.
Other things should be done if you have rodents freely habitating your coop.
Trapping, storing feed in metal can, clearing things they can use as shelter/nests, etc.

I do keep the feed in metal cans, and keep the coop cleaned as often as I can. But living in a rural area I am surrounded by little field mice. I was a bit apprehensive about traps for fear of inadvertently trapping one of my squirrels. And poisoning is out of the question since the chickens have been known to eat the occasional mouse.
I only have the feeder hanging in the coop because sometimes I am unable to release the birds as early as I would like. Or they would like.
Guess I could rig an automatic door release to eliminate that problem, and maybe just leave the one hanging in the run since it has enough space the mice can't seem to reach it.

 

[aart]

I do keep the feed in metal cans, and keep the coop cleaned as often as I can. But living in a rural area I am surrounded by little field mice. I was a bit apprehensive about traps for fear of inadvertently trapping one of my squirrels. And poisoning is out of the question since the chickens have been known to eat the occasional mouse.
I only have the feeder hanging in the coop because sometimes I am unable to release the birds as early as I would like. Or they would like.
Guess I could rig an automatic door release to eliminate that problem, and maybe just leave the one hanging in the run since it has enough space the mice can't seem to reach it.

I live rural too... yes, field mice are everywhere.
I just keep mouse traps set anywhere I see droppings...all the sheds, in garage under house. Keep grass cut short around buildings, remove any clutter that provides them shelter.

You want to set the traps in the coop, there are various ways to protect the chickens from them...in a box with mouse sized holes down low, under a milk crate.

I use scratch grains as bait, shoving one sunflower seed or corn kernel tight into trigger hole.
Set bait end of traps against a wall or other vertical surface-like a box 4-6" tall.
These 2 things increased my catch rate exponentially.

Rat traps are better for squirrels, mouse traps are too small, not sure why you're worried about catching them. Those suckers will chew right thru the side of a wooden building BTDT....they ate the fan on an air conditioner I had stored.

 

[Chickengene]

I harvest the squirrels every year. Try to keep eight or ten in the freezer.
Plus I like sitting in the yard watching their antics.
Tickles me to see them creep out on a limb and start cuss'n me.

 

[blackdog043]

Since the opening seem to point away from each other, why couldn't you put say six of these ports around a bucket.

I have 2 feeders with 4 ports each, I don't think I could fit 6. You need room on the inside for the elbow. If you use short elbows, you might fit 6. Drill your first hole, put an elbow in and you can see where the next one will have to go. Some people use plastic totes, then you could have more.

 

[blackdog043]

@Chickengene I took a pic of mine today. I used 3 inch street elbows, you will only get 4 ports. I like to use L brackets to hold the elbows instead of caulk, no chance of them moving or getting knocked loose by me.

 

[paneubert]

Figure I will add my build to the thread. I used expanding spray foam on the inside and silicone on the outside. Just for fun. Haha. 4 inch elbows. Plan to put this along a wall, so no need for feed ports on more than one "side" of the barrel.

 

[Chickengene]

@Chickengene I took a pic of mine today. I used 3 inch street elbows, you will only get 4 ports. I like to use L brackets to hold the elbows instead of caulk, no chance of them moving or getting knocked loose by me.

View attachment 1697519

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Since the opening seem to point away from each other, why couldn't you put say six of these ports around a bucket.

I have a 6 port feeder....but it is a tub, not a bucket

(Books were supporting PVC during fitting)

 

[Chickengene]

That looks clean. Have you tried it?
Does the food feed them all fairly well?

I have a 6 port feeder....but it is a tub, not a bucket
View attachment 1698348
(Books were supporting PVC during fitting)