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

[MeepBeep]

No, I built a bucket feeder. I was just trying to extend the opening so the hens can't swish the feed out. 

Honestly, I'm a little disappointed in this feeder so far. My girls have only been using it for less than a day, and they're already billing the feed out onto the ground. I'm really disappointed, I had such high hopes for this feeder.

If they are still tossing food out out you need to lengthen the output with a length of pipe so they have to reach in further to get the food once you extend it sufficiently the waste should be eliminated...

 

[kathrync]

hmmm.... I'll try that. I actually had the pipe longer to begin with, but the hens were too afraid to put their heads in, so I shortened them. I'll try pulling it out just a bit and see if they'll take it.

 

[henless]

Try not putting the extension in all the way. Leave a little "gully" where the extension ends and the elbow curve begins. This will leave a "gully" where the feed will collect when they try to toss it out. Also make sure you have the bucket about shoulder height or a little bit taller. If they have to reach to get it, they toss out much less.

I really like mine. I've used them for about 1 1/2 years now. They sometimes do pull out a little feed, but not much. I love that I only have to fill it up every couple of weeks or so.

 

[kathrync]

Try not putting the extension in all the way. Leave a little "gully" where the extension ends and the elbow curve begins. This will leave a "gully" where the feed will collect when they try to toss it out. Also make sure you have the bucket about shoulder height or a little bit taller. If they have to reach to get it, they toss out much less.

I really like mine. I've used them for about 1 1/2 years now. They sometimes do pull out a little feed, but not much. I love that I only have to fill it up every couple of weeks or so.

Ok, I tried this, but it's still not working Am I missing something here?

It seems to me that I should have left both ends of the elbow intact to make the hole deeper. Having the feed almost at the same level of the opening doesn't work, no matter how long the pipe is.

 

[MeepBeep]

It seems to me that I should have left both ends of the elbow intact to make the hole deeper. Having the feed almost at the same level of the opening doesn't work, no matter how long the pipe is.

Hard to see in your picture but you might be right, I used the street elbows like those on post 3 back on the first page, even after cutting them down the feed is still about 1.5 bellow the opening, if your feed is near level with the opening that is likely the issue...

 

[mechanic57]

You should have 90 degree elbows pointed down into the bucket. The opening of the elbow on the end inside the bucket should be about 1.5 to 2 inches from the bottom of the inside of the bucket. This lets just a little bit of food cascade out under the openings and the birds have to stick their heads in to eat is. As they eat, more should be able to come down under the opening but there should be no room for them to rake it out. Extending the outside of the elbow only make the chicken stand further back from the part of the elbow that bends down. If their neck is not long enough they won't reach the food.

 

[Rod-T]

I put mine 7/8 of a inch off bottom. .basically a board width

 

[MeepBeep]

I believe the issue kathrync is having is that not all elbows are created equal, and the distance highlighted in this picture can vary a lot if you cut off the flanged end... I used the street elbows in the first picture, thus my feed is about 1.5" below the opening, if someone used an elbow like the other two the feed would be near level with the opening and cause issues, this is probably kathrync's problem...

 

[Cluckies]

I believe the issue kathrync is having is that not all elbows are created equal, and the distance highlighted in this picture can vary a lot if you cut off the flanged end... I used the street elbows in the first picture, thus my feed is about 1.5" below the opening, if someone used an elbow like the other two the feed would be near level with the opening and cause issues, this is probably kathrync's problem...

This is a great diagram, so basically if you use the last two types of elbows you would want to lift them up a bit more, maybe another inch or 1.5" or so?...

 

[MeepBeep]

I believe the issue kathrync is having is that not all elbows are created equal, and the distance highlighted in this picture can vary a lot if you cut off the flanged end... I used the street elbows in the first picture, thus my feed is about 1.5" below the opening, if someone used an elbow like the other two the feed would be near level with the opening and cause issues, this is probably kathrync's problem...

This is a great diagram, so basically if you use the last two types of elbows you would want to lift them up a bit more, maybe another inch or 1.5" or so?...

No instead you would not want to cut the entire flanged area off, or cut it off at all if you used the other elbow... In all instances I would say 3/4" to 1" off the bottom of the feeder is ideal as it allows all the food to be eaten to the bottom of the feeder and prevents food from being out of reach (too low) and thus spoiling... And I would suggest if you do cut off the flange make sure you leave about 1-1.5" between the bottom of the cut off of the flange and the corner of the elbow aka the distance between the red lines...