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

[shari63]

(Click picture to enlarge). You can see how I cut notches in the pipe to allow for easier flow of the pellets. I also turn it a little sideways and that helps. The waterer needs a hole in the top so that the suction doesn't stop the water flow. All in all, this is the easiest setup. I have two feeders and 7 hens. Right now I am filling them once every other week. I let them free range in the yard as much as possible. But in the winter its hard for them to forage much because the ground is frozen.

Where did you find the float valve for the waterier?

 

[Soylent Chick]

You can find float valves in most home improvement stores and farm stores. There's a few kinds like minis or stock tank ones, just make sure you can fit them to a garden hose.

 

[CountryChic95]

I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW... I made one of these 5 gal bucket feeders with the 3" elbows. My rooster could not get the food!!! Make sure the openings are big enough to accommodate a rooster's comb if you have one! My mistake ended badly. I don't want it to end badly for anyone else...

 

[CalgaryFarmer]

I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW... I made one of these 5 gal bucket feeders with the 3" elbows. My rooster could not get the food!!! Make sure the openings are big enough to accommodate a rooster's comb if you have one! My mistake ended badly. I don't want it to end badly for anyone else...

I am really sorry for your loss.

I had just recently noticed that our rooster was not using the feeder. We had 3 inch elbows. I made one with 4 inch elbows this weekend. He does not seem to like it either. We are monitoring. It has 3 inch elbows as well.

We have now used 1 inch, 2 inch, 3 inch and 4 inch elbows.

3 inches seems so big and it is easy to think that with something that big and when hunger kicks in the rooster will just push his head in, with the waddles folding up. Apparently not.

So generally, to use this system you have to have the appropriate sizes for all the chickens. This will depend on the size of the chicken as well as the size of their combs and the size of their waddles.

Our medium sized hens are now using the 4 inch elbow. So it would appear that it may be safe to go bigger.

As well, you have to have each of the holes at the right height. If you have a mix of chickens then you have to put some thought into this.

 

[MeepBeep]

So generally, to use this system you have to have the appropriate sizes for all the chickens.  This will depend on the size of the chicken as well as the size of their combs and the size of their waddles. 

My bantam hens, standard hens, bantam and standard roosters with larger and small combs/waddles, guinea fowl and my peafowl have no issues using my single feeder with the 4" sewer elbows all around...

 

[CalgaryFarmer]

I am sure it is elsewhere on this thread ... I get the sense my rooster does not like to use this feeder. He is full-size with a large comb and waddles. I used 3 inch pvc elbows.

Anyone else run across this?

Yes ... he is still alive. But you can tell it is not something he enjoys. It is almost as if he sticks his head in and pulls it out quickly in hopes that something landed on the coop floor.

Would this seeming discomfort make me go back to the days when 5 gallons of pellets would get sprayed all over the coop floor in 4 hours? No.

Perhaps larger pvc is in order.

 

[CalgaryFarmer]

My bantam hens, standard hens, bantam and standard roosters with larger and small combs/waddles, guinea fowl and my peafowl have no issues using my single feeder with the 4" sewer elbows all around...

So maybe 4 inch elbows are a good size for a wide variety of chickens.

I have seen the very long elbows and the medium length elbows and the short elbows, all 90 degrees. The short ones are probably best. Does the job and accommodates the largest range of chickens.

The smallest chickens probably need something smaller.

 

[DreamsInPink]

I like the concept of this very much, but I'm wondering if it is safe. The chickens have to stick their heads all the way in and leave it in there to eat? Does this cause any fearfulness in them? Not being able to see around them while they are eating? Or am I reading too much into the thoughts of chickens? lol


Has anyone had any trouble with a chicken getting stuck in there somehow? I'm going to have all standard size chickens, once they are grown... but will be having different stages until they all grow up.

How many openings could I put in a 5 gallon bucket? How many buckets would I need for 20 -30 chickens?

 

[MeepBeep]

Has anyone had any trouble with a chicken getting stuck in there somehow?

The only issue I have had was one young guinea fowl that climbed into the elbow and got stuck, none of my other birds have been that stupid...

How many openings could I put in a 5 gallon bucket? How many buckets would I need for 20 -30 chickens?

You can use larger containers like I did, this feeds 100ish birds comfortably...

 

[DreamsInPink]

Oh yeah, I suppose so. I never thought to use a different container other than a 5 gallon bucket. Duh... lol

And they don't drag the food out of the openings and throw it all over the place?