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

[AllynTal]

Mine seemed scared of it so i took it out but i also still had the other feeder in there. They used the other. Is that normal? I figure if they're scared and since its not really natural anyways (being prey animals and not being able to see their surroundings) that I'd just not use it. I now use 2 bowls instead of one bowl and refill it every few days or once a week or whatever. But they still sometimes poo in it or spill stuff and I'd prefer the bucket feeder, they use a nipple waterer fine. But idk, maybe i spoil them too much

Of course, they seem 'scared' of it. They're chickens. They are very curious and also very wary of anything new in their environment. Put the feeder back in and remove the old one. They will be wary at first, but the first time a chicken gets brave enough to investigate and find out there is FOOD in there, they'll all come a'runnin'. Food trumps being a scaredy-cat. Quit coddling them and let them be chickens.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Of course, they seem 'scared' of it. They're chickens. They are very curious and also very wary of anything new in their environment. Put the feeder back in and remove the old one. They will be wary at first, but the first time a chicken gets brave enough to investigate and find out there is FOOD in there, they'll all come a'runnin'. Food trumps being a scaredy-cat. Quit coddling them and let them be chickens.

Yeah, I think you're probably right. The weird thing though is I had it in there for like a week or at least a couple days and I even tried taking some food out from it and putting it in the pipe and even put lots of treats in there but they still wouldn't stick their heads in. Did have a couple braver ones snag food out and pull it out but they refused to stick their heads in. Maybe I will try it again but take the other feeders out this time and force them to to get used to it. It would probably prevent a lot of wasted feed. Although, my girls are pretty good, they don't tend to spill food all over anymore, just peck at it when hungry, but they do sometimes poop in it because of the location and also when it gets low and almost empty I tend to just dump it in the run and they don't eat that so I think I almost waste more than them. But I think we might possibly have rodents eating it at night. Haven't seen any evidence of that but they sure do go through a lot of food. Anyway, I think you're right and I think I will try the bucket again

 

[hooktontravel]

I built one! first I tried 45 degree angles, since my chickens are only about 8 weeks old and I was worried about how far they would have to reach with the 90 degree ones. The 45's made it too easy to shove the feed right out onto the ground! so I went back for 90's. first the one and only duckling (he's almost 2 weeks old) figured out how to use it in under 10 seconds. most of the chickens just gave it the eyeball and walked away, but the little cross-beaked runtly one climbed INSIDE the 3 inch pipe. maybe it's the first time she's been able to get her head right into the food. I'm hoping it's a deeper dish and she will be able to eat a little... but i'm going to have to add another elbow, because when she's in there with her entire tiny body no one else can eat. While she'll stick her tiny head into the 2 inch pipe, and the duckling will, the older guys are enough bigger I think it feels like a bit of a squeeze to them to put their heads in it. But she can't reach to the bottom of a 2 inch 90 degree pipe... so we'll have to get 2 of the 3 inch openings going.


for a total of 6 chickens right now this seems like the perfect way to keep my chick crumbles from being scattered all over the yard, let the runtly one get her face right in the food without it being thrown around, and keep it a bit more dry if it starts to storm.


Hooray! a feeder that can't be pooped into, rained into, and will discourage wild creatures from coming into the yard because feed won't be dropped all over.

since I built the chicken house out of all scrap material I figured i could spend a bit on the feeder & waterer... so I did get all new buckets & pipe. If I had those flat-sided cat litter buckets I would have tried that, but my stack of 'already-owned' buckets was all from driveway patch so I didn't feel comfortable with all the petroleum product as feed & water supply stuff...it's fine for moving dirt and stuff, but not to eat out of!

Oh -- I did use a 2 1/2 inch holesaw for the 2 inch pipe, and a 3 3/4 inch hole saw for the 3 inch pipe. I used white duct tape on the inside to secure things to see how it worked, and may switch to silicone at a later time once I'm satisfied with placement. the holes were a touch large to hold the pipe on their own, but that was the size holesaws we already had and I didn't want to buy more tools just for one project. using the 'street' pipes was great because the cuff I sawed off the bottom fit onto the outside of the pipe, preventing it from slipping back inside and providing protection from elements and spilling feed. I just used the tape to secure the inside part to the bucket.

 

[AlHawk]

I used the square cat litter buckets and really like them.

I didn't use a hole to cut holes. I used a dremel cutting tool and cut a tad small for a good solid fit then put the silicone both inside and outside. Worked like a champ.

 

[cc chickens]

Im gonna follow this! These are some great ideas!!

 

[DUWBACC]

Two questions:

1: how "rodent proof" is this type of feeder? I have been looking at the steel step-on lever kind, but those might be overkill?

2: is anyone in the triad, NC or Lake Norman, NC area who I could pay to make me one?

 

[aart]

Two questions:

1: how "rodent proof" is this type of feeder? I have been looking at the steel step-on lever kind, but those might be overkill?

2: is anyone in the triad, NC or Lake Norman, NC area who I could pay to make me one?

1. Not at all rodent proof, unless you can cap the ports at night.
2. Try your state chat thread here https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/91762/north-carolina

 

[henless]

Two questions:

1: how "rodent proof" is this type of feeder? I have been looking at the steel step-on lever kind, but those might be overkill?

2: is anyone in the triad, NC or Lake Norman, NC area who I could pay to make me one?

Rodent proof they are not. Just like any kind of feeder you leave out at night with feed in it, eventually you will get mice. This is my 3rd year to use one & I've just started getting mice. I cap mine every night and when I close the coops up & open them every morning when I let the chickens out.

 

[coop410silkies]

Rodent proof they are not. Just like any kind of feeder you leave out at night with feed in it, eventually you will get mice. This is my 3rd year to use one & I've just started getting mice. I cap mine every night and when I close the coops up & open them every morning when I let the chickens out. 

If you've read all the posts in this huge thread you'd probably find that this issue has been addressed. One suggestion I read was to make the stand for the feeder a little smaller than the bottom of the bucket, so that the bottom (and the elbows) overhang the stand. Little rodents (mice, at least) can't crawl in from the stand and have to jump in from the floor, a neat trick. Hanging the buckets would also work, but you would have to provide some support and stability from the bottom to keep it from swinging. I don't use buckets any more, I use large flip handle totes and trash cans fitted with elbows? Making the stand smaller than the base of the feed container helps, especially with large fowl where the food vessel can be kept pretty high off the floor. Though I've yet to use them, Glue traps and Tanglefoot in the right places might help, More ideas?

 

[joszefja]

Hi! I've read much of but not the whole thread, so apologies if I'm repeating a question. Do folks know if this would still work if the opening was flush or nearly flush with the bucket? Would something like using a smaller diameter pipe or raising the opening higher make any difference in eliminating wasted feed?

I'd like to make one of these to fit into a holder that I drop square 4 gallon buckets into from the top, so there's only about a half-inch clearance on the sides.