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

[pasuit]

I have guinea fowl also, and they are ssssssooooooooo crazy-messy. I hope that I can make one of these for them, and teach them to use it (they are the dumbest creatures). I will save big bucks on bird food and also reduce messes in their feeding area.

 

[pasuit]

Good lick. Guineas have a mind of their own. If they have a mind. LOL

 

[blackdog043]

My question for the bucket feeder crowd....How do you stop mice/rats/rodents from getting in to the feed? I'm guessing you really can't.....

You could place the bucket on a half cinder block or something that doesn't stick out beyond the bucket. This way it makes the opening higher and nothing for them to climb on, to get in the hole. Here's a pic of mine, with just the sides hanging over the block.

 

[tigger19687]

@blackdog043 What is that in the hanging feeder?
Just curious.

I would keep feed in the coop and make it taller. Mine is on a cinderblock.
Mice can jump, pretty high for their size.
Better to get rid of the mice.
Look into getting an Electric Zap mouse trap... works on chipmunks too

 

[blackdog043]

What is that in the hanging feeder?
Just curious

That Is FF in a chick waterer base, that I hung in the brooder. When I moved them to the coop, I hung it in there, for a few weeks. Now I use a container hung on the wall.

 

[Toothpick]

Cool. That makes sense. I made one yesterday as a test that I’m going to stick in there this afternoon. I bought the 45 degree street elbow. I’m looking at it thinking that it might be to long for the chicken to stick their necks in to reach the food. But we’ll see.

 

[pasuit]

You could place the bucket on a half cinder block or something that doesn't stick out beyond the bucket. This way it makes the opening higher and nothing for them to climb on, to get in the hole. Here's a pic of mine, with just the sides hanging over the block.

View attachment 1259570

 

[pasuit]

Good job.

 

[jimmywalt]

WOW! I started this thread in October 2013 and now there are 116 pages!!!!

I had to get out of chickens in 2014 when a neighbor ratted me out to the township. They made me get rid of my small back yard flock and coop (see my avatar).

Well it's 2018 now and my wife wants to do it again on a very small scale.... Hopefully this time we don't get caught and ratted out! I'm using a tiny 3'x3' shipping crate and will only raise it about 6" off the ground. Also hiding it in a different location of the yard.

So now I'm back and re-reading all my threads to find out the tricks I learned back then. It's been about 4 years and unfortunately I forgot everything. Anyway, glad this thread is still alive. Bet there are a lot of happy chickens and owners too!

I'm back!

 

[blackdog043]

I had to get out of chickens in 2014 when a neighbor ratted me out to the township. They made me get rid of my small back yard flock and coop (see my avatar).

That sucks, good luck with this flock. Have you checked with your township, to see if anything has been changed with chicken keeping? People are getting chicken keeping ordinances changed even with HOA neighborhoods.