Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[gladahmae]

we made our own feeder and waterer a month or so ago. Put those screw-in poultry nipples in the bottom of a 5gal bucket, hung it up and ta-da! a waterer! I know that my ladies were splashing a lot of water around and I was going through 2gal/day during the summer with the 10 of them. That's gone down considerably with the nipple system. As for the feeder, we cut the bottom out of a 5gal bucket, got some metal L brackets (2in ones?) and bolted it to one of those rubber feed pans from TCS and then put a funnel in the bottom, upside down. We left about a 1.5in gap between the bottom of the bucket and the bottom of the pan and put a piece of electrical tape over the opening on the funnel. We lose almost no feed now, where they were spilling a LOT before. And it cost about.......$15? I'm not 100% sure what size we used for the feed pan....there's about a 2in gap for the feed when you put a bucket in it.



Happy Hump Day Raz!

 

[RaZ]

Yep, Consumers Energy just showed up in their bright yellow vests and painted a bunch of trees in my yard to cut down because they are too close to the lines. We've lived here about 6-7 years and he said they usually do this about every 8-10 years so we've been spared until now. Good-bye shade, hello dead sun-scorched lawn.

Maybe they will only prune them.

You know how they do it in that nice natural-looking "Y" shape?

Mower deck is re-installed and no cuss words were uttered.

Back out to cut and split some kindling while dodging rain drops. (Power tools and beer!)

 

[Scifisarah]

Maybe they will only prune them.

You know how they do it in that nice natural-looking "Y" shape?

Mower deck is re-installed and no cuss words were uttered.

Back out to cut and split some kindling while dodging rain drops. (Power tools and beer!)

We have a Juniper tree that is so slow growing it could probably be a couple hundred years old. I had him remark that one to prune... Our house feels very small now that we have two kids at the 2.5 acres is about maxed out. We are planning on moving within the next few years but still feeling bummed. We just signed an easement a few weeks ago allowing another line to be put on our property. We aren't going to have many options left for planting trees at this rate!

 

[greenmimama]

How many birds are you having drink out of a one gallon? I have 2 one gallon waterers that I am using at the moment on the ground, and then the piglet feeder in the summer coop that is mountedon the coop leg. They've never gone dry in 3 hours, even when I had 50+ birds. Maybe it is not sitting level, so it is draining out?

Olive gave me a great idea, and I am sure other have used it as well whether they got it from her or elsewhere. I took two 5g buckets, used a 2inch hole saw bit, drilled holes around the bottom, just above the bottom actually, then drilled a hole large enough for a nearly flat head bolt to go through. Got some metal feed pans drilled a corresponding hole in it, then bolted them together. Filled the buckets with feed, put a lid on it. No more feed where it isn't supposed to be. I still have to use one feeder that sits on the ground for the smaller chicks, so they can access feed. But I am losing less feed to the dirt now. A lot less.

Yes, this, I am going to make a couple of these feeders, but I would love to make a water like that, what do you all use in our cold MI winters? the temps have been around freezing at night, I have quite a few chicks and bunnies to keep fed and watered.

Yep, Consumers Energy just showed up in their bright yellow vests and painted a bunch of trees in my yard to cut down because they are too close to the lines. We've lived here about 6-7 years and he said they usually do this about every 8-10 years so we've been spared until now. Good-bye shade, hello dead sun-scorched lawn.

I set my eggs Saturday morning, do you think it would be okay to do their first candle now, or should I wait? I was planning on doing it Friday, but I need a pick-me-up.

My MIL goes back out and spray paints the marks to match the tree trunks, she has saved a bunch of trees this way she's sneaky

we made our own feeder and waterer a month or so ago. Put those screw-in poultry nipples in the bottom of a 5gal bucket, hung it up and ta-da! a waterer! I know that my ladies were splashing a lot of water around and I was going through 2gal/day during the summer with the 10 of them. That's gone down considerably with the nipple system. As for the feeder, we cut the bottom out of a 5gal bucket, got some metal L brackets (2in ones?) and bolted it to one of those rubber feed pans from TCS and then put a funnel in the bottom, upside down. We left about a 1.5in gap between the bottom of the bucket and the bottom of the pan and put a piece of electrical tape over the opening on the funnel. We lose almost no feed now, where they were spilling a LOT before. And it cost about.......$15? I'm not 100% sure what size we used for the feed pan....there's about a 2in gap for the feed when you put a bucket in it.



Happy Hump Day Raz!

Yes that is exactly what I am talking about doing. I have 45 chicks and a gal. waterer. I filled it again and will check again in the evening, it's like I fed them pure salt

 

[Juise]

Happy Hump Day. Where good thoughts and good things happen.

...Surely I'm not the only one hanging out in the gutter sniggering about this. Am I? >.>

 

[NovaAman]

You can get the nipple attachments online. I haven't seen them in any stores yet.

 

[snowflake]

if lead is in the eggs because it is in the soil it would also be in every thing you grew,,,, non of our food is save to eat any how, so might as well not worry to much about what you read, they will change their minds about it in a yr. or so,
venison stew and home made bread,

So, how much do chicks drink? They drained a gal container in 3 hours?


I need to get my 5 gal buckets so I can make my larger feeders and waterers. Is there a good tutorial for it on BYC? I know I saw one on a blog somewhere.

Would you like a 5 gal feeder, or a 5 ft long gutter feeder, I am thinking I could fit more feed into the 5gal buckets right?

Help me so I am not always talking to myself here

we have made both 5 gal. water and feeder,,, just use a very small bit for the waterer, (DH thinks he used a 1/8" ) make sure your top is on tight that is what keeps the water from running out.set it in a pig pan
I use multiple pig pans for water scattered around the yard, if it is hot I will put out 5 or more, set them in the shade so the birds don't have to go far for water,I use the 5 gal. bucket set in one of thees, when we go on vacation. otherwise I prefer just the pans. they are easy to clean and refill, I am switching to the plastic ones however as I can put ACV in them
I am thinking of trying the nipples next yr., wondering how clean the pail stays, I liked the heater someone posted for the nipple 5 gal. bucket.....in winter I use the cookie tin heater and a water with a heated bottom,(3gal.) I never run out of water in the yard, but like I said I have multiple pans around the yard and they hold at least 3 gal. each.

You can get the nipple attachments online. I haven't seen them in any stores yet.

have you used the nipples? if so how often do you need to scrub the inside of the bucket? even with ACV they get slimy

BFM sorry about your day, don't miss that part of mother-hood

just keep those sweet new baby smells and photos in mind ,helps

 

[snowflake]

I am using a gutter feeder for oyster shell fits nicely on the coop and doesn't take up much room
my 5gal feeder has 4 lg, holes in the bottom as Nova suggested. I did not attach mine to a pan I just set it in a pig pan from TSC

 

[Scifisarah]

if lead is in the eggs because it is in the soil it would also be in every thing you grew,,,, non of our food is save to eat any how, so might as well not worry to much about what you read, they will change their minds about it in a yr. or so,

Before we put vinyl siding on our garage, the chickens pecked about half the peeling paint off there. I think it was new enough not to be lead based though. They still take a few tentative pecks at the vinyl siding and seem disappointed that they aren't getting a snack.

 

[NovaAman]

I have not used the nipples. I just know you can get them.

I screwed mine to the pig pan so I can just carry the feeders up to the garage and fill them and then carry back. I hate carrying the 50# bag back there. One bag fills both containers. Works very very nicely.