Moving forward...

[Mini Meat]

I made a prototype feeder for the brooder. I would call it a hybrid between a pipe feeder and a trigger feeder like the one @aart made. I hope that it will prove to be a safe, clean, waste minimizing, easy to use feeder for a large number of chicks.



It is made from 4" ABS because I had some and only needed 2 parts to complete. I would use PVC if I had to buy all the parts.

Parts list

1- 4" slip cap
2- 4" x 2' pieces of pipe
1- 45
1- slip x female thread coupler
1- threaded cap

I used a 45 in the hopes that it would allow the feed to travel easily through the tube to the end.
I slopped the pipe for the same reason AND to accommodate different sizes of chicks.

I drill 5/16 holes about every 1" in a straight(ish) line along 1 of the 2' sections.
I hung the feeder with the wholes down.



I made these triggers by wrapping an old piece of wire around my finger and used shrink tubing to color them. I wanted a light weight trigger that can be worked by chicks. Then I screwed a trigger into ever other hole.



For now I have been keeping feed on the tray below so they associate the area with feed.
They have pecked the triggers and feed has been successfully dispensed.They have also pecked the open holes and dispensed feed as well. Feed has also been dispensed when they brush or bump the triggers. I don't think any of them have made the correlation between the triggers and the feed yet. For now I think they just believe it is Manna lol. It will be interesting to see if/when the make the connection.

I will have to observe closely until I am sure the can access adequate feed via the unit but I think it may work out. It may require some modifications though.

If this works out i will probably build a couple more.

 

[aart]

Huh!! I like the way you think!!

One (I think it's only one) of my birds yanks on the trigger(or only eats out of the cup hanging on the trigger shaft) and about empties the funnel above...SMH...
...good thing I have a deep dish underneath. Every few days I have to 'short' them on funnel fill so they'll clean up the deep dish.

 

[Mini Meat]

Huh!! I like the way you think!!

One (I think it's only one) of my birds yanks on the trigger(or only eats out of the cup hanging on the trigger shaft) and about empties the funnel above...SMH...
...good thing I have a deep dish underneath. Every few days I have to 'short' them on funnel fill so they'll clean up the deep dish.

Why, thank you.

I have a number of things rattling around in my pea brain that I'm hoping to get around to. Quite a few with twists...

Teaser: Cabinet Incubator with "Chick Harvester"

Bet that's got ya' wondering.
Don't hold your breath though, it's probably a ways off.

And ain't that the way with chickens? There always seems to be that one that just won't get with the program.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Interesting feeder, I wonder if you could adapt a clear piece to fit on that somewhere. so you know how full it is.
A chick harvester would be good, I found out the hard way that although I could incubate 120 eggs in my Sportsman incubator, it was an inadequate space for the hatch. I think you need three times as much room for hatching as incubating.

 

[Mini Meat]

Interesting feeder, I wonder if you could adapt a clear piece to fit on that somewhere. so you know how full it is.
A chick harvester would be good, I found out the hard way that although I could incubate 120 eggs in my Sportsman incubator, it was an inadequate space for the hatch. I think you need three times as much room for hatching as incubating.

A clear piece to see the feed level would be nice. Really nice. Hmmm...

I agree on the space issue. We are taught that we should not open the bator to fetch the hatch-lings but it is so stinking hard to watch them stagger and tumble over the eggs crying. And to watch the eggs get jostled and jangled about. One minute your looking at a pip, working 'tword zip, and the next minute... there's a chick sprawled on it. I know the chicks are fine but I worry about the eggs. In a nest they would be much secure and stable, not nocked around like billiard balls. I know that it is more of a problem for me then the hatch but still...
It kills me.

 

[aart]

Quote: You can buy clear PVC, fittings too.......but it be pricey.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=24353&catid=592

 

[Mini Meat]

Quote: You can buy clear PVC, fittings too.......but it be pricey.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=24353&catid=592
Very cool.Thanks for the link, but... Yea, ouch.

I've been thinking maybe just a few 1" or bigger holes drilled in along one side with a hole saw, then glue or caulk down some scraps of soda bottle?

 

[aart]

Sooooo... how's it all going?

 

[Mini Meat]

Sooooo... how's it all going?

Hey, thanks for checking in. I hadn't realized it had been so long since I updated.

Between my elbow pain and getting my finger crushed by my horse so badly it split open, work on the project has been sporadic. It never feels like I am able to do very much at stretch.
It's had me very frustrated and a bit bummed. I haven't felt like I have been making enough progress so I've not been motivated to post here.

BUT... I am mostly healed and in the past week I have been able to get a lot more done in a day. Progress is again happening.

I will get pics tomorrow, and give a full update.

 

[Mini Meat]

Okay,so here we go...


ALMOST all the interior walls are up. On the left you see a panel leaned up against the wall, that goes one the end of the crooked panel coming at you in the middle. I decided not to have the set-back on the left side and the "Pullet/layer coop" will come all the way to the front. This will allow me to have two more "condos" just to the right of the pullet pen.




I have 2/4 breeder pens with the door frames in. I just need to build the doors and close the bottom and sides up.



The turkey pen needs a door.



The pig pen needs door frame and door. This pen will have 2' deep litter which is why I put the 2' wide ply on the bottom. If it rots out It will be easier to replace.

I still have to build the 6 - 4'x6' condos and cover the all units with bird netting. Once those things are done I will enclose the front since any pieces still needed (doors nest boxes roosts) will be small and can be maneuvered through a doorway.

I will go ahead and move my juvies into the pullet pen and the cockerels will go into the pig pen for a while. That will allow me to do the nest boxes and roosts in the breeder pens. Turkeys will move in as soon as I get roosts up. AND I still have to build the runs (5'X20'). Oy, what did I sign myself up for? Runs are just going to have to wait. I may be working on them in DEC. lol

The brooder house has been a success. No smell, no flies, no fighting or feather picking. But it is getting crowded and I am running out of time.
The heat plate worked very well. I would recommend it.
The feeder worked well for the chicks but not so much for the poults. I had a few starve out before I realized that, while the turkeys figured out how to dispensed the feed, they didn't know it was to eat. I switched to fermented feed when I noticed that the poults would knock out feed and then try to glean it off the chicks breaks as the chicks ate. Apparently, that's how turkeys learn what is food.
With the fermented feed there was food stuck on the chicks beaks for the turkeys to taste test and I lost no more poults after that.

So, while I REALLY, REALY wish it was done... I'm doing my best and not going to beat myself up about it. I'll get more done over the long haul if I go at a steady pace and don't try to force results. And I need to stop getting hurt.