Outdoor feeder: keeping food dry

[Dank_Earns]

Hi BYC friends!

*First post alert*

I'm a little over half done building our duck house for our 4 lings (they're about a month old) and really want to keep their food and water in their run.

The run will be 6'x14' and will not have a true roof to start.

I'm planning on doing a hybrid gravity/5 gal bucket feeder and want to know people's experience keeping food dry from weather for an outdoor feeder.

Any success stories of keeping feed in a 5 gallon bucket dry through rain? Mainly from the holes they eat from since the lid will be water tight.

 

[igorsMistress]

Use something to seal any joints on the feeder. We use pvc tube feeders and if rain runs down the tube it leaks through the joints. We used clear silicone to seal

 

[Dank_Earns]

Use something to seal any joints on the feeder. We use pvc tube feeders and if rain runs down the tube it leaks through the joints. We used clear silicone to seal

Yes!! I do plan on sealing any of the joints, I guess my biggest concern is about rain water at the bottom...

See image for a poorly sketched example

 

[igorsMistress]

Yes!! I do plan on sealing any of the joints, I guess my biggest concern is about rain water at the bottom...

See image for a poorly sketched example View attachment 2176264

Oh this kind of feeder, sorry! I used one of those but went with a different style eventually. We just put a lightweight piece of wood on the top and held it down with a brick or rock. Easy to remove to refill the feeder still. Will this be out in the open or in a run?

 

[Dank_Earns]

Oh this kind of feeder, sorry! I used one of those but went with a different style eventually. We just put a lightweight piece of wood on the top and held it down with a brick or rock. Easy to remove to refill the feeder still. Will this be out in the open or in a run?

Good advice! Why did you switch away to a different style feeder? Did you have issues with this type? Pics of your new setup would be awesome!

The feeder will be in their run, but to start, the run will not have a waterproof roof ( to save on initial costs. We'll be adding corrugated roofing to the run towards the EOY). So it will be in a run, in the open haha

 

[Matzwd]

I've made and used those. It took the polish girls a little time to get used to sticking their head dresses in the holes. Mine weren't gravity fed as I didn't want them to be stationary. After almost a year of going out to put the feed away at night (didn't want to attract unwanted pests) and the squirrels also feasting on it, I made the hanging eye bolt feeders. The girls like them, there's little waste unless you drill the holes too large, feed stays dry (and could also be gravity fed. When I went to move the feed from the old bucket feeders, I noticed several roaches in the feed (Yuck!) They can't get into the hanging feeders. Here's what they look like:

Sorry, Jewell the FBCM loves the camera, lol.

 

[igorsMistress]

Good advice! Why did you switch away to a different style feeder? Did you have issues with this type? Pics of your new setup would be awesome!

The feeder will be in their run, but to start, the run will not have a waterproof roof ( to save on initial costs. We'll be adding corrugated roofing to the run towards the EOY). So it will be in a run, in the open haha

I loved the feeder but we had a neighbor who fed wild pigeons so they started raiding my yard and eating all of the feed; they would swarm the feeders like a pack of rats. This is what I'm using, but you probably won't have the issue since your flock is in a run. I will say this style is a great space saver though. The lids to deflect rain are just bucket lids that we cut holes in and they slide down. The hardware cloth sleeve is slotted and attached with zip ties to let the chickens eat but the slot is narrow enough the pigeons shoulders hit the end and they can't get a good purchase on the edge of the feeder to eat. Also, no swarming. ETA We used fire extinguisher holders to mount them.

 

[igorsMistress]

I've made and used those. It took the polish girls a little time to get used to sticking their head dresses in the holes. Mine weren't gravity fed as I didn't want them to be stationary. After almost a year of going out to put the feed away at night (didn't want to attract unwanted pests) and the squirrels also feasting on it, I made the hanging eye bolt feeders. The girls like them, there's little waste unless you drill the holes too large, feed stays dry (and could also be gravity fed. When I went to move the feed from the old bucket feeders, I noticed several roaches in the feed (Yuck!) They can't get into the hanging feeders. Here's what they look like:
View attachment 2176284
View attachment 2176285
Sorry, Jewell the FBCM loves the camera, lol.

I love this type! I've been talking about these with hubs and want to build one, do you have a link to the instructions?

 

[Matzwd]

I love this type! I've been talking about these with hubs and want to build one, do you have a link to the instructions?

Here's one:

I didn't use all the hardware as I've had a hen with hardware disease in the past. I bought large wooden beads and screwed them directly to the bolt, no washers or nuts to swallow.

 

[Dank_Earns]

I've made and used those. It took the polish girls a little time to get used to sticking their head dresses in the holes. Mine weren't gravity fed as I didn't want them to be stationary. After almost a year of going out to put the feed away at night (didn't want to attract unwanted pests) and the squirrels also feasting on it, I made the hanging eye bolt feeders. The girls like them, there's little waste unless you drill the holes too large, feed stays dry (and could also be gravity fed. When I went to move the feed from the old bucket feeders, I noticed several roaches in the feed (Yuck!) They can't get into the hanging feeders. Here's what they look like:
View attachment 2176284
View attachment 2176285
Sorry, Jewell the FBCM loves the camera, lol.

Love that idea, but I'm working with ducks, so I don't think this method would work for their scooping of food.

I loved the feeder but we had a neighbor who fed wild pigeons so they started raiding my yard and eating all of the feed; they would swarm the feeders like a pack of rats. This is what I'm using, but you probably won't have the issue since your flock is in a run. I will say this style is a great space saver though. The lids to deflect rain are just bucket lids that we cut holes in and they slide down. The hardware cloth sleeve is slotted and attached with zip ties to let the chickens eat but the slot is narrow enough the pigeons shoulders hit the end and they can't get a good purchase on the edge of the feeder to eat. Also, no swarming. ETA We used fire extinguisher holders to mount them.
View attachment 2176294View attachment 2176295

Yeah no issues with other birds competing for the food, and I like the idea of the lid for a rain guard!

Since I'll have a 5 gal bucket at the end, maybe I'll use a garbage can lid

Thanks