pics of homemade waters and feeders

[kbbeale]

Here's one of our feeders that DH made. We plan on making about 1/2 dozen more for our new barn.

 

[rigagirl]

rebelcowboysnb when you say a ball valve do you mean for a toilet?and how tall is your waterer?

 

[RendonRoo]

Yes you need to keep feed dry or it will mold and get clumped up. I'm gonna try to use an aquarium heater but i live in texas and we don't have the extreme temps like a lot of you. Good Luck

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

A ball valve is a quarter turn shut off valve. You can see it on the bottom of the black pipe. My feeders an waterers are made of fiveish foot pipe + the elbows so the top is eye level

As for wet feed? The feed at the very bottom gets wet when it rains but it never sits in the bottom for more than a day so I have never had an issue with mold.

 

[briteday]

Quote:
I'm assuming that once you have filled the reservoir pipe you re-attach everything and open the valve to let water into the elbow where the chicks drink from. Since the water in the reservoir pipe is higher than the dinking spout, what keeps the water from just pouring out the end they drink from?

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

For the water to come out air has to come in to replace it. For air to get in the chickens have to drink the water down to same height as the low point in the elbow. Then a bubble goes in an the same amount or water comes out an the water level is above the low point again.

 

[briteday]

Ok, one last thought...This past winter I ran extension cords to the coops for heated dog water bowls. So I already have a method of running electricity to the coops. If I do one of these PVC watering pipes, could I wrap the pipe in heating tape for the winter to keep it from freezing?

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
Think about a water cooler, it doesnt let water out till air comes in, you have to have a good seal or it will drain your tube.

 

[denimangle]

Quote:
I thought about that but the T fitting cost a lot. The one at a time thing is only an issue if you let it run out. A 3 in to one fitting would work without the elbows.

Question .. We put our PVC feeder in the coop yesterday and the girls bliied it all out on the ground about 4 to 5 lbs of food ..
is this happening with your PVC feeder with the elbow on the bottom.
Cheryl

 

[fargosmom]

Here's the feeder I made this week:

It's made from PVC rain gutter parts. I really like the funnel part, and it looks nice since it sits flat on the 2x's. Plus the manufacturer makes mounting clips for it that the pipe snaps in and out of, so it'll be easy to take down for cleaning.
We haven't moved the chicks outside yet so it hasn't really been used, but I mounted it up from the ground a little in the hope that that will make it harder for them to scratch and bill all the food out onto the ground.