While building my coop, I came across an article here at BYC for a pipe feeder constructed from PVC pipe.
Well, I built it with two 2.5' pieces of 4" pipe and a 90 degree elbow with two caps.
I drilled 4 2.5" holes in one piece and slipped it all together. Worked good, except I had to 'bang' on the pipe at the feeder end to get the feed to come down so the chicks could get to it.
I needed something to easily push the grain into the feeder area. I thought about a large bottle cap screwed to a dowel with the dowel coming out through a hole, but after the first push you probably wouldn't be able to pull the cap back to the starting position.
So I thought about it and got to thinking how farmers get grain to run through pipes. An 'auger' in the pipe...!!!
I remembered I had an old auger that I bought to use to dig holes for planting bulbs. Stick it on the end of a drill and it makes a nice hole.
I drilled a hole the size of the shaft in the 90 degree elbow, inserted the auger from the front and there it is. All you need to do is fill the pipe with feed and then give the auger a few turns from outside the coop to get it into the feeder portion. Back up the auger (reverse turn it) and you are ready for the next feeding.
Not very elegant, but it WORKS!
If you want the story on the coop construction go here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=29640-hersheys-coop
Well, I built it with two 2.5' pieces of 4" pipe and a 90 degree elbow with two caps.
I drilled 4 2.5" holes in one piece and slipped it all together. Worked good, except I had to 'bang' on the pipe at the feeder end to get the feed to come down so the chicks could get to it.
I needed something to easily push the grain into the feeder area. I thought about a large bottle cap screwed to a dowel with the dowel coming out through a hole, but after the first push you probably wouldn't be able to pull the cap back to the starting position.
So I thought about it and got to thinking how farmers get grain to run through pipes. An 'auger' in the pipe...!!!
I remembered I had an old auger that I bought to use to dig holes for planting bulbs. Stick it on the end of a drill and it makes a nice hole.
I drilled a hole the size of the shaft in the 90 degree elbow, inserted the auger from the front and there it is. All you need to do is fill the pipe with feed and then give the auger a few turns from outside the coop to get it into the feeder portion. Back up the auger (reverse turn it) and you are ready for the next feeding.
Not very elegant, but it WORKS!
If you want the story on the coop construction go here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=29640-hersheys-coop
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