Preferred type of feeder ?

[09northernchick]

I don't want my girls tossing their food out of the feeder. What is the best feeder to use? I was looking at the cylinder type and hanging it. But would the long feeders with holes, similar to the style used for chicks, work better?

 

[Ridgerunner]

The problems with chickens and feeders are that they will scratch it out if they can and they will poop in it, ruining the food. Mine are still chicks so I don't have the experience with grown chickens in a coop set-up.

If you can keep the chickens from pooping in the style with the holes, they won't be able to scratch it out. Many people hang the feeder at the height of the chickens backs and rig up something so they cannot perch on top of the feeder. They will tape cones or something that flops over when they land on it to the top. Maybe put a bleach bottle or a funnel around the wire or rope that is holding it up. The limits are what you have available and your imagination.

One of the ones I liked was where someone took a 5-gallon plastic bucket, cut holes big enough for the chickens to stick their heads in near the top rim, then put that up-side-down over the feeder. The chickens could not scratch it, they could not poop on it and the food was protected from rain outside in the coop. You have to rig it up so they cannot turn it over, maybe putting a paver on top? A deli or grocery store with a deli will normally have free 2-1/2 gallon and 5 gallon food-grade plastic buckets.

Good luck!

 

[arlee453]

I found a great feeder for my purposes at tractor supply. I wanted a feeder that held a lot of feed and would keep the feed dry since I have my feeder out in the run under a little shelter I built.

The feeder is actually the self feeder kind for dogs with the trap door the dog would push open to get the food. This one works great because it's plastic and I could take off the door unlike the metal ones. I took the door off and they can get to the feed, but since it has the flow control it doesn't spill out and it has a large enough bowl and lip area that they can't scatter the feed either when they are feeding.

It's also got a base you can fill with water for the dogs - i don't use the base for a waterer but it's the perfect height to keep the feeder from getting any water in it when it rains and also to keep the birds from getting in the feeder.

It cost me about $35 and holds ALMOST a 50 pound bag of layer pellets - perfect so i can fill up the big feeder and have just enough left in the bag to fill up the hanging type feeder that's in the growout pen.

Plus it's easy to clean if I ever need to.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp...02|14554|43561?listingPage=true&Special=false

You can see the feeder in my webcam (link in signature belolw) be patient as the cameras rotate every 30 seconds but you'll see the chicken pen with the feeder under the little shelter. Between the feeder and the shelter it has kept the food 100% dry, even through windy thunder storms and a hail storm, which is more than I can say for any of the hanging type feeders I've tried.

 

[09northernchick]

Thanks for the ideas! I'll see what I can find at my local feed store this week or looking at more photos. I'll try the webcam again when it is light out. Unfortunately it is too dark at the moment

 

[Jasper7952]

Hi 09northernchick. I'm new to the forum, but I was reading this thread and agree with Ridgerunner. I am also new to raising chickens. I found the site for the 5-gallon bucket, but with a variation that seems to keep the feeder upright with no trouble. And you put the holes in the bottom of the bucket. I have five holes spaced around the bottom. Then I took a 14-16 inch plastic planter base from Home Depot ($2.26) and screwed it onto the bottom of the bucket. It is sitting on a concrete block for the perfect height for my Rhode Island Reds. If you have Bantams you might want to put it on one layer of bricks. By putting the bucket right side up on the center of the base you simply remove the top to refill. I'm still waiting to see how long a half bucket of feed lasts for the rooster and two hens I just brought home, but I think it will be at least a couple of weeks. I'm going to get more soon. Oh, and I do recommend rigging up some sort of cone to keep them from landing on the top and pooping over the side into the food.

 

[lux_interior]

Quote:
I cheaper and easier alternative to this, is to buy a large bucket, about $2 - 3 at a hardware store, cutting holes around the bottom, and placing it into a 20'' plant saucer.... works great! I'll post a pic of mine if that's too confusing... costs about $6 to make and it holds tons of food!

 

[09northernchick]

I'd love to see a photo if you have one Toni. Does your system hang? I have heard that hanging feeders discourage rats. Hopefully my coop will be rat proof anyway, but I'll take whatever precautions I can in that area