pvc feeder question

[colebarnhart]

Quote:
Maybe use a 45° ell bw instead of a 90°, so it's still angled down a bit.
Or, the more I think about PVC feeders, instead of making just one feeder to supply foof to all your birds, make several and just turn the ell bw piece up so they are sticking their head into the ell bw to eat and not an extension piece. Some will have to take turns eating, but they would function better. Someone has pictures on here of theirs where they did that.

Agree with above and trying different angles and would also recommend using 4" pvc pipe for the feeders instead of the the 3". I have to take mine down and shake it or just kick it to get the feed to come down. It's not all bad I had just dreamed of a constant flow of feed, but doesn't always work that way

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I'd rather spend the money to buy a good feeder than to save money and have to put up with the aggravation of trying to fill one of those

 

[gale65]

Life is Good! :

Our PVC feeder has a 90 degree street elbow (so it's an odd size on one end - bit of a pain to gather the required parts, but I had fun putting it all together in the plumbing section of Menards one afternoon!), so the feed doesn't get caught in the elbow.

Yes, I do stick my hand up the elbow and 'pull' some feed down periodically (every other day?). I don't mind, as my chicks are molting right now - their downy feathers are EVERYWHERE - including in the feed, so I quick remove the feathers from the feed AND pull it down for them too.

I think of it as like changing their water daily. I eat three times a day, why shouldn't I make sure my hens do to?

I wouldn't mind messing with it but it's in a hard-to-reach place. Our whole coop is tiny and there isn't much room to put stuff where it won't get pooped in or be right in the way for cleaning or get wet when it rains. That's the whole reason I wanted an easy to fill auto feeder-so I don't have to crawl in there every day to mess with it. It fills from outside. I might get one of those toilet snake things (a brand new one of course) and thread it down in there and just move it around to get the feed to go down. We also have a feeder outside where they hit the lever to get the feed to come out so they have other food options (plus grass in the run for now).​

 

[gale65]

Quote:
Filling it is easy. It's just keeping the feed in the entire bottom that is a bit of a challenge. What do you consider a 'good feeder' that I could fill from outside the coop? I don't want to keep food out in the run (other than the auto feeder that's out there) because of rain.

To tell the truth I think my husband is just about over making me all these chicken things and I can't make them on my own.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

What do you consider a 'good feeder' that I could fill from outside the coop?

A normal hanging feeder could be placed near a wall with a "trough" leading to it, and an access door/window.

Then you could dump whole scoops instead of trying to pour it into a 3-4 inch hole.

Another option would be to build a wooden feeder similar in design to a rabbit "J" feeder, with the bulk of it outside and just the feed tray inside

Something along these lines:

http://www.saltylivestock.com/Feeders_Swine_Goat_Sheep-CP991.html

 

[gale65]

Well all is fine, I guess. The feeder was empty so apparently they're able to eat it just fine. As they get bigger we'll probably cut between the holes but for now it's working.

 

[speedy2020]

Here is the one that I built. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=537861

 

[bobbieschicks]

Quote:
Very nice! Did you have a blueprint to go off of?

 

[speedy2020]

Quote:
Very nice! Did you have a blueprint to go off of?

There are a few available on this site. I just built base on the size of the wood that I have (20"x20"x20"). https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=56638-building-a-treadle-feeder
Here are my suggestions improvement base on the experience:

1) Get higher quality crew post. They are either stainless steel or nickle. The aluminum is binding and damage when remove if you are making mistake.

2) To reduce wasted feed, cut 2" LIP INSERT feeder hole . Some chickens making a mess if you are cut out large rectangular hole. I PROBABLY REFER USING THE EXCHANGEABLE TEMPLET with 2 guide pin.

3) Add a 1/4 trim around the LIP INSERT to prevent the water get into the feed if wish to wash the feeder.

 

[thompsonfarm]

When I built mine I actually made both of mine u shaped. I have two of them and they work great. I have pictures on my coop page.