PVC feeder troubleshooting

[bgmathteach]

Really too long to expect feed to travel down without the vibration you get when moving the tractor.
Might be real trouble in the winter.

Too cold for them to be in the tractor in the winter up here. They'll go into my coop vacated by my older girls. (They'll be processed this fall as stew hens.)

So, shorter it will be, then. I was afraid of that when it didn't work right away.

 

[aart]

They'll go into my coop vacated by my older girls.

What kind of feeder do they have?

Had another thought on the PVC feeder, not sure a full grown bird can get the head all the way into an 1 1/2" hole.

 

[bgmathteach]

What kind of feeder do they have?

Had another thought on the PVC feeder, not sure a full grown bird can get the head all the way into an 1 1/2" hole.

The coop the older girls are in is a stationary coop with a hanging/standard galvanized metal feeder. I didn't want that for this tractor as I didn't want them to poop in it, nor for it to spill as tractor got moved. Wish the PVC one worked better, as it tucks nicely along the side (i.e. out of the way), easy to have a poop board protect it, and lots of access points to service the decent size 'flock'...plus won't spill as tractor moves. However, that was probably part of it's downfall...too long.

Good point: Since it is only a 2" pipe, their beaks don't seem to have any trouble reaching the food all the way down to the bottom of the pipe. If I go with a larger diameter pipe for the feeder, I'ld have to go with a larger diameter hole, I think.

 

[jreardon1918]

If you are looking for a redesign. This PVC feeder has worked well for us.
It is our 2.0 version. From the top down,

• Chain connected to feeder and hooked on a nail in the rafters.
• 4" end cap
• 4" x 3' pipe (replaced 3" pipe to increase capacity)
• 4" to 3' reducer.
• 3" x 9" pipe.
  This pipe is notched to allow some feed to spill out into the bowl
• 6" end cap. This is screwed into the bottom pipe.

We use pellets. This setup works well. No mess. When we had 7 hens it held about a week of feed. Where it free hangs, the hens can bump it which encourages the feed to partially fill the bowl.

 

[bgmathteach]

If you are looking for a redesign. This PVC feeder has worked well for us.
It is our 2.0 version. From the top down,

• Chain connected to feeder and hooked on a nail in the rafters.
• 4" end cap
• 4" x 3' pipe (replaced 3" pipe to increase capacity)
• 4" to 3' reducer.
• 3" x 9" pipe.
  This pipe is notched to allow some feed to spill out into the bowl
• 6" end cap. This is screwed into the bottom pipe.

We use pellets. This setup works well. No mess. When we had 7 hens it held about a week of feed. Where it free hangs, the hens can bump it which encourages the feed to partially fill the bowl.

That is an interesting set up - I haven't seen a PVC set-up like that before! Thank you for sharing. It might work if I use 2 - one on each side of the back of the tractor.

Still concerned about it 'servicing' 26 hens, though, even with 2 of them. Low ones in the pecking order might have limited access....but if I mount a smaller 3rd one as an auxiliary feeder in the front (want less weight up there for moving purposes), it might work.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Reducer is always going to be a pinch point.

and yes, ABS is cheaper. Sewer/drainage may be cheaper still.

I don't use my J feeders any more, they work best with pellets, and in less humid environments, But I use a section of 4" pipe, probably 3' long, with a cap on top to keep things out. It goes to a 4" long sweep elbow, a 45 degree street elbow, and a 4" round to 3" square adapter.

Looksbasically like any other J feeder - the round to square adapter helps control the spill some. I made several of them, and strapped them together. NOT well suited for filling a long trough, etc.

 

[Mfr422]

I have several pvc feeders. I have found using a wye at the bottom with a 22 degree street elbow works best, you could redo your tractor feeder just on the bottom and stick the elbow through the wall. As others have said, bigger pipes work better. The one in my pics is my latest, it has a 6” four and a half feet supply necking down to four and then three inches. They don’t seem to make a mess of this one as my first design used 4” elbows at the bottom and sometimes they would throw the feed out. I feed pellets. I cut out the bottom of the 22* street elbow so they can reach in there as the foods a ways down. This feeder feeds 27 chickens for about a week and a half. The third pic is my first one, it’s all 4” pipe. Btw, they have 6” pipe at menards.

 

[bgmathteach]

I have several pvc feeders. I have found using a wye at the bottom with a 22 degree street elbow works best, you could redo your tractor feeder just on the bottom and stick the elbow through the wall. As others have said, bigger pipes work better. The one in my pics is my latest, it has a 6” four and a half feet supply necking down to four and then three inches. They don’t seem to make a mess of this one as my first design used 4” elbows at the bottom and sometimes they would throw the feed out. I feed pellets. I cut out the bottom of the 22* street elbow so they can reach in there as the foods a ways down. This feeder feeds 27 chickens for about a week and a half. The third pic is my first one, it’s all 4” pipe. Btw, they have 6” pipe at menards.

This looks doable. I feed pellets, too.

One Question for you: Am I seeing correct, that you have essentially 4 'feeder stations' with that one pipe & multiple 'y's? Is enough so that everyone(27) gets to eat? (i.e. no 'low man on the pecking order' has limited access?)

We don't have a Menards...but my local Home depot is a smaller store and doesn't carry as much as the larger ones...I could check out the larger store a few towns away.

 

[bgmathteach]

Thank you everyone! Lots of good suggestions and designs that are WORKING Unlike mine!

 

[Mfr422]

This looks doable. I feed pellets, too.

One Question for you: Am I seeing correct, that you have essentially 4 'feeder stations' with that one pipe & multiple 'y's? Is enough so that everyone(27) gets to eat? (i.e. no 'low man on the pecking order' has limited access?)

We don't have a Menards...but my local Home depot is a smaller store and doesn't carry as much as the larger ones...I could check out the larger store a few towns away.

Yes, there are four stations there, my girls and rooster go out of the run in the afternoons so there are always times when the feeder is empty. They all tend to feed at different times throughout the day. The chicks in the pic are our latest that have just been integrated into the flock the day i took the pics and they were taking advantage of the bigger feeder!