Show Me Your Feeders!!

[jimmywalt]

Do you just have a 3" cap at the bottem of the "Y"
Vinnie

I used a 3" test cap held in with a cut off piece (about 2" long) of 3" PVC

Here's a link to the cap
http://www.menards.com/main/plumbin...ngs/3-knock-out-test-cap/p-1768958-c-9383.htm

 

[cjqsmom]

Tried EVERYTHING then found this idea at BYC. This is PRICELESS. No waste. Cheap to build. 3" PVC and 3" Y. That's all there is to it! Just made a second one tonight because it works so well!

Do you need to empty it at all? Maybe weekly or bi-weekly? Since I would think that the feed that sits below the "Y" would get old and stale or do you block it some how to keep the feed from going below the "Y" ?

 

[LoneOak]

This is one of the custom PVC feeders I built,



and here is the other one.


Read this topic, Custom built--No Waste--PVC Feeders for all the details on how I did it. Since I wrote that topic the feeders have been doing very well and last at least a week and a half on a full load with 4 hens and a rooster. I just last week did some slight modifications on the feeder part of the one in the second picture by opening up the feeder holes a little and putting a little more lean angle to the final section. I have purchased enough PVC to build two more, I have another pen in this barn that needs one and I'm going to put one with the Y feeder pipe like above in a tractor I'm building. These things work great and should last a real long time, approximate cost is $15 each depending on how fancy you build it--much less than a 20 lb feeder from the feed store.

Notice that I didn't glue any of my pvc and put it all together with #8 x 1/2" self-tapping pan head sheet metal screws. That allows you to take it apart and modify it if needed and you're able to reuse the parts any way you desire, if you glue em what you got is what you got no changes allowed.

 

[jetdog]

I built one that works great for me, 5 gallon bucket with two 90degree elbows that are about a 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch off the bottom of the bucket, they have to stick their heads in to eat and can't fling the food out so it doesn't attract rodents and no wasted food it holds about a month's worth of food for me.

 

[jimmywalt]

Do you need to empty it at all? Maybe weekly or bi-weekly? Since I would think that the feed that sits below the "Y" would get old and stale or do you block it some how to keep the feed from going below the "Y" ?

No I don't block it. Haven't thought about the feed there getting old. Good thought though.

I suppose that when I notice it needs filling I could just dump what's in there back into the 5 gallon bucket I keep it in and then mix it.

 

[jimmywalt]

I built one that works great for me, 5 gallon bucket with two 90degree elbows that are about a 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch off the bottom of the bucket, they have to stick their heads in to eat and can't fling the food out so it doesn't attract rodents and no wasted food it holds about a month's worth of food for me.

I still LOVE this feeder that you made. I just wish mine would have worked. I probably had it up too high on the bucket. I'm just not sure how to be able to determine how high to cut the hole in the side of the bucket off the bottom to make it the right height????

I might get another bucket and see if I can remove the pvc elbow from the old one and try again. The PVC part was about $4 and I don't want to buy a new one.

 

[jetdog]

Let me know how it works out for you, I kind of eyeballed it after I cut the elbow hold it to the side of the bucket and mark it for the height I was able to get it on the first try, keep me posted if you do it.

 

[jimmywalt]

Let me know how it works out for you, I kind of eyeballed it after I cut the elbow hold it to the side of the bucket and mark it for the height I was able to get it on the first try, keep me posted if you do it.

Pulled the PVC elbow from the old hole and drilled a new hole on the other side of the bucket (and at the right height). I put caulk around the pipe inside and out, and am using some wood/block under the pipe on the outside (to hold the pipe up and in place), and a 5 lb tire block inside the bucket to hold the pvc pipe down and in place while the caulk dries over night.

I took a thin piece of plastic and screwed it to the outside of the bucket to cover the old hole.

We will see how it goes.

I'd love to have 5 gallon bucket of food in the coop this winter. I store food in the bucket and it lasts me quite a few weeks before I use it up. Sure would make life a bit easier this winter!

Here are some pics......

 

[jetdog]

Good luck let me know how it works, keep your fingers crossed.

 

[jimmywalt]

Good luck let me know how it works, keep your fingers crossed.

Well here she is.... In my coop. The pic is taken from my web cam (via my cell phone). I can watch the feed and see when it's empty. It's up on two patio blocks.

I measured my two other 3" pvc pipes that were about 27" tall and the 5 gallon bucket holds just over twice the amount as the 2 pvc pipes. So now I will only need to refill about once per month!!! Great for the cold winters here in Michigan. I want to to as little work as I can in the winter!

Let's hope that they don't dump the food. If they do I'll just add an extension to the outside of the pipe so that they have to stick their heads farther in (that's what I did with the 2 pvc feeders and it worked great).

Fingers crossed.