Show me your no waste feeders

MotherOfChickens

Crowing
7 Years
Jun 29, 2017
525
820
257
Middle Tennessee
So, I spent a pretty penny to make a PVC feeder that I can cap off at night to keep the lil mice that live under my neighbor's shed from getting in the feed at night. Problem is, they throw the feed out of it. So like today, I have the feeder closed off until they eat all the feed up off the ground.

Id love to see y'alls homemade feeders that cut down on waste, preferably that can be capped/closed off at night.

Here is what I built:

IMG_20190319_164019_683.jpg

Here it is, capped off

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5 gallon bucket w/ 1 1/4 holes cut in sides for chook access and 4" hole cut in top to allow for filling feeder. It's slipped over the top of a 7 lb feeder from TSC, it also has 4-6 1/2" screws run in the side so that the bucket sits down at the correct level and doesn't get all jacked crooked. Because it's a hanging type feeder I tend to think your neighbors pet mice would be at a loss to get to it.{although that last part I'm not sure of) But worse case scenario you could just put it up at nite. Sorry about that, let me see if the photo shows up this time:he. One more edit:barnie. I'm looking at the photo, that's actually a 32 lb food grade bucket(Mexican restaurants get their bulk sour cream in them), not a 5 gallon bucket. But you can make the same type feeder from a 5 gallon bucket, it will just slip down a little further over the feeder because of the slightly greater size.
 
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So, I spent a pretty penny to make a PVC feeder that I can cap off at night to keep the lil mice that live under my neighbor's shed from getting in the feed at night. Problem is, they throw the feed out of it. So like today, I have the feeder closed off until they eat all the feed up off the ground.

Id love to see y'alls homemade feeders that cut down on waste, preferably that can be capped/closed off at night.

Here is what I built:

View attachment 1721199
Here it is, capped off

View attachment 1721198

Could you try putting 22.5 degree elbows onto the two legs of the wye fitting to keep them from billing out the feed?
 
Not the best picture, but you can see it in the coop. I took a tote, and cut some 3" holes in the sides (8 total) and inserted a 90* PVC elbow in each hole. It has cut down on the amount of feed consumed per week, as they don't rake it out. My ducks use the same feeder in the coop with no issues. The tote holds 50-55# of feed and last 10-14 days depending on the weather.
chicken in show resized.jpg
 
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With a new phone my pictures didn’t transfer. I do have an article written in my profile for a 5 gallon bucket diy feeder. I have tried many different feeders I lost count this is by far the best and it shows you how to make it and what you need to buy.
Literally no waste and plugs can be easily made or purchased to keep mice out. The piece you drill out of the bucket can be used as a plug in the elbows just buy simple cabinet knob for easy handling of the plugs .
 
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Do you all think, if I leave the extensions on (circled in red), that they could still stick their heads in there far enough to reach the feed?
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That depends on how far off the ground the top of that extension is for them. That, by the way, can easily be adjusted by simply either building up the bedding around it, adding a platform item for them to stand on if they need, or burying the bottom of the pipe down into the soil ....
 

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