Still making a mess with port feeders

[Wyorp Rock]

The pan under the feeder will work great and is done cheaply. At some point, either wild birds or rodents will begin colonizing and at that point you will need to upgrade to a treadle feeder. They are not needed until you hit that point.

Always monitor your feed use, one quarter pound of pellets/crumble per hen per day, ignore roosters unless you have a lot of them. Eight hens, two pounds per day, 25 days per bag of feed. Twelve hens, 3 pounds per day, 16 days per bag. Sixteen days, four pounds per day, 12 days per bag.

Under eight hens.....what the hell is wrong with you? Are you immune to chicken math?

If you see you are losing feed either to waste or theft, start calculating the payback on a good feeder. Your rats will double every 45 days so check frequently as the "feeder math" changes quickly.

Good info!

 

[Almosta Farm]

53,
Please past picture of your feeder.

I also make my own port feeders. I make them out of 53 gallon barrels and use 3" 90 degree pvc elbows. Absolutely no waste. By using the large barrels, I can put six (or more) 50 lb. bags of feed in and it solves the storage problem as well.

 

[rlhagan56]

I also make my own port feeders. I make them out of 53 gallon barrels and use 3" 90 degree pvc elbows. Absolutely no waste. By using the large barrels, I can put six (or more) 50 lb. bags of feed in and it solves the storage problem as well.

This is what we do as well and no waste.

 

[neo71665]

The port-feeder I made for myself several years ago using PVC elbows worked GREAT, truly no mess. But the ones I've made using the kits from the feed store ... meh, kinda worthless for feeding crumbles. They're just too shallow, the inside part that goes into the buckets. It's as if there is nothing there at all, you may as well have an open hole for the chickens to pull the crumbles straight out of. They work a bit better for pellets. I need to make some more using the PVC elbows, but those were considerably heavier than the kit ones.

Same thing. The store bought kits are cheap and not big enough.

 

[Smokerbill]

The pan under the feeder will work great and is done cheaply. At some point, either wild birds or rodents will begin colonizing and at that point you will need to upgrade to a treadle feeder. They are not needed until you hit that point.

Always monitor your feed use, one quarter pound of pellets/crumble per hen per day, ignore roosters unless you have a lot of them. Eight hens, two pounds per day, 25 days per bag of feed. Twelve hens, 3 pounds per day, 16 days per bag. Sixteen days, four pounds per day, 12 days per bag.

Under eight hens.....what the hell is wrong with you? Are you immune to chicken math?

If you see you are losing feed either to waste or theft, start calculating the payback on a good feeder. Your rats will double every 45 days so check frequently as the "feeder math" changes quickly.

Ignore roosters? Would you elaborate?

 

[FunClucks]

I also make my own port feeders. I make them out of 53 gallon barrels and use 3" 90 degree pvc elbows. Absolutely no waste. By using the large barrels, I can put six (or more) 50 lb. bags of feed in and it solves the storage problem as well.

How do you mount the 90 elbow into the 53 gallon barrel? I've put together the store PVC elbow feeder kits, but have not otherwise worked with PVC. But I think I could figure it out.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Yes please do elaborate. I used a jig saw or some such the first time I did this and it was a royal pain. You need a proper drill bit but the first one I got gummed up. Frustrated! Help a gal out!

 

[Al Gerhart]

Ignore roosters? Would you elaborate?

Sure, in my opinion and experience, a single adult rooster just doesn't eat as much as a laying hen. And most of the time people post their chicken numbers and math the rule of thumb works very well.

 

[Smokerbill]

Sure, in my opinion and experience, a single adult rooster just doesn't eat as much as a laying hen. And most of the time people post their chicken numbers and math the rule of thumb works very well.

Thanks, good to know. I've been wondering about that since I separated my two big cockerels from the pullets. It seems like they've been eating very little since the separation.

 

[Al Gerhart]

How do you mount the 90 elbow into the 53 gallon barrel? I've put together the store PVC elbow feeder kits, but have not otherwise worked with PVC. But I think I could figure it out.

Hole saws usually, but a key hole saw if you have an old time carpenter in the family, a sharp knife, a sharp wood working chisel with a mallet, a hot knife. Might want to have some skills and experience and don't put your eye out.