Which feeder is best?? The step on auto or pvc pipe??

[Danv80]

Which feeder is best?? The step on auto or pvc pipe?? I feed chooks an organic mix with grains and pellets.

 

[cavemanrich]

All depends on your needs, and other factors. The auto is supposed to work, keeping mice and other rodents out. In a perfect universe,, that would be nice,,, but my feeling about such feeders,,,,,,,, sooner or later they will break and malfunction.
The tower PVC feeder is fine,,,, but not rodent proof. another thing I don't care for about it,,,,,,, only allows for 1 chicken to eat at a time.

Look at some of these DIY ideas. this one feeder will feed multiple chickens. at same time. then removed for the night time so no unwanted guests come to eat.

This DIY option makes similar to the one you posted, with the advantage of closing off the bottom opening for the night time.

Consider one of these, or the many others seen on YouTube.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[Alaskan]

I haven't had either of those...

But the single pipe ones always make me shudder when I think about having to fill them.

I like my handmade one. Huge trashcan, i can easily, without spilling,dump a feed bag in there.

I place it in the middle of the pen.. discourages rodents, since they don't want to crossthe wide open space.

Also...you could go and put caps on every night, if you have abig rodent issue.

My feeder:

 

[saysfaa]

I agree that it depends on your goals. One of my goals is to fence rodents out. Another is to maximize the useable floor space. The treadle feeder doesn't fit. A pvc feeder does but I like this one better: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/simple-pvc-hopper-type-feeder.48159/

Good point on filling it. With only 5 hens, the pvc is the right scale for me but Maybe a reducing fitting or a funnel....

 

[rosemarythyme]

I had a single pipe one back when I only had 4 birds, so they'd take turns eating, but boy was it messy. The one I had had no real lip to prevent them from billing out feed, and the feed in the tube itself would get damp from morning condensation and start clumping.

A plain old plastic gravity feeder works better for me. A lot less clean up needed, less waste of feed, and because it's more open it doesn't develop condensation like the enclosed PVC one did.

 

[BecaHawaii]

Which feeder is best?? The step on auto or pvc pipe?? I feed chooks an organic mix with grains and pellets.

So forever I had a bucket feeder where they could stick their heads in. Which I loved. Two issues, little birds were always in it and my hens were missing their neck feathers. So I bought the step feeder. Love it! Two issues, dirt and rocks are always getting stuck under the step and little birds are being decapitated.

The better feeder is still the step feeder.

Which feeder is best?? The step on auto or pvc pipe?? I feed chooks an organic mix with grains and pellets.

 

[saysfaa]

I had a single pipe one back when I only had 4 birds, so they'd take turns eating, but boy was it messy. The one I had had no real lip to prevent them from billing out feed, and the feed in the tube itself would get damp from morning condensation and start clumping.

A plain old plastic gravity feeder works better for me. A lot less clean up needed, less waste of feed, and because it's more open it doesn't develop condensation like the enclosed PVC one did.

Sorry for hijacking a little... Thank you. Experimenting with the pvc just fell far down my priority list. I will stick with my dog-bowl-i -a-weighted-pail as the primary feeder.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Sorry for hijacking a little... Thank you. Experimenting with the pvc just fell far down my priority list.

I'm sure it works well in some set ups, but in my rains-three-seasons-a-year climate, it just turned into a "cement" factory, as feed would clump up so much at times in the tube that it would gum up the works.

 

[Al Gerhart]

As others have said, best at what?

Stopping feed theft and waste, a treadle feeder is best. Having a quick cheap feeder, the bucket feeder, but you pay for that in feed theft. Less work on your end? Hands down the treadle feeder, fill it and forget it for a week or two or longer depending on size.

A treadle feeder is going to take up less than a foot wide x 18 or 20" depth. If the coop is that small that it matters perhaps it is time to extend the run?

But treadle feeders do not mix with chicks! They will get caught inside. I would say two pounds minimum before allowing them in a run with a treadle feeder. Then block the sides with milk jugs of water or concrete blocks so they have to come in from the front.

As for the bucket feeders, bringing them inside just teaches the rats to eat during the day and no, they won't mind coming out in the open as they know they are in a safe place protected from predators. Cap the bucket feeders at night? Yeah, the rats can chew their own hole easily enough.

 

[PugHappy]

Which feeder is best?? The step on auto or pvc pipe?? I feed chooks an organic mix with grains and pellets.

I agree that it depends on your goals. One of my goals is to fence rodents out. Another is to maximize the useable floor space. The treadle feeder doesn't fit. A pvc feeder does but I like this one better: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/simple-pvc-hopper-type-feeder.48159/

Good point on filling it. With only 5 hens, the pvc is the right scale for me but Maybe a reducing fitting or a funnel....

THANK YOU FOR THIS POST!!! I was looking at doing this but the instructions I found online used cement glue and I did not want to use that! I do not like the kind where the birds stick their neck and heads in and I wanted something that was a straight shot easy to clean later. This also works well to meet a more trough style design for feeding raw loose grain feed that has the powdery fines the birds need for maximum nutrition (I am also doing mix with pellets right now as we are in feed transition and trials). I appreciate your clear instructions with the pictures! I have a small flock and will be making one for the coop run and a mini for the brooder! MANY THANKS!!!!