This feeder is based on the design proposed by Aart. It uses the same type of 5 gallon bucket with the 4 large opening like his design.
I plan to enlarge the width of the opening from 5” to 6.5” (more room for two chickens to eat at the same time at each opening). There are four such openings. The edge of the opening, (Which is easily cut with a jigsaw) needs to be sanded, so there are no sharp edges. On the very bottom I plan to wrap around 1” radiator hose which needs to be slit on the side so it will fit on the bottom edge. Pictures too follow.
Here are few pictures:
I haven’t yet found 4” Dia pvc (w/o buying a 6 ft long piece), expecting my local plumber to give me a piece I need. BTW, for this bucket I will use straight 15” long piece which still will allow to put a lid on this bucket. My cut outs were 2.5” from the bucket bottom (and 3” from the bucket outside bottom rim). When I put those 1” slit opened hoses the height increased by 1/2”. I checked to see if my 7-8 weeks chicks can reach the food, and they can easily:
As you can see, two chickens can eat at one opening, thus 8 at the time. BTW, since I don’t have yet the 4” tube, I put inside a 4” Dia quart size paint can. I noticed that one or two chicks tried to climb inside, but the can prevented that. So the 4” Dia tube may be better, with this respect, the the design by Aart using 2” tube.
I will use 4” dia pvc pipe about 10-11” long. On the bottom of this pipe I plan to cut out 4 V shape openings, about 1” high, with a jig saw (the feed will be getting out of these openings). On the top of this pipe I will cement 4” to 6” pipe adapter (for easier adding the feed). The 4” pipe will be secured in the center of the 5 gallon bucket by a “hanger“ metal strip (to the wall of the bucket) or by any other way, like with wires, etc. Optionally one can put a small bead of a construction adhesive (like a Liquid nails) around the bottom edge of 4” pipe where it seats on the floor of the bucket.
This center 4” pipe plus 4” to 6” adapter on the top will hold about 3 quarts of feed.
Note, for young chicks the opening height (from the floor of the bucket)needs to be less than 3”. Initially possibly just 1”. When the chicks are around 8 weeks old it can be 2”. Please note that all internal parts can be used in the new 5 gallon bucket.
If one wants more capacity, one can do two things: either extend 4” pipe for several inches (but in that case there could be no top on the 5 gallon bucket, the top will be open which is perfectly ok for feeder Inside the coop. Or, one can use only about 4” tall 4” tube, put on top it the adapter to 6” tube and add 6” tube about 8” long (and still use the lid over the 5 Gallon bucket) or have even higher 6” tube and thus have open top. The total height of the central feeder tube is limited by either the cover of the 5 gallon bucket or, if w/o cover, by the bucket handle. If the bucket is meant to sit on a base the central tube can be even higher.
If one wants much simplified and cheaper design it can be done by using only 4” pipe w/o 4” to 6” adapter on the top. A 13” tall 4” tube will hold 2.8 qrts of feed and 15” tall would hold 3.25 qrts.
Here is my final design, using just a straight 4” pvc pipe 15” tall. I used small L shape brackets to hold the bottom of the pipe in the place and several plastic ties to secure the top of the pipe. Very simple to make. This feeder is ideal for 8 - 10 chickens.
Update,
I noticed that the food (starter type) was coming in fairly slow through about 1” V shape cutouts. So I increased it to about 1.5” height and about 1.5” wide at the bottom. The food is now coming in much better.
I plan to enlarge the width of the opening from 5” to 6.5” (more room for two chickens to eat at the same time at each opening). There are four such openings. The edge of the opening, (Which is easily cut with a jigsaw) needs to be sanded, so there are no sharp edges. On the very bottom I plan to wrap around 1” radiator hose which needs to be slit on the side so it will fit on the bottom edge. Pictures too follow.
Here are few pictures:
I haven’t yet found 4” Dia pvc (w/o buying a 6 ft long piece), expecting my local plumber to give me a piece I need. BTW, for this bucket I will use straight 15” long piece which still will allow to put a lid on this bucket. My cut outs were 2.5” from the bucket bottom (and 3” from the bucket outside bottom rim). When I put those 1” slit opened hoses the height increased by 1/2”. I checked to see if my 7-8 weeks chicks can reach the food, and they can easily:
As you can see, two chickens can eat at one opening, thus 8 at the time. BTW, since I don’t have yet the 4” tube, I put inside a 4” Dia quart size paint can. I noticed that one or two chicks tried to climb inside, but the can prevented that. So the 4” Dia tube may be better, with this respect, the the design by Aart using 2” tube.
I will use 4” dia pvc pipe about 10-11” long. On the bottom of this pipe I plan to cut out 4 V shape openings, about 1” high, with a jig saw (the feed will be getting out of these openings). On the top of this pipe I will cement 4” to 6” pipe adapter (for easier adding the feed). The 4” pipe will be secured in the center of the 5 gallon bucket by a “hanger“ metal strip (to the wall of the bucket) or by any other way, like with wires, etc. Optionally one can put a small bead of a construction adhesive (like a Liquid nails) around the bottom edge of 4” pipe where it seats on the floor of the bucket.
This center 4” pipe plus 4” to 6” adapter on the top will hold about 3 quarts of feed.
Note, for young chicks the opening height (from the floor of the bucket)needs to be less than 3”. Initially possibly just 1”. When the chicks are around 8 weeks old it can be 2”. Please note that all internal parts can be used in the new 5 gallon bucket.
If one wants more capacity, one can do two things: either extend 4” pipe for several inches (but in that case there could be no top on the 5 gallon bucket, the top will be open which is perfectly ok for feeder Inside the coop. Or, one can use only about 4” tall 4” tube, put on top it the adapter to 6” tube and add 6” tube about 8” long (and still use the lid over the 5 Gallon bucket) or have even higher 6” tube and thus have open top. The total height of the central feeder tube is limited by either the cover of the 5 gallon bucket or, if w/o cover, by the bucket handle. If the bucket is meant to sit on a base the central tube can be even higher.
If one wants much simplified and cheaper design it can be done by using only 4” pipe w/o 4” to 6” adapter on the top. A 13” tall 4” tube will hold 2.8 qrts of feed and 15” tall would hold 3.25 qrts.
Here is my final design, using just a straight 4” pvc pipe 15” tall. I used small L shape brackets to hold the bottom of the pipe in the place and several plastic ties to secure the top of the pipe. Very simple to make. This feeder is ideal for 8 - 10 chickens.
Update,
I noticed that the food (starter type) was coming in fairly slow through about 1” V shape cutouts. So I increased it to about 1.5” height and about 1.5” wide at the bottom. The food is now coming in much better.
