Excited about my new PVC gravity feeder

[tpatricco]

Built this today with my husband for our 8 week old chickies. I'm really happy with it. The girls seem to like it too.

PVC Gravity feeder

• tpatricco
• Jun 16, 2019

Chicks checking out the new feeder

• tpatricco
• Jun 16, 2019

Happy girls enjoying the new feeder

• tpatricco
• Jun 16, 2019

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I might need to do some of those. Ants like to steal their food, so I use hanging feeders, but that would be easier to keep full for out of town trips and sheltered from the rain.

 

[sylviethecochin]

I foresee problems with them pulling food out with their beaks and scattering it everywhere. Have you seen any of that?

 

[tpatricco]

I might need to do some of those. Ants like to steal their food, so I use hanging feeders, but that would be easier to keep full for out of town trips and sheltered from the rain.

Thanks! I'll definitely have to see how it goes with any bugs. I built this with 4" PVC and it took about 40 lbs of feed crumbles to fill it, so my goal of minimizing my daily chores is definitely reduced + built in storage. It is in a sheltered location in my run and I plan to install some translucent coroplast panels on part of the run in winter to give more shelter from the cold and wind as well. Nobody wants cold wind blowing on them while they're trying eat.

 

[tpatricco]

I foresee problems with them pulling food out with their beaks and scattering it everywhere. Have you seen any of that?

We only installed it yesterday, and I put the caps on the opening when I filled it, but I think as they eat that initial part back there will be less spillage. There was a little bit yesterday as they started using it. I'll advise how it goes.

 

[123RedBeard]

Looks like the 4" vertical pipe, is reduced to 3" in the elbow ...

If you do experience "spillage" ... you could add a little 2" length of pipe onto that last elbow ... full grown hens should still be able to get their head inside of the 3" pipe, just sand the sharp cut end of the pipe ... which will actually be smaller diameter than the elbow opening they have now (If you have single combed cockrells you will want to go bigger) ... or, you could flare it back up to 4" ...

A "Y" (instead of the two elbows) won't allow gravity to push it out so far ... something to think about in the future ... or for someone thinking about building one simular ...

 

[tpatricco]

Looks like the 4" vertical pipe, is reduced to 3" in the elbow ...

If you do experience "spillage" ... you could add a little 2" length of pipe onto that last elbow ... full grown hens should still be able to get their head inside of the 3" pipe, just sand the sharp cut end of the pipe ... which will actually be smaller diameter than the elbow opening they have now (If you have single combed cockerels you will want to go bigger) ... or, you could flare it back up to 4" ...

A "Y" (instead of the two elbows) won't allow gravity to push it out so far ... something to think about in the future ... or for someone thinking about building one similar ...

Thanks - good thoughts. Yes, the main pipes are 4" but neck down to 3" at the feed openings. I didn't do the Y-shaped bottom as I read comments from people who indicated that bottom area of the Y the food there never gets eaten and could go bad spoiling the feed in the tube near it. If it becomes an issue, I like the idea of adding a short extension onto it to remedy.

 

[Ohmyheart]

You will find they will spill a lot of feed leaving the opening like that. Grab a sour cream lid and cut it in half. Glue it to the bottom half to hold the food in. They make much less of a mess that way.

 

[tpatricco]

Day 2.5. After a full 24 hours of use, virtually no spillage of feed whatsoever.

It should be noted that I have a 90+45 setup at the bottom, so it curves upward at the feed opening. Seems to work just fine.

Feed tubes

• tpatricco
• Jun 18, 2019
• 1

After 24 hours of use on day 2, virtually no spillage.

 

[SarahBC]

You will find they will spill a lot of feed leaving the opening like that. Grab a sour cream lid and cut it in half. Glue it to the bottom half to hold the food in. They make much less of a mess that way.

That makes sense! Mine still waste a ton of food. I was thinking of switching to the bucket where they put their head in. Have you seen instructions for that?