Large capacity feeder question

[Aisling]

I'm new to the forum, and this is my first post. I've been raising chickens for years now, but I've recently moved to a new property and just built my coop/run.

I am being presented with a few unique problems because of my job situation. Basically my family and I will be traveling for 1-3 months once a year for my job. Great adventures, but I don't want to have to depend on paying friends to care for my flock outside of egg gathering by my neighbor.(Unfortunately, I can't really trust her skill with more than that) In short, I want to automate the water(maybe a later thread) and build a large capacity feeder for each side of my coop. The dimensions would be 34"x10x48. It would be a wooden box with several of these poultry ports in the bottom: https://www.amazon.com/Poultry-Chic...+Poultry+Pro+Feeder+Kit&qid=1674932702&sr=8-2

Firstly, could one of your more knowledgeable folks tell me from the cubic dimensions, how many pounds of feed approximately the feeder would hold.

Secondly, do you guys thing that my design with the use of the ports would work well.

The feeders will be built where the green temporary partition is on each side of the coop. Thanks in advance all!

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

My birds go through 50 lbs of feed a month. You're talking about a feeder that holds 150 lbs of food. I would be concerned about eggs building up, getting eaten or someone going broody and sitting on a staggered hatch (if your neighbor is indeed not super reliable). Paying friends in eggs is perfectly acceptable lol. You didn't say how many chickens you have?

 

[Aisling]

Ordinarily I would agree, but most all my friends either have plenty themselves or live too far away to do that daily, so my plan is the way it will have to be in this case. How many birds do you have?

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Ordinarily I would agree, but most all my friends either have plenty themselves or live too far away to do that daily, so my plan is the way it will have to be in this case. How many birds do you have?

I have 12 right now

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

You would have to take predators into consideration as well. I have to bring my food into the garage every night because we have rat issues in my neighborhood.

 

[Aisling]

My birds go through 50 lbs of feed a month. You're talking about a feeder that holds 150 lbs of food. I would be concerned about eggs building up, getting eaten or someone going broody and sitting on a staggered hatch (if your neighbor is indeed not super reliable). Paying friends in eggs is perfectly acceptable lol. You didn't say how many chickens you have?

I have only a dozen at the moment. That will fluctuate

 

[Aisling]

You would have to take predators into consideration as well. I have to bring my food into the garage every night because we have rat issues in my neighborhood.

Did that! Great point. The coop has a completely sealed predator apron and will have automatic doors to a sealed coop.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Can you pay your neighbor to check on things when she collects eggs? That would be easiest. I used to do it for my neighbors and it was a pain but she wasn't paying me lol. She did buy me a really nice sweater so that helped haha

 

[Aisling]

Can you pay your neighbor to check on things when she collects eggs? That would be easiest. I used to do it for my neighbors and it was a pain but she wasn't paying me lol. She did buy me a really nice sweater so that helped haha

Haha understandable, but no not in this case. I have specific breeds that I want to do specific things with, and I trust my plan of automation more than having to depend on my neighbor. To be perfectly honest, if she had to do more than get eggs, I'd end up with dead birds. I want to avoid that plus I like the challenge of making it more self sufficient. I will have a friend look in every once in a while if needed. I actually will have cameras in the coops that will let me personally keep an eye on my flock from afar, and my feeders will have a plexiglass gauge on the front to show me on camera if it is low.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

That sounds cool! Maybe she could call you if anything appears out of sorts but it sounds like it could work. I would be a nervous wreck but that's just me lol