PVC Pipe Chicken Feeder (enlarged modification to sugarmaplefarmhouse's design)

[HenHangout]

Looking for cleaner and more long-term feeding options, I came across this design from sugarmaplefarmhouse

It called for 3" PVC pipe to be used as a hopper, with a 3" 90° elbow and 3" 45° elbow. While at Lowes I liked the capacity of 4" PVC pipe but whether my small silkies could stick their head into a 4" 45° elbow was a concern; then I noticed 4" to 3" 90° reducing elbows were a thing and in stock. Curious, I went with that.

A 10' 4" PVC pipe is ~$10 more expensive than a 10' 3" PVC pipe. To cut down on costs, instead of cutting the pipe into four sections for four 2.5' feed hoppers I cut it into two 5' sections to make 2 very large feed hoppers, which also reduced the number of elbows required. Furthermore, instead of threaded cap adapters and threaded end caps I used Oatey Gripper Mechanical Test Plugs.

In total the cost was ~$110 to make two 5' 4" diameter feeders that necked down to 3" openings. Had I made two 5' 3" diameter feeders using the threaded cap design the cost would be about $120. Had I followed the construction designs exactly and made four 2.5' 3" feeders with threaded caps it would have cost me over $200.

So... I saved at least $90 from the initial design plans.

Now, lets look at some math comparing constructing two 5' feeders using 3" PVC pipe and 4" PVC pipe as the feed hopper

• Volume of 5 feet of 3" PVC pipe: ~424 cubic inches
• Volume of 5 feet of 4" PVC pipe: ~754 cubic inches

So not including capacity of the elbows and the negligible capacity of threaded end adapters I was able the increase feeding capacity by ~178% at a reduced cost

My smallest chickens are bantam silkies and my largest is a brahma; both successfully feed from this. However, baby chicks will not be able to. Whenever my hen goes broody again I'll try making a miniature version using 1" or 1.5" pipe, which should have the added benefit of being physically inaccessible to adult hens.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Looking for cleaner and more long-term feeding options, I came across this design from sugarmaplefarmhouse

It called for 3" PVC pipe to be used as a hopper, with a 3" 90° elbow and 3" 45° elbow. While at Lowes I liked the capacity of 4" PVC pipe but whether my small silkies could stick their head into a 4" 45° elbow was a concern; then I noticed 4" to 3" 90° reducing elbows were a thing and in stock. Curious, I went with that.

A 10' 4" PVC pipe is ~$10 more expensive than a 10' 3" PVC pipe. To cut down on costs, instead of cutting the pipe into four sections for four 2.5' feed hoppers I cut it into two 5' sections to make 2 very large feed hoppers, which also reduced the number of elbows required. Furthermore, instead of threaded cap adapters and threaded end caps I used Oatey Gripper Mechanical Test Plugs.

In total the cost was ~$110 to make two 5' 4" diameter feeders that necked down to 3" openings. Had I made two 5' 3" diameter feeders using the threaded cap design the cost would be about $120. Had I followed the construction designs exactly and made four 2.5' 3" feeders with threaded caps it would have cost me over $200.

So... I saved at least $90 from the initial design plans.

Now, lets look at some math comparing constructing two 5' feeders using 3" PVC pipe and 4" PVC pipe as the feed hopper

• Volume of 5 feet of 3" PVC pipe: ~424 cubic inches
• Volume of 5 feet of 4" PVC pipe: ~754 cubic inches

So not including capacity of the elbows and the negligible capacity of threaded end adapters I was able the increase feeding capacity by ~178% at a reduced cost

My smallest chickens are bantam silkies and my largest is a brahma; both successfully feed from this. However, baby chicks will not be able to. Whenever my hen goes broody again I'll try making a miniature version using 1" or 1.5" pipe, which should have the added benefit of being physically inaccessible to adult hens.

I f you use 4" dwv you can cut costs further still. Its thinner wall, but tat's not an issue for you, you have no real pressures involved. That will save cost on your cap, and elbows (still sort of expensive) as well. Will require an adapter for your elbow, they they are usually about $5.

Should be able to make two for around $60-70 depending on where you put your reducer. I didn't bother, went full size.

DID find that powder/crumble tends to clog up in my environment - high humidity. Definitely works best w/ pellet.

 

[HenHangout]

DID find that powder/crumble tends to clog up in my environment - high humidity. Definitely works best w/ pellet.

I accidentally bought a bag of crumble and thats currently in the feeder in my run. I haven't had an issue yet but my feeders have only been up for about 2 weeks and it doesn't get rained on. I'll replace that feeder with pellets whenever I run out of crumble. I have always used pellets and had noticed (and ignored) the mess they make from my conical hanging feeder. But man, when I put crumble in it it seemed like 50% of the feed wound up on the ground.

Accidentally buying crumble and watching them waste feed is the main reason I looked into PVC pipe feeder designs, but being able to leave town for a week and not have to worry about them going hungry is another benefit.

 

[lagrange chicks]

I made the same type feeder with 4" metal heat ducting, really cut down on feed waste.

 

[Al Gerhart]

These feeders do fine until the rats and wild birds find them.

I started out using a U shape feeder out of PVC until the rats overran my coop. Poor people have poor ways is how grandpa put it.

The downside, you paid about half the cost of a real treadle feeder even for the cheaper thin wall pipe. Eventually you will pay for a treadle feeder or pay for it over and over and over in stolen feed.

Plus the waste of feed, the cost of the feed stolen, the disease brought in by the wild birds and rodents, and the difficulty of filling a PVC pipe. And the work of going out twice a day to uncap and recap once the varmints find the buffet. Until they chew through the plastic.

They are safe for pullets. No moving parts. A good way to get started in raising chickens and better than the hanging feeders.

 

[HenHangout]

Thankfully mice and rats haven't been a problem for me and I have yet to see one. I have squirrels, but they don't go near the coop. There is a rabbit that doesn't mind the chickens, but I've never seen it go for the feed

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Thankfully mice and rats haven't been a problem for me and I have yet to see one. I have squirrels, but they don't go near the coop. There is a rabbit that doesn't mind the chickens, but I've never seen it go for the feed

How do you keep the squirrels away from your coop?

 

[Al Gerhart]

How do you keep the squirrels away from your coop?

You keep them away from the feed and they aren't going to mess with the coop. Eggs maybe in the spring when they are nursing little ones and need protein. And chicks too, they do eat meat.

Squirrels are a lot harder to keep out of treadle feeders. It can be done with a ratproof feeder due to the inward swinging door and the distant treadle. One or two, the door springs keep enough tension on the door that they can't get in. More than that, they can push the door open but they usually get trapped inside. The feeder is hung on a metal cleat so you pick up the feeder, dump the feed in the hopper into a trash bag for re use, shake it a bit to get the feed in the lower feed tray recovered too, then either go for a ride to the woods or drown the dang tree rat in a barrel of water or the pond.

Sometimes though it isn't easy to fish the critter out of the feeder especially if there is more than one. Take a #2 square drive screwdriver with you just in case the door needs removed.

Caveat, treadle feeders will also trap chicks and poults and if you are backed up to a large forest you might never run out of squirrels no matter how many you drown. Better to fence squirrels out of a coop if you have tiny birds or dozens of squirrels.

 

[HenHangout]

How do you keep the squirrels away from your coop?

I never had a problem. There is woods the squirrels can forage from, and the treeline is 150+ ft from the coop. There is a massive walnut tree between the coop and the woods that gives the squirrels food as well