Rent a coop DIY feeder between hardware cloth?

[ReesaAnne]

I'm looking for examples if anyone has used the DIY rent-a-coop parts to build a feeder attached the hardware cloth. I want the container to be on the outside of the run so i can fill it without going in, but have the chickens be able to stick their heads in from the inside. It seems like i should be able to do this, by cutting a hole, sandwiching the edge of the hardware cloth when the two pieces of the diy kit get fit together.

Same question with horizontal nipples, does anyone have examples of a design using horizontal nipples where the container is on the outside, right up against the wire and the birds can still drink from nipples on the inside. I want to try to use a heated bucket with horizontal nipples next winter, the dog dish was a pain to keep clean. But i want to be able to fill the bucket from the outside.

 

[PopoMyers]

Your ingenuity and idea sounds great! I bet it would work. Would make that chore so much easier. What size are the fence holes? I put a water nipple on a square jug and put that on a riser, outside the girl's broody cage (a wire rabbit hutch). She drank just fine. As long as the nipple goes through the wire, they'll be able to drink with their pointy beaks. I would think you could use a square bucket with lid, like a cat litter bucket, cleaned thoroughly.

 

[Happy hen lover]

I think the feeder should work for sure. I try the waterer nipple first because we had leaks if our horiz nipples weren't sucked up tight to water source. I tried to do this with the cup waterers but they couldn't drop so didn't fill. I've had good luck with my rent a coop horiz nipples on trash cans, drywall buckets, but had leaks when we installed on our 1 1/2 PVC pipe. We put JB weld on them and no leaks since. Good luck

 

[ReesaAnne]

Your ingenuity and idea sounds great! I bet it would work. Would make that chore so much easier. What size are the fence holes? I put a water nipple on a square jug and put that on a riser, outside the girl's broody cage (a wire rabbit hutch). She drank just fine. As long as the nipple goes through the wire, they'll be able to drink with their pointy beaks. I would think you could use a square bucket with lid, like a cat litter bucket, cleaned thoroughly.

It's half inch hardware cloth. Having a little bit of a hard time finding a square bucket. We don't have cats.

 

[PopoMyers]

A thicker walled tote may work. Someone on here used a laundry soap bucket, which are sometimes flat sided.

 

[Happy hen lover]

It's half inch hardware cloth. Having a little bit of a hard time finding a square bucket. We don't have cats.

I used ice cream buckets could use a 5 gal food safe bucket

 

[PNW keeper]

Hey, I think we are trying to do similar things with our feeding approach. I just posted some thoughts around my design idea.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/diy-pvc-feeder-design-looking-for-feedback.1523784/

For my waterer, I have a PVC pipe connected underground to my hose bib. I'll use those little red cups that auto-refill as it seems a bit more similar for the chickens drinking in nature vs. the nipples. But those will be tied directly into water supply. Haven't implemented it yet though.

 

[ReesaAnne]

Hey, I think we are trying to do similar things with our feeding approach. I just posted some thoughts around my design idea.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/diy-pvc-feeder-design-looking-for-feedback.1523784/

For my waterer, I have a PVC pipe connected underground to my hose bib. I'll use those little red cups that auto-refill as it seems a bit more similar for the chickens drinking in nature vs. the nipples. But those will be tied directly into water supply. Haven't implemented it yet though.

Yeah we have the cups now, they get super messy. i have to clean them most days. And we can't use them in the winter.

 

[PNW keeper]

Yeah we have the cups now, they get super messy. i have to clean them most days. And we can't use them in the winter.

I've noticed the cups getting messy as well, but I have them low to the ground right now on 1 gal jugs because the chicks are little. If they get woodchips in there, it's not a huge concern, but if they start standing on there and pooping, that would be annoying. Fortunately, as long as we're not cutting through the hardware cloth to accommodate the waterers, the design can always be fine tuned.

I'm concerned about my feeder because I will need to make a whole the size of the feeder to fit that through. May need to reinforce around it as well.