Wasteproof Feeder Requirements

[Adey65]

I saw a post from several years back on here and numerous videos on YouTube about the bucket feeders which are built using pvc guttering parts such as street elbows which allow chickens to put their head in to eat from the bottom of the bucket, vastly reducing food waste. Is this what I need to make such a feeder?

https://clearambershop.com/collecti...nd-downpipe-92deg-bend?variant=43456954990804

I purchased some of those feeding ports off Amazon that come with a holeslaw, allowing you to insert them into a bucket to make, what they describe as a feeder that helps reduce waste. My girls obviously didn't read the script because they make more mess than ever using this feeder.

I looked the dine a chook feeders, which look great, but are bit pricy for me at the moment, hence why I am looking to go down the DIY route.

 

[K0k0shka]

That design backfired horribly for me, too. I don't understand how people can rave about it and say it's any kind of waste-free. The chickens would just rake the feed right out and fling it everywhere. I got the elbows and did all the work, then I modified it a couple of times, and it never worked to reduce waste, it was more wasteful as you say.

I eventually found the perfect DIY feeder, right here on BYC:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-waste-free-funnel-bucket-feeder.67218/

I've been using this for years and it is truly, and absolutely, waste free!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I made bucket feeders with ports, too. The one with the PVC elbows works pretty well. But then I saw some kits at Bomgaars and bought a couple of those. Buyer's Remorse, big time! Very wasteful! The ports are very shallow, allowing the hens to bill out large quantities of crumble! Not happy at all. Also, and this is the worst - my BJG rooster got terrible frostbite and damage to comb and wattles eating out of those ports during extremely cold weather. And once the damage was done he could not eat out of them at all because of the pain. Poor guy! I'm going to build new feeders based on @aart's design.

 

[Adey65]

That design backfired horribly for me, too. I don't understand how people can rave about it and say it's any kind of waste-free. The chickens would just rake the feed right out and fling it everywhere. I got the elbows and did all the work, then I modified it a couple of times, and it never worked to reduce waste, it was more wasteful as you say.

I eventually found the perfect DIY feeder, right here on BYC:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-waste-free-funnel-bucket-feeder.67218/

I've been using this for years and it is truly, and absolutely, waste free!

I think I'm going to use this design without the tube and bottle as I don't need an automatic feeder as I'm home all day, and I can take the feeder in at night. What's the ideal measurement from the bottom of the bucket to the bottom of the opening to deter them dragging food out.

 

[Al Gerhart]

That design backfired horribly for me, too. I don't understand how people can rave about it and say it's any kind of waste-free. The chickens would just rake the feed right out and fling it everywhere. I got the elbows and did all the work, then I modified it a couple of times, and it never worked to reduce waste, it was more wasteful as you say.

I eventually found the perfect DIY feeder, right here on BYC:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-waste-free-funnel-bucket-feeder.67218/

I've been using this for years and it is truly, and absolutely, waste free!

That is a much better alternative to a pvc feeder if you are on a budget and can't afford a real feeder. The split tubing acts as a feed lip, protruding into the bucket to stop feed raking.

It will get you by until rodents or wild birds force you into buying a good feeder.

Here is what I would do. Count your chickens (LOL), weigh out 1/4 pound of feed per bird, ignore the roosters unless you have several or more. Mark the level of the feed in your usual bucket that you use for feeding so you can easily and quickly put out the right amount of feed per day. Now you might put more than one day of feed in your feeder but the idea is to have some idea of the amount of feed used per day.

As long as the chickens aren't using up too much feed, you are only feeding chickens. Save your money, keep using the funnel feeder.


I get it about the people raving about the pvc feeders. I think the waste they are most concerned about is their wallet but they pay for real feeders over and over again through feed waste.

 

[K0k0shka]

That is a much better alternative to a pvc feeder if you are on a budget and can't afford a real feeder. The split tubing acts as a feed lip, protruding into the bucket to stop feed raking.

It will get you by until rodents or wild birds force you into buying a good feeder.

Here is what I would do. Count your chickens (LOL), weigh out 1/4 pound of feed per bird, ignore the roosters unless you have several or more. Mark the level of the feed in your usual bucket that you use for feeding so you can easily and quickly put out the right amount of feed per day. Now you might put more than one day of feed in your feeder but the idea is to have some idea of the amount of feed used per day.

As long as the chickens aren't using up too much feed, you are only feeding chickens. Save your money, keep using the funnel feeder.


I get it about the people raving about the pvc feeders. I think the waste they are most concerned about is their wallet but they pay for real feeders over and over again through feed waste.

I don't put feeders outside, so that takes care of the wild birds side of the problem, and mostly the rodents, too. My funnel feeder is in the coop, and the coop has an auto door that closes at night, so rodents can't get in. They could theoretically chew through the wooden walls of the coop, and I do check them periodically, but I haven't found any chewing yet. They could also theoretically get in through the pop door during the day, but thankfully they haven't yet. The only thing that's gotten through the pop door during the day to steal feed was a squirrel, and it very quickly came to regret that decision. A grandpa feeder is probably the best option, but I can't justify the cost, especially since I currently don't have a waste problem, rodent problem or other pressing need for one.

 

[K0k0shka]

I think I'm going to use this design without the tube and bottle as I don't need an automatic feeder as I'm home all day, and I can take the feeder in at night. What's the ideal measurement from the bottom of the bucket to the bottom of the opening to deter them dragging food out.

I would say at least 2 inches from the top of the feed to the bottom of the opening. The bottom of the bucket is less relevant, because if you overfill it with feed then it doesn't matter how far down the bottom is, if the feed level is too close to the opening. But with 2 inches, they'll have a really hard time flinging anything out.

I wouldn't skip the tube though. It protects their neck feathers from the sharp edge of the cut plastic. I've read people's accounts of chickens' feathers breaking from the constant friction with the edge. If you have roosters or hens with big wattles and combs, they can get damaged from the friction with the edge, too.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Rats will happily eat during the day, mice, the chickens might get them, rats, unlikely.

Grandpa feeders are not rat proof, they never were, reading the negative reviews on Amazon tells that story. They do work for wild birds.

The lid is too light, no spring pre loading so the rats just push the door up and chow down, then they put that wide treadle step so the rats can overwhelm the treadle and eat in comfort.

And their Chinese manufacturer has the tooling set for the original design and until their sales drop even more they aren't going to re tool to fix their poor design.

But you are in good shape now with the funnel feeder controlling the waste so hopefully you will never have to deal with rats.

 

[Adey65]

I made one this morning, minus the bottle as I will top it up daily and take it in ar night. As for rats, unfortunately I have already spotted two on the camera in the run. I have put two bait boxes in there with snap traps with peanut butter on. I haven't set the traps yet, but the peanut butter from the one was taken last night.. I'll do the same tonight, and then if it's gone again in the morning, I'll set the traps the following night. I had mice previously and caught 8 in total in humane traps and took them into the woods a few miles away. I havent seen any since. I've heard really positive things about the Ratinator, so am contemplating getting one of those. The inly downside is the shipping costs as they are not available in the UK. The shipping cost of £70 is almost as much as the product itself. The girls have taken to the feeder straightaway, and no spillage, so hopefully with no food for the rats to dine on, they might do one and clear off somewhere else.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Yeah, shipping from the U.S. to the UK does cost that much plus you guys have to pay the customs charges in person, no pre pay.

But, how is that feeder going to stop rats? I'd keep the traps and bait going.

There is one halfway decent treadle feeder available in the UK. Inward swinging door, but it has a honking huge step which isn't good and I am certain the door isn't spring loaded. But, sometimes even a poor treadle feeder will stop a couple of rats. Do a Google search, you will find it. If I remember right it has a handle right on top of the lid.