Gravity Chicken Feeder DIY, Dont Make these Mistakes!
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
- This is our experience with trying a quick and dirty gravity chicken feeder DIY style. Along the way I might have made a mistake or two, so dont make these mistakes! Let us know if it helps you or if you have any suggestions for a gravoty fed chicken feeder! Thanks for stopping by!
00:00 Intro
00:12 Where we have been
00:50 Current chicken feeder scenario
02:16 Things I didnt like about other folks feeders/processes
03:35 What I actually used
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We would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks for watching!
Just an FYI, when using a hole saw with plastics, start the hole with the drill bit but then reverse the drill to melt the hole through. It prevents the "wrist breaker" issue and prevents plastic cracking from one of the teeth catching.
Nice!
Drill a notch at 10 o’clock, big enough to fit the tab through. Twist tube to lock tab at 12 o’clock so desired angle is met.
Thanks for the laugh. The "growths" on the pipe... "should I saw it off? No, I'm lazy"...
Nice 🤣.
I'm too OCD to keep that thing there.
Sorry if mentioned.. Torch to heat the hole, slides like butta and seals to PVC. Was a bit lazy to read comments.. Keep up the DIY's, very informative!!
Ok, what I did is take a dollar store plastic bowl and put it inside my bucket. You may have to cut the bowl to size. Then I marked a line at the top of the bowl. I used a door bolt or door knob drill bit to cut about 10 holes in the bucket above the level of the bowl. The bowl in the bucket is the key. Keeps the feed available to the chickens. I put a center column in the bowl made from a large water bottle and screwed it to the bottom of the bowl. Holes in the bottom of the inner water bottle allow feed to go into the bowl. No waste. Put lid on bucket and an upside down large circular pan on that to create a drip line to keep out rain water. Probably need to do a video.
You are so much fun. So much of what you say is what happens in “my world” with a tongue in cheek humorous tone. Thank you
Thanks!
3 years old not sure if you still use this method, but I’ve found with the hard plastic 55 gallon drums you can just force those nubs of the elbow in. Bonus perk is it locks them in and them suckers ain’t goin anywhere.
Thanks much. Great video. I read through many of the comments. Many great suggestions.
I used a grinder with sanding wheel to grind the nubs back to smaller nubs. Elbows squeezed in nicely and the remaining, small nubs hold the elbows in tightly. No need for caulk.
One extra step, now that the elbows go in further, they are too long and run into each other inside the bucket. Cutting about an inch off of two of them (opposite facing) fixes this.
Thanks again!
Thanks, glad it helped!
One more thought… I need to make one more bucket feeder. This time I’ll make the holes higher by an inch so I don’t have to shorten the elbows. The longer elbows make for neater chickens.
We used a 3 inch hole drill with 3 inch elbows. We heated up holes with a torch to soften the bucket and pushed the elbow through. No need for caulking!!
Excellent idea! Will be doing that one the next set for sure! Thanks!
Street elbow, one end male, other end female, in 90s or 45s, I installed those 45s in a wooden hopper, holds whatever size you build, put a partition, pellets in one, grain in the other, load them direct from bag, even can make them to load without going inside, carpenters dream. 1st one was made in a 30 gallon barrel, it's now outside in the run. Just my 2bits worth.
Thanks. I plan on trying this tomorrow
Thanks for posting. I tried you simple method and it worked. I even used the Home Depot bucket and it worked fine. Although I used a 60 degree 3", I used 7.5" from the ring and it worked fine.
Glad it helped!
You went right to that tape measure and picked it up. Amazing! That never happens for me. I'll have half a dozen tape measures out and never be able to find a single one.
And the sad part is, most all those tap measures have a belt clip on them 🙄
Saw on another UA-cam channel: those elbows have male and female end. They cut off either one end or the other. Figure it out. Put the angled part inside and other outside (insert male into female, with bucket wall in between! Voila!
I've watched dozens of these videos today. Not only are you the coolest of cats and the funniest to watch (not to take away frome the other good folks), but your interpretation of this type of feeder is my fave! It's the simplist, it'scheap and It rectifies all of the challenges faced which need be compensated for with 'build fixes' in most of the other designs.
Great post! Please keep them coming! Wishing all the best from out farm to yours!!
I am making one with a 55 gallon drum I like the idea of stopping at the notch on the pipe. Because it looks like it would keep the rain out more than if you take it off.
I like your style of building and way if explaining it ...you earned a new subscriber ty!
Welcome aboard!
I cut a U shaped form out of the base of the inner elbow so the chickens have more access to the food on the bottom of the bucket without. Beware: My chickens pecked the dried caulk off the outside of my bucket.
Thank you. I need to make one of those, the chicken feeder we have holds a lot of grain but it’s too easy for the chickens to get in and make a big mess everyday.
Street means it's female on one side and male on the other side. I used a 3-5/8" hole saw and it worked perfect. As far as removing the plastic nubs I left mine on but if you wanted to remove them I'd use a file or angle grinder with flapper disc.
Fyi, you should have measured from the bottom of the bucket due to buckets can come in different sizes and if someone wanted to use a larger trash can instead then the measurement would be the same no matter what size bucket/trash can was.
Good Idea! Thanks!
i was thinking the same thing also. i happen to have the same bucket, and 7" down from the lip ends up being 4-1/8" from the bottom of the bucket. thanks for the video!
@@elmoco1977 Thank you! Much more useful than a "Good Idea! Thanks!" response.better
@@elmoco1977 thanks
I was hoping Someone would supply that information.
Excellent!!! Thanks for sharing :)
Thanks Bill!
Works great. Thanks
Thanks!
Good suggestions on using a measuring stick to help mark your buckets and the size from the inside and outside diameters of your fittings being different, and using a half inch larger hole saw. You can warm your PVC fittings with a propane touch and trim off that moulding sprue. The torch will make it so you can cut it off with a knife.
Nice suggestions!
Excellent video. Excellent content. Much appreciated. 👍
Thanks Mark!
Very good and honest presentation!! Recently, I have watched another presentation of said subject matter on Nichols County (youtube); however, he used a 55 gallon barrel and was able to push that tip inside the barrel (thicker barrel wall?). You and he might "consult" with each other and come up with a solution.
Used the Oscillator tool with mini saw blade and zipped right through those PVC numbs. Now I can get the street valves flush with the tote. 👍
Good stuff
Thanks for the precious info
My pleasure
I'll probably never need to build a chicken feeder, but I always enjoy your videos. Good to see you back at it, brother. Keep it up!
So good to see you Ben!! Thanks for stopping by, it warms the heart to see old friends!
For future reference, street refers to having one male and one female end on a bend fitting. Standard bends are 22.5, 45, 60, and 90 degrees. I hope the chickens are well!
To get that nubbin off, a saw is your best best.
Thanks Rob!
If you run the Hole Saw in Reverse it will not break your Wrist and it leaves the Hole nice and clean.
Thanks for the #protip !
Does that work on wood?
How rat/mice deterant is this? After my neighbor clear cut her land I've had a rat influx in a massive way
I used my 4 inch grinder with a half worn cutting disc to cut the hole ,90 deg elbow facing down ,when i was driving to town i find pvc fittings from time to time they fall off plumbers pickups .i brought a fancy feeder i wish i still had the recept i would of got my money back.
Thanks for sharing
ALSO IF YOU NEED LARGER FEEDERS USE A PLASTIC TRASH CAN,WORKS GREAT FOR LARGE NUMBER OF FOUL
I like that you showed the bucket. I want to do a trash can.
I might do a trash can as a trail this coming meat bird season and see which works better. One reason I like the 5 gallon buckets is that we can hang it and not have to leave it on the ground. This helps to get it at the perfect height and it doesnt kill the pasture where we move the bords every day.
Try to move a trash can full of feed before you commit to drilling holes. 😊
For the nub on top, I notch the bucket with my dremel, then use it to hold everything in place
Nice video
At what height should the feed opening be, for the chickens to be able to feed?
Thanks
FYI "street" elbow just means one side is male and one side is female. They come in 45 and 90 other angles as well. Nice video!
I haven’t read all the responses yet, but to get the PVC flush on the bucket, how about using a soldering iron and melt a notch at hole at about 9 o’clock (or so) and twist to point the opening as you had it? Would that work? Then there is no cutting or cracking.
Another thought I had. I don’t like using non food grade materials. A legit feed bucket and food grade silicone if there is such a thing, is how I will probably go. I need to look into water quality PVC I think. This is awesome and I am gonna give it a go. Thanks so much for the video. I chose to watch yours being the shortest of them all and it likely is the best.
Thanks so much! How did your search for modifications go! Anything I can learn from you?
thanks
Put the 90 on top of a 2or laying next to the bucket and mark the center from the edge if the pipe. This gives an inch and half at bottom for food
I just made my new feeder because the goats rammed my first one. I have had chicks get stuck in the PVC pipe before, so look out for that if you have chicks.
I traced the circle and cut around with tin snips. Easy peasy.
That would have worked as well I reckon!
I used a trash can that has more flexible plastic than a bucked and was able to push the nub in without notching the can.
Street has a male and female end, it's for connecting fitting to fitting without using pipe between.
Hello- Has this method stop or reduce the lose of chicken feed since you have done this? I am looking for another method of a gravity feeder.
Melt the bump with soldering iron?
When cutting plastic ,Run the drill in reverse, it won’t hang up
ditto
Excellent tip!
👍🏽 I will test this tomorrow!
Another video showed same thing but literally popped that notch right in. I think u just have to make the hole bigger so it fits snug and u won't need caulking.
You are close. Both 90 and 45 degree fittings are elbows. Street fitting means male on one end female on the other
Good to know!
How well do they work in the rain? My biggest problem is I have no where to put my food under cover and I have one of the cheap red/white top load feeders and every time in rains. I loose a half a feeder full of food. Plus it’s a hitch to get clean
Maybe you could build a small "leanto" for the feed buckets? Just jam (4) 2x4 pressure treated legs in the ground like 12 inches deep and then make a small 4ftx4ft frame across the top. Set two legs slightly shorter than the other two, set your frame on it, thenm add some old tin roofing of something. We did something similar for a few years before we had these buckets. Worked great!
Hope this helps!
uhm...put/buy a lid for the bucket
@@tmod19modestacres you don’t understand what I’m saying. The rain gets in the bottom of my normal store bought feeder. That’s why I went looking for something like this in the first place.
start to instert the PVC elbow inside the bucket.maybe it works. good day :)
Does it have to be that size of hole for the chickens? I’m going to have about 100 chickens feeding out of these and I’d like to have 5 holes per bucket. Seems like their little heads could fit in a smaller pipe.
Smaller holes might be better for chickens as they tend to "throw" their food more than ducks do!
2” works well with chickens. Have you built it yet?
Use a bigger bucket!
@@TheHalfwayHomestead
Not my ducks! Messiest animals ever. But I love 'em.
I always find it easier to run the drill in reverse after it starts to bite
YES! I kept cracking in forward, in reverse. It sort of just melts its way through with a slight saw cut. Much easier in reverse!
Hey your video is quite interesting. I am thinking of implementing it. Just one issue, i have a lot of rat, and once they smell all the feed, it will be their party. How can i stop that?
Only feed what your chickens will eat.
Great video. Quick question, how many of these feeders do you need for ten chickens?
I have one 5 gallon bucket with 3 ports for 6 chickens and the chickens take turns eating they eventually all eat their fill without any fighting. Either one 5 gal bucket with 4 ports or 2 five gallon buckets with 3 ports should work for 10 chickens.
Is the angel working for you? I was wondering if the feed would be easier with a straight piece instead? I have no idea. Just wondering.
You need the angle so that rain water doesn't get in
Make a lttle notch on bottom of each hole put elbow in upside down then turn elbow up. Then its locked in
So , all you have to do for that part sticking up is poke them out from the inside little wiggling you should
Manage 4 in a bucket ! @halfwayhomestead
😅i used a jig saw. Then i heat gunned the pvc to fold the bottom of the opening up to retain chicken food from spilling out. On my channel
I free range my chickens and have goats.. I'm looking for a feeder that a chicken can access but a goat can't! I'm wondering if this would be a solution.. I have Nigerians. I'm wondering if I did a slightly smaller pipe than the goats wouldn't be able to get their muzzle in there as easily?! Any suggestions would absolutely be appreciated. Thanks for the video!!
As we dont have goats (YET!!!) I am not sure about changing the diameter. Personally we have found we had to pace the buckets on a cinder block to get it high enough for the chickens AND ducks to use it.
That's what I will be trying. I'd suggest you secure the feeder, because if the goats knock it over and bang it around (they seem to have a habit of that), then the lid could pop off and you'd have a bunch of sick, bloated goats.
Those protruding pieces of plastic could be used to hold the pvc onto the bucket and eliminate the caulk?!🤷♀️
If you put the elbows in a plastic 55 gallon drum it will work better bub...
My chickens had about 1/3 of the bucket full of feed out on the ground in less than 2 hrs.
U mean they spilt it everywhere??
I have the same problem. Pls let me know if you find a solution.
Run the drill in reverse 😁🔨
to make the outside part shorter, cut off the largest part of the pic part that is sticking out
Thanks!
Gravity system for chicken
funny to think about... $15 total then. 2023 those fittings are $8+ each.
The nubbing comes off easy on a table saw. Be careful of course. I made a tee-pee out of 3 t-posts and hung the feeder from the center. Helps keep critters out.
We did acomposting bucket for feeding maggots to our birds as well. Great idea!
If you don't have any hole saw that size then you could use a jigsaw
Snip it,
snip it in the bud!
I am actually looking for an alternative to this bucket method. I used it last year and I realized my entire coop floor is nothing but chicken feed as a result. Nozzles are facing down but the chickens can drain the entire bucket all over the floor in a few days. This method does not work well for me.
I am experiencing the exact same problem. These videos say no spill feeder but I've watched the feed come out when the chicken pulls her head out. I am experimenting with different heights to see if less spillage occurs at a certain height. If you find something that works please reply to me. These eggs are getting awfully expensive.
@@thekat268 I solved the issue by getting two large hanging feeders from TS. No issues since then. Pair for themselves the first month...
@@vadadofthr3357 thank you so much. I looked it up on the TS website. I assume it's the metal feeder. Will buy one tomorrow. How long have you been using it? Do you hang it or put it on the floor?
@@thekat268 I purchased the plastic ones Harris Farms Hanging Feeder, 10 lb. I have two of them which will hold enough feed (for me) for 5 isa's and two guinea hens for a week without issue. I hung them about bird head height, maybe a little lower. The hanging/swinging seems to allow them to eat without issue but not to swipe food out. I seem to recall people saying the ribs in the plastic one prevented it but the larger ones without the support ribs were still prone to the birds knocking the food out, something with the support spacers seemed to prevent them from swinging their head around and knocking everything out. I have been using them for probably 4-6 months guesstimate? My understanding is that hanging it is key to stopping the feed loss. However now that they have realized that they cant knock out their food, boredom has overtaken them and now they eat all their eggs....havent figured out how to stop that yet, I feel chicken soup coming later this winter I think....
@@vadadofthr3357 thank you. I should have waited for your reply. I assumed they were the galvanized metal feeders. I drove to tractor supply and stones hardware. They both had the hanging plastic feeders but not the metal ones.
So sorry abt them eating their own eggs. What a drag! I was suspicious mine were doing that. I would go out to the coop about the time they laid eggs and grab the eggs as they laid them. If they were on the nest I'd give them some scratch. Later I discovered one of the chickens lays paper thin eggs. Mystery solved.
I did this with an old Coleman cooler. Unfortunately the ducks and chickens pull food out and its all over the ground. Jeesh. I am trying to prevent rats, mice and chippy's coming in. I will still keep at it to find the right system for all of us, that is, excluding varmits.
Great Idea!
Add a cap to the outside with a lip so the food can't be pulled out
Can you raise the cooler up higher? Apparently, think i saw this in video 846 today, it keeps the fowl from raking it out. HTH!
@@ashamaryland Yes I did this and I put a tray below to catch grain. Thanks!
Hey glad you brought it up, were you able to find out any solution for mice?
Food Grade Buckets!
Street just means it is male on one end and female on other also 90 degree works better than 45
Very inexpensive, but I see a problem that my chickens have. The picks of the 4 chickens will be too close, and one of my chickens whose name is Napster, picks the other chickens, she wants to eat without company, so the others have to go away and come back later, but in the morning, they are all hungry. So this DIY will not work for me. I need dividers inside so the 4 chickens do not see each other while feeding.
Made a 55 gallon feeder today. Put 5 elbows in mine.
That’s smart. It would last my 6 ducks for about 3 days 😬
Shiver it on through and it locks elbow in.
do you not think that a 90 would be better than a 45
heat the bucket and push the nub thru
Those 45* elbows are $7 each now!
Ya, unfortunately when we print money...
Sorry!
You push the pipe through and the notch keeps the pipe flush. Push the notch through.
It takes 2 seconds with a die grinder and sanding disc.
Never owned a die grinder, had to look it up. I can see where that would have been faster for sure! Thanks!
just lazy
Trash can also feeds more birds at a time.
Please use a work bench so we can see what you are doing
I have made a feeder like this, but unfortunately, they spelled the food.
You're hole-sawing plastic; try running the cutting edge backwards~?
Good idea! Thanks!
Heat gun
How many chickens for each bucket? I have 13 chickens
We use 3 buckets for about 30 birds, but honestly it only matters on how often you have to fill them.
Remove the small nipple with a 4 in grinder and a fitting thin disk,boom quick even for a lazy guy,lol.
Chickens will attempt to eat the caulking. That can't be good for them.
caulk the inside
Have to have a long neck to reach the feed
45 sucked. 90 much better. Ducks had more feed on the ground than in the bucket. Lots of wasted feed.
Run it in reverse and you won't have any problems does not take a rocket scientist to figure this out
Thanks!
Rude much Donald...
Do you have complicated this it is simpler than what you have just done
Any suggestions how I could do it easier?
how to keep rodents out of it?
We did have some squirrels eating some of the seed, but that was a problem we already had using buckets.
.
Rat feeder! Cannot keep the rats out.
Hang them off the ground and its no problem!! I get squirrels but that is ALWAYS going to happen