Each poultry farmer has several structures on his farm for feeding his birds, these are things purchased or made with his own hands. Chicken feeders made on your own save money and are also more convenient, since each farm must take into account its own nuances in the specifics of raising young and adult animals.
Recommendations for feeders
Owners usually intend to use homemade feeders for chickens and chickens for a long time; it was convenient for farmers to maintain the structures, and for chickens to eat comfortably. It is imperative that the feeders are: stable and safe; ergonomic; have special protection so that the bird does not scatter food during the meal; good for disinfection.
The strength of the base of a homemade structure is also important. Chicks and hens should not turn the tray over and spill feed. In this case, it is necessary to arrange a feeding device so that the living creatures do not crowd around the container with food, otherwise the weak, fragile chicks may remain hungry.
To ensure free access to feed, the length of the open-type feeder is made at the rate of 8 centimeters per bird, and 15 centimeters for four-week-old chickens. Closed feeders are made with holes that are numerically dependent on the number of birds.
The height of the feeder is 2 or 8 centimeters, which depends on the age of the chickens. Open structures must have a top crossbar or mesh; this will protect the trays from birds getting into them so that they do not trample down the food.
No protruding nails in devices for feeding chicks, so that the living creatures do not get hurt. Wooden and plywood feeders are sanded. If a metal profile is used for manufacturing, be sure to bend the edges of the walls of the structure.
Tip: Birds should be fed in feeders made of suitable material. A metal device is not suitable for liquid mash; due to water, corrosion is possible.
What types of feeders are there?
The methods by which devices for feeding domestic birds are made differ. The types of structures are also different: trays, grooves, bunkers, bottles and brooders.
A tray-type feeder is presented in the form of an elongated plastic or wooden container, which is actively used by older chickens. A metal mesh is fitted at the top. Dry mixtures are poured into these universal feeders and a mushy mash is poured.
The bunker feeder operates in automatic mode; they are needed where a lot of birds are bred. These are vertical containers with holes at the bottom. Buckets or modified water pipes are suitable as bowls. The dry mixture is poured into the bowl. Being under its own pressure, feed falls from below. Hopper devices are only suitable for crumbly food; porridge can get stuck.
Gutter-type devices are similar to tray ones, only the elongated sections are arranged at an angle of inclination. They are suitable for dry food. A positive feature is the ability to supply individual feed components when feeding chicks and adult birds.
Bottle feeders are good for small chickens.
Feeders also have a typical division, which depends on the place where they are located in the room. They can be internal (grooved, bottle and other types) and external, which are directly inaccessible to birds; they are easy to repair and carry out disinfection measures. It is better to use external devices when raising broiler chickens in a cage or installing them in a brooder.
A chick brooder is needed so that newborn chicks can survive without a hen. A box is often used as a room, or a miniature chicken coop, in which a lighting device is installed, heating and not without ventilation.
Tip: In the brooder for chickens, you need to install compact feeders with a hopper food supply.
Use of sewer pipes
After the repair, plastic sewer pipes remain, from which you can easily make a bunker feeder for dry food. For this you will need:
- a piece of pipe with a diameter of more than 60 mm;
- two plastic corners of the same diameter.
The pipe is fixed in a vertical position. Two corners are connected to its lower part. Dry food is poured into the pipe, which flows into the corners as it is consumed.
Designing a feeder based on the type of bunker
Before making a chicken feeder, determine the most appropriate type and estimate the size.
If there are a lot of bird heads, it is not necessary to install a bulky structure; it will be inconvenient to maintain. For large livestock, the required number of medium-sized installations is made to feed the birds. A bunker feeder is constructed using many elements: cuttings of water pipes (each length is at least 0.6 meters); adapters for pipes at a ninety-degree angle; plastic tee for pipes; pipe plugs; wide funnel; hacksaw for metal; three-millimeter drill; metal clamps; steel or copper wire with a diameter of 2 and a half millimeters; wood screws and a screwdriver.
Tip: When choosing pipe trim, look to ensure that the diameter is 12 cm so that the dry mixtures do not get stuck in the process. The selection of tees and adapters is carried out according to the size of the pipe openings.
The chick feeder hopper is constructed painstakingly and consistently. Using a hacksaw, a section of pipe is cut to the required length. Next they attach the tee to one side of the pipe. Adapters are put on both sides of it with the directions of their holes outward, that is, in the same direction as the pipe part that does not have an adapter.
Each adapter is shortened with a hacksaw. The main structure is installed vertically; the edges of the adapters in the outlet part of the feeder should be no higher than 8 centimeters.
Steel clamps (2 or 3) are placed on a long section of pipe. The pipe structure will be installed so that each open hole faces upward.
The feeder is attached to any wall in the chicken coop with clamps and screws. At the top you need to drill a pipe on opposite sides, stepping back a couple of cm from the edge. The presence of such holes should be on the funnel at the point of its expansion. 2 wires are inserted into the holes in the pipe and bent at the ends. By analogy, the second wire ends are fastened in the holes of the funnel. Dry mixtures are poured into a funnel about 30 cm in diameter. When the feed is poured in, it will turn over and sit on the open pipe part at an angle, preventing debris from getting into the feed.
Tools
Before starting work, the home craftsman should make sure that he has the following in his arsenal:
- stationery knife;
- hacksaw;
- drill and drills with a diameter of 3 and 5 mm;
- crosshead screwdriver;
- pliers.
To make some types of feeders, tin can be used, then to cut it you need to prepare metal scissors.
To supply dry feed to chickens, an automatic chicken feeder is most suitable. And you don’t have to buy it at all, you can just make it yourself easily and quickly.
Let's look at the different types of feeders for rabbits here.
What is the peculiarity of making feeders for pigs and which trays will be most convenient, read in this topic.
Bottle feeder
Feeders made from plastic bottles are compact; food is served from them, as in a bunker. For day-old chicks, the structures are installed in a brooder. Chicks are fed this way until they are 14 days old.
To build a feeder from a plastic bottle, you need to arm yourself with a two-liter container with a lid, a two-centimeter high plastic cup, a knife and a lighter.
Tip: Find a bowl such that its diameter is 2 or 3 centimeters wider than the bottom of the bottle.
The top of the bottle is cut off 10 centimeters down, as well as its bottom. The upper cut part of the bottle should be decorated with slots in a circle, each hole will have a diameter of one and a half or two centimeters. All sharp edges should be removed; to do this, they are melted.
The cut off top piece of the bottle with the cap is inserted into the remaining bottle so that the cap is at the top and the holes at the bottom. The structure is settled in a plastic cup and filled with food. You can cover the feeder with the bottom cut off from the bottle.
DIY chicken drinkers
DIY drinking bowl for goslings
Note! During the day, chickens drink almost twice as much as they eat. When creating a homemade drinking bowl, you need to take this factor into account and focus on capacity. Just as in the case of feeders, plastic bottles are widely popular as starting materials.
But now the volume of 2 liters will not be enough. It is better to use five- and three-liter bottles
Just as in the case of feeders, plastic bottles are widely popular as starting materials. But now the volume of 2 liters will not be enough. It is better to use five- and three-liter bottles.
Step-by-step instructions for assembling the structure:
- For containers with a larger diameter, the upper part is cut off, retreating approximately 5 cm from the lid. A bowl should form.
- A second, smaller container is attached to the first with screws, guiding the lid into the lid.
- Step back 5-8 cm from the neck of the second bottle and make small slits so that their height is not higher than the depth of the bowl.
- Using screws, the device must be attached to a wall, pole or other vertical object.
After this, you can safely pour water into the drinking bowl. It should be noted that there is no simpler method than this yet. It allows even a large number of chickens to be provided with sufficient water. Although there are also weaknesses. Such a device is not very stable and can tip over if a chicken gets into it. In addition, a bottle drinker quickly becomes dirty and is not easy to clean.
DIY chicken drinkers
In contrast to such an unreliable design, experienced poultry farmers came up with a more advanced system, which quickly became the most popular. We are talking about a nipple drinker. It works similar to drip irrigation. Stable, durable, easy to handle and durable. Ideal for broilers because... Meat breeds need plenty of fluids more than others. All you need to do is periodically add water to the tank. To assemble this model, you will need the following items:
- Nipples at 360.
- A bottle, bucket or barrel made of plastic.
- Plumbing Teflon thread.
- Drill with 9 mm drill bit.
- Tap and fasteners.
It is necessary to make holes in the container for each nipple and prepare the thread. Then install the nipples and treat the fastening with Teflon thread. After being fixed to a permanent place and disinfected, the drinker will be ready for use.
This method is considered the most profitable and requires a minimum of assembly time. But those who prefer a more practical design will definitely like a pipe drinker. You need to make grooves for the nipples on the plastic water pipe. The diameter of each hole is slightly less than a centimeter. Don't place them too close to each other. Otherwise, the chickens will crowd and disturb each other.
The optimal interval is 20 cm. The pipe on one side should be plugged. A hose supplying water is installed in the bottom of the water tank. If desired, you can connect directly to the water supply and sewer drain. This will greatly facilitate the process of cleaning and filling the drinking bowl. An approximate diagram of its implementation is shown in the figure below.
Drinking bowl diagram
The simplest feeder
A small feeder, similar to an automatic drinking bowl, is made from a plastic bucket and plate. Along the circle of the bucket, its edge should be decorated with cuts. After pouring the feed into the bucket, it is covered with a plate and turned over. As soon as the food starts to be consumed, new food will be poured into the plate.
How are devices for feeding food to broiler chicks characterized?
Feeders for broilers and their chickens are made of plastic, wood or made of profiles. This is a convenience for cages that house poultry that has limited movement and grows for meat. In broiler feeders, restrictive upper nets are not needed; the bars of the enclosure are sufficient.
It is necessary to install trays where hooks will be attached along the edges. When wooden containers are made, the surface must be coated with a moisture-proofing compound to prevent mold. You should regularly remove food debris and accumulated dirt from the trays.
Laying hens and chicks often live indoors in the chicken coop. Chickens have the opportunity to eat from almost any feeder. Combinations of different types of designs are also suitable for them.
Broilers are most easily fed from trays; it is better not to arrange combinations, since the birds are kept in tiers, bunker tiered feeding will be difficult, it will be inconvenient to remove excess from the feeder and clean dirt.
Tip: To feed your chicken greens, feeders that resemble baskets are suitable. To make them, rods or mesh are used.
DIY drinking bowls
There are three types of drinkers for chickens: simple, nipple and vacuum:
- The first type is a container filled with water. The only requirement is that the bird's head reaches the liquid. Chicks and chickens may start to bathe in such a drinker or turn it over;
- Vacuum drinker - the can is placed on a stand and turned over. Surface tension and pressure prevent water from spilling. Birds can knock down such a drinking bowl.
- Nipple drinkers require complex assembly using nipples and tubes. The main advantage is complete automation of watering. However, birds can easily break the structure;
Any of these schemes will make it possible to feed chickens quickly, economically and without wasting feed. Making a feeder yourself is a good idea if it is impossible to purchase one in specialized stores. Creation does not require much money, effort and time.
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What requirements must be followed when assembling a feeder?
It is taken into account that the birds should not rise above the food so that litter and chicken waste do not get into the food.
When cleaning a chicken brooder or other room where domestic birds are kept once a day, it is necessary to wash and disinfect all the feeders and drinkers there. Plastic or metal structures are the most ergonomic and light in weight and design.
The tray should be of such a size that the bird can eat in a free approach. Too little food is unacceptable to raise a full-fledged carcass for meat or laying hens. An adult can limit itself to 15 centimeters in the length of the container; for chicks, 8 cm is enough. In round feeders, 2.5 centimeters is enough for one individual.
Wood construction
This type of feeder can be simple or complicated. Two-story and simple versions are made from wood. Let us give an example of the production of a simple model in the shape of a trough.
Required materials:
- Boards/plywood, preferably thick.
- Hammer and nails.
- Saw.
- Ruler with pencil.
Assembly diagram:
- First, draw the future model, distribute all the details, dimensions, and fastening points.
- Apply the final drawing to the board, observing all proportions.
- Cut the pieces along the lines.
Advice: it is better to make the bottom heavier and thicker so that the chickens do not overturn the feeder. Make the height comfortable for the chickens.
- Fasten all the elements so that there are no gaps.
- The product may not be processed, only if desired and with a minimum amount of paint and varnish.
This design is convenient for dry and wet food.
