The main equipment of any poultry house is feeders and drinkers for chickens and adult chickens. Raising poultry is a simple process. But responsible, requiring constant monitoring. Without timely supply of food and water, birds will gain weight poorly and lay less eggs. For the convenience of keeping chickens, many variations of feed and drinking containers were invented. Each has positive and negative sides. Some can be assembled with your own hands.
Materials for making feeders
Tree
Wooden feeders come in different sizes and shapes. Placed on the floor or wall.
Disadvantage: only suitable for dry food. Wet mash will soak the wood. This will significantly shorten its service life.
But even when using a wooden container only for dry food, it still needs to be treated with a special product that protects it from high humidity.
Plastic (plastic)
The main advantages of plastic and plastic feeders are that they are easy to clean and suitable for dry food and wet food.
Such containers are not afraid of sudden temperature changes and are durable. Attracted by the low cost and availability of materials.
The only drawback of the products is that they require constant cleaning and disinfection. If you do not do this on time, the passage in the feed trough may become clogged. So it will become a useless piece of furniture for the chicken coop.
A simple, convenient and cheap example of such a container for food is discussed in the article: “Assembling a chicken feeder from a sewer pipe.”
Metal
Metal feeders are used for dry and wet food. Like the previous ones, they are easy to care for.
But when using wet mash, care must be taken to ensure that the metal does not react with water. And there was no corrosion on it. Otherwise, it’s easier to throw away the structure. And buy or build a new one.
Products made from metal rods are more often used for green fodder and dry hay. The design is good because the chicken will not be able to climb inside and trample the food. Or leave waste products in it.
To make such a chicken feeder you will need more tools than, for example, to assemble a wooden one. When designed correctly, it is easy to clean.
Simple dining room
Design does not require much time, as well as the most affordable materials. To do this you need to prepare:
- sharp knife;
- chain-link mesh;
- a special plastic canister with a handle.
Such a plastic container must be emptied of the contents inside, washed and dried well. The old side is carefully cut off. A cut is made in the handle so that it can be hung on the mesh that encloses the chicken coop. The food is poured directly into the bottle. It is very important that the container is located at a height that is as comfortable as possible for the chicken itself.
By way of serving food
Tray
It is a flat structure, with low sides attached to the base. They protect the grain from spilling.
Designed mainly for feeding small chickens.
Grooved
Almost identical to the tray one. But it is made at a slight angle. Rarely used for feeding wet mash.
Bunker
The bulk of the food is closed in the upper part of the product. As feed volumes decrease, the same amount is displaced from most of the feeder.
The advantage of the bunker type is the automatic feed supply. This frees up a lot of time for the farmer. No less important is the protection of feed from external environmental influences: dirt, scattering by chickens, precipitation.
The only downside is that it only serves dry food. The fact is that wet food cannot be displaced under its own weight. It will get stuck in the narrow part of the structure, thereby clogging it.
Automatic
Similar to a bunker. In specialized stores, an automatic food feeder will cost a lot of money.
It will take a lot of time to build such a structure yourself, but it is quite possible. You can draw up the drawing yourself. Or find a suitable one on the Internet.
An automatic feeder provides chickens with food for several days. The time period for feeding birds with food depends on the number of birds and the size of the container.
Bunker design
To create a bunker feeder yourself, you need special plywood or a sheet of steel. First, a special project for the entire structure is created. On a sheet of selected material, the front wall of the bunker with a total size of 40*50 cm and the rear wall with a total size of 40*40 cm are drawn. In addition, two identical cone-shaped parts are drawn from which the side walls are created. For the roof, draw a rectangle larger than the top of the bunker.
All parts must be processed with an electrical unit. The plywood bunker will be connected using slats and special hardware. Steel parts are welded using electric or gas welding. A special slot is left at the bottom of the bunker for pouring feed. In the same part you need to strengthen the oblong tray. For convenient filling of food, the lid is attached to special hinges.
By placement method
Floor
A common type of feeder. And easy to make yourself.
It is convenient because it can be installed anywhere in the chicken coop or enclosure for walking chickens. It will not be difficult to change the location of the floor container.
When choosing such a feeder, you should take into account its dimensions. And also the sizes of the sides. It is suitable for adult chickens and day-old chicks.
Floor containers should be cleaned more often due to open access to food for chickens. Food in such a feeder gets dirty faster.
Hanging
The advantage of a hanging feeder is that you can protect dry and wet food from environmental factors. And from the bird itself.
It is suspended at some distance from the floor of the chicken coop. At the same time, attention is paid to ensuring that the chickens can reach the food.
Basically, this type of design is used for adult birds.
Wall-mounted
The wall structure is firmly held by special brackets on the wall. The food will not be able to crumble. Even if one of the birds hits the feeder.
Installation of such a product is a little more complicated than previous options. But this only increases its reliability.
At what distance from the floor to hang a wall feeder depends on the age of the bird that will feed from it.
Often, it is installed for older chickens or adults. For day-old or week-old chicks, a floor feeder is used.
Vertical bottle product
The simplest design is considered to be a bottle feeder. To create one container, you need to use a bottle with a total volume of 1.5 l, 2 l and 5 l. Creation instructions:
- A 1.5 liter bottle is used to create a bunker for filling the feed mixture. To do this, the bottom is cut off, and a hole with a total diameter of about 20 millimeters is cut in a circle near the throat.
- In a two-liter bottle, the bottom is cut off, leaving a side of about 10 centimeters. This will be the hopper lid.
- The bottom of a five-liter bottle is cut off, leaving a side with a height of 15 centimeters. As a result, we will have a container into which we can pour feed from the bunker. Afterwards, a special hole is drilled in the middle of the cut bottom, the total diameter of which will reach the size of the threaded neck of a bottle with a volume of 1.5 liters. The same hole must be created in the plywood material. It is necessary to give stability to the product.
- Next, all the main parts are combined. The bottom of a five-liter feeder is placed on the neck of a 1.5 liter bottle, and then a piece of plywood. All parts are tightened with a special stopper. The creation of the feeder is completed.
The structure must be turned over so that the cap of the 1.5 liter bottle is at the bottom. As a result, we will get a special vertical bunker. You need to pour food inside, and cover the container on top with a lid from the bottom of a two-liter bottle. Through such a hole near the throat, food is poured into a container from the bottom of a 5-liter bottle.
Dimensions
When choosing a feeder in specialized stores, you should pay attention to its size.
Dimensions are calculated based on the number of heads.
There should be at least 10 centimeters of feeder surface per adult. One chicken requires 2 times less space.
It is better to choose a container for more heads than you actually have. Otherwise, when a new chicken appears, you will have to buy or make a new feeder.
Chicken feeders
The need for a feeder for chickens arises from the first minutes of their life.
In the first week, small chicks need frequent feeding. Therefore, a bunker tank is suitable for them. This will make it possible to control the amount of feed in the livestock less frequently.
But more often simpler versions of feeders are used. For example, made from plastic bottles.
One of the important factors to consider when choosing or making a chicken feeder is access to feed. Small chicks will not be able to reach food located in a hanging container. And they won’t be able to eat from all the wall species.
Continuing the topic, we recommend that you read the information from the article: “Assembling chicken feeders with your own hands.”
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For egg hens and broilers
When choosing feeders for egg-laying chickens or broilers, you need to pay attention to the fastening elements.
Broiler chickens are mainly kept in cages. Therefore, food containers must have hooks or brackets on the sides with which they attach to the cages.
When keeping birds on the floor, the feeders must be protected from above. This will prevent the feed from getting into the chicken waste and being taken away.
You also need to choose the right volume of container to hold food. Since broilers develop quickly, they consume more feed than egg-laying breeds.
Buy or make
The difference between a purchased feeder and one made with your own hands according to your own drawing is only in price.
When designing a product yourself, you can have no doubt about the quality of the material, reliability and stability of the assembled container.
The main advantage is savings. Basically, feeders are made from improvised materials left over after renovation. For example, from a piece of sewer pipe. Or from a material that has long been waiting to be used somewhere in a garage or shed.
It is important to observe the nuances in the manufacture of feed containers for chickens. And then the assembled product will be no worse than what was purchased for a lot of money in stores.
The article “Making chicken feeders with your own hands” will help you choose and make a simple option.
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Types of drinking bowls
Material
For drinking water, drinking bowls must be installed in the chicken coop, which are recommended to be securely fastened.
When choosing a drinking bowl, you should pay attention to the material from which it is made. Wood or plywood disappears immediately. Metal is bad because when it comes into contact with water, rust appears on it.
The optimal material is plastic. Enameled and ceramic containers are also suitable for storing water.
However, ceramic ones will have to be constantly checked for integrity. Since a bird can break off a piece of the product and swallow it. This can be fatal.
Bowls or bowls
Simple cups and bowls are suitable as water containers. But there are some difficulties with their location.
If they are on the floor, the water in them will become contaminated literally 10 minutes after the change. These drinkers are easy to overturn if they are not secured.
However, this is the easiest option for installing a drinking bowl in a chicken coop. Bowls and bowls are easy to clean. They can be hung, but the water in them will not last long.
Vacuum
Mainly made of plastic.
The undoubted advantage of such a drinking bowl is that the water is not accessible to the chickens. Accordingly, they cannot pollute it with dust, droppings, or feathers.
Vacuum drinkers can be purchased or made in a variety of sizes. It all depends on the number of chickens in the house.
Such drinking bowls are easy to maintain. The operating principle is similar to a bunker feeder. After the bird has drunk all the water in a horizontal container, it is supplied there from a cylinder mounted vertically.
Automatic drinking bowls
Automatic drinkers include vacuum and siphon. The principle of operation is to automatically supply water to chickens at the moment when it runs out in mini containers.
Automatic drinking bowls can be wall-mounted or floor-mounted. They have a lot of advantages. Compared to floor-mounted open containers. The water in the cylinders is clean. Access to external factors is closed. There is no need to change the fluid or check its quantity every hour.
Automatic drinkers can vary in size. This design is not difficult to assemble yourself at home. And the article “Assembling an automatic drinking bowl for chickens with your own hands” can help with this.
Nipple
They enjoy great success in Russia. This is a common option for drinking bowls for chickens in Moscow and other cities.
The principle of operation of a nipple drinker is the mechanical action of the chicken on a container of water. When the beak hits the cylinder, the nipple rises. And the water is poured into a horizontal container from which the bird can consume it.
There are several varieties of such drinkers, which are described in the article: “Types of nipple drinkers for chickens.”
Available materials
Do-it-yourself drinking bowls from improvised materials will save money. Every farmer has an old bucket, a piece of unnecessary hose or plastic bottles.
The service life of drinkers made with your own hands is no less than that of purchased options.
A simple option is a design made from an old bucket and basin. In order for chickens to drink water from such a drinking bowl, it is enough to fill a bucket with clean water, cover it with a basin, turn it over and place it on the floor.
You can mount a drinking bowl from a thin bendable pipe. For example, use a garden hose attached on one side to a water supply. On the other hand, it is fixed so that water does not flow.
It is hung at a short distance from the floor. Drill small holes with a thin drill. When water is supplied, chickens can get it through these holes. The principle of operation of such a drinking bowl is similar to drip irrigation.
For chickens
Water bowls for chicks are not very different from containers for adult chickens. The main thing is that the chick has free access to liquid. It is recommended to purchase sippy cups with low sides.
Care must be taken to ensure that the chickens do not overturn the drinker and get wet. At a young age, they are susceptible to colds, which often kill them. For chicks, containers with nipples, automatic drinkers, and garden hoses are suitable.
Differences between winter and summer
Winter drinking bowls for chickens may differ from summer ones in the material of manufacture and method of placement.
Often during the cold season, the water in a drinking bowl made from a plastic bottle freezes. Even if the bottle is attached to the wall using brackets, the liquid in it can still become covered with an ice crust. It is better to purchase drinking bowls made of thick plastic.
But even plastic will not protect water from freezing if such a container is on the floor. The solution to the problem is in the article “Do-it-yourself winter waterers for chickens.”
