I wanted to try something dissimilar . I need a new self-feeder that was simple and inexpensive , that would reduce waste material , and be less vulnerable to furious hoot . A PVC chicken feeder was my answer .
What You’ll Need:
Optional Materials:
Step 1: Assemble the feeder base.
To attach the detonating equipment to the bottom of the wye connection , you ’ll want a short subdivision of premature ventricular contraction pipe . First , value the profoundness of the cap and the interior of the wye connexion , and add up the measurements together . Then rationalise a department of pipe that duration using a hacksaw — ours was just shy of 3¼ inches . Fit the opus together with the help of a rubber mallet .
Step 2 : seize the remaining length of PVC tobacco pipe .
primed one end of the PVC pipe into the top of the wye connector , and remain firm it up to shape the best height for the feeder . Then cut the pipe if you choose .
Step 3: Add the female adapter and the clean out plug.
If your version of the PVC self-feeder will stay perpendicular , you’re able to add the female adapter and the cleanout plug at this point . For our hencoop , we postulate to snake the top of the confluent around the roof and sidewall to reach our desire elevation , and we used the optional elbow cloth to action that . After that , we added the adapter and hype .
Step 4: Determine where your feeder will go.
Perhaps you ’ll jump on your feeder to a wall in your chicken coop or to a post in your run . We attached ours to the outside of the coop to make it easy to occupy , but we cut a hole in the one of the room access so the crybaby can access their provender on the interior of the runnel . Once we decided where the mess should be , we reinforced the room access by repurposing some older 2 - by-2 - inch furring strips to each side . Then we cut the hole , so the angled wye connecter opening burst inside the threshold . Once the feeder was positioned exactly how we wanted it , we batten the feeder to the door with galvanized pipe hanger and nookie .
Step 5: Fill the feeder.
I was upset about wimp feed becoming compacted in the bottom of the feeder , so I poured oyster shield gritstone to just below the tier where the chickens will be eating . Then I satiate the feeder with their regular crumble . Our feeder has about 2½ foundation of pipe to fill , which holds a little more than half the amount of feed that the traditional tributary hold .
The beauty of this feeder is its simplicity , though it ’s not consummate : A PVC eater can be prone to condensation inside . Because we have n’t for good sealed the feeder with bathymetry adhesive and it ’s outside the cage , it can get a footling damp in spite of appearance during hard rainfall . However , because our feeder is short and because the volaille run through voraciously , feed is always moving down and out . We have n’t had any trouble with mildew or with smelly , work provender . If we do , we ’ll make some adjustment .
If I find any evidence of mold or ferment feed , I ’ll empty the feeder , strip it with acetum and let it air ironic . ( I ’ll clean the self-feeder this way on a monthly groundwork even without problems . ) Then I ’ll put a blowhole cap for the top of the affluent to let air in and allow for wet to evaporate , while protecting the interior from rain . Seasonal changes might affect the success of this type of feeder or just necessitate a little airing , but so far it ’s figure out cracking and there are no signs of problems .
The wimp and I all love our new PVC feeder . It ’s already paying for itself in the amount of feed we ’d otherwise fuck up in craw circle or that we ’d recede to tempestuous birds . For my pocket-size muckle of eight , one feeder is plenty . If your flock and henhouse are larger , you might regard build two feeders to accommodate all of your hungry beak .
