home Accounting Do-it-yourself chicken feeder from a bucket. DIY bunker feeder for chickens: how to make different designs

Do-it-yourself chicken feeder from a bucket. DIY bunker feeder for chickens: how to make different designs

To effectively provide food for poultry, farmers use special feeders. Let's consider what feeders for chickens should be, their varieties, and also how to make various devices for feeding young animals and adults.

Basic requirements for chicken feeders

Feeders for chickens require the following:

Provide chickens with food. They should contain the daily portion of feed, and provide each bird with quick access to food.
Convenience and ease of maintenance. The feeder should be easy to fill with food, move, clean and wash.
Ensuring cleanliness and dryness. It is necessary to take devices of a closed type so that precipitation and debris cannot get inside. It is optimal if the design does not allow the birds to climb into it with their feet, scatter and stain the food.
Security. The feeder is made from materials that are safe for birds. It should not have sharp protrusions and protruding nails that can hurt you, and places where the bird can get stuck.
Sustainability. The structure must stand firmly or securely fastened so that the hens cannot knock it down.

Did you know? Most chick feeders sold are red or yellow. These colors attract babies well and help increase food intake. It should be noted that there should be a sharp contrast in color between the sex and the color of the feeder and drinker.

Types of chicken feeders

Feeders are produced in different designs and using different raw materials.

Depending on the type of feed

In different devices, feed may be supplied in a different way from others.

Bunker

Closed type, preserving the purity of the feed. Only dry food is poured into it. Its design features allow you to immediately place a daily dose of feed in it - food will flow into the trays as it is consumed by the bird.

Zhelobkovaya

In the tray of this design there is a turntable or a removable grate-limiter. This feeder is equipped with several compartments for food.

Tray

It is a container of small depth with sides that prevent the spread of food. Usually used to feed chickens.

Important! Such trays are installed at the rate of 10-15 cm for each laying hen and 5 cm for a chicken. The circular tray provides only 2.5 cm per head.

Depending on the material used

Feeders are divided according to the raw materials used for their production:

Wooden. They are optimal for dry food and supplements.
Metal. Good for food rich in moisture.
Plastic. They are used in the same way as iron devices.
From mesh or thin rods. They are usually filled with herbal mass.

Depending on location

The feeder can be located in different places of the chicken coop and happens:

Floor. It is located directly on the floor of the chicken coop and should have good stability so that it does not fill up. At the same time, the bird has the ability to climb into the feed with its feet and bring garbage.
Wall. Securely fastened to a wall or other stable structure (partitions, fence). The bird will not be able to climb into the hinged devices with its feet. Such feeders should be mounted at a level comfortable for eating.
Suspended. They are mounted at the height of the chickens' backs, and they are not accessible for climbing.

How to make a do-it-yourself chicken feeder

You can buy an industrial product, or you can make it yourself. There are ways to manufacture these devices even from such waste material like plastic bottles.

Bunker

This type of homemade feeder is made from PVC pipe.

For him, you need to have:

sewer PVC pipe of the required diameter and height of the chicken coop - 1 pc.;
tee for PVC pipes - 1 pc.;
thick wire;
measuring meter;
marker;
jigsaw.

For this home-made device, a 7-6 cm PVC pipe is taken for ordinary chickens, and 11 cm for broilers.

Did you know? Laying hens constantly need calcium to enter the body, since a lot of this element is spent on the formation of eggshells. They only lay eggs in the light.

When making it, you need to do the following:

Cut off a PVC pipe with a jigsaw or “grinder” - a piece is required from the floor to the ceiling of the chicken coop minus 30 cm. The piece of pipe where there is no thread is cut off.
At the top of the pipe, at a distance of about 20 cm from the cut, burn holes on the sides for the wire that will fasten the pipe.
Connect the bottom of the pipe with a thread to a tee.
Fasten the structure with a wire on the hook. There should be 20 cm between the bottom of the device and the floor.
From above the pipe is filled with food. It lingers in the bends of the tee, and when the birds eat away part of it, under its own weight, the food enters the tee again.

Video: how to make a do-it-yourself hopper feeder for chickens

A simple plastic bottle

Very little time and budget will be spent on a feeder for young animals from a 5-liter plastic bottle.

To do this, stock up on the following:

5 l plastic bottle - 1 pc.;
a piece of wire;
liter glass jar with a lid - 1 pc.;
scissors or a knife;
marker.

Did you know? AT Ancient Russia chickens appeared aroundIV century BC. They were brought by merchants from Greece.

During the manufacturing process, you need to perform the following steps:

Cut off the top of the bottle at the beginning of the narrowing, but not completely - leave 5 cm of plastic.
Mark with a marker and cut holes in the bottom of the bottle with a diameter of 3 cm at a distance of 2 cm from each other. A chicken's head will easily fit into such holes, and its body will not be able to squeeze through. It is necessary that the holes are even, without sharp edges.
So that the chickens do not knock over the feeder, you need to put a liter jar of water or sand inside it. If the bottom is uneven, then first you need to pour 1 cm of food into the plastic bottle for a more stable position of the weighting jar.
Make holes in the lid at the edge, and under it, on the wall of the container. They should be opposite the uncut part. Pass a wire through them, on which the lid will close.
Pour food up to the holes, close the bottle with a lid and fix it with wire.

Video: do-it-yourself plastic bottle chicken feeder

tray type made of wood

You can make a wooden device in the form of a tray.

For this you need to have the following:

a wooden board with a smooth surface 12–15 cm wide and 1 m long for the bottom of the tray;
2 narrow long boards made of wood with a smooth surface, no more than 5 cm wide and 1 m long - for the sides along the feeder;
2 small wooden boards for transverse sides 15-20 cm in height (the width must exactly match the width of the product);
narrow smooth board 3-4 cm wide and corresponding to the size of the tray length. It will be used as a handle for moving and serve as a barrier for chickens when trying to climb into the feeder with their paws;
metal nails and screws - 20-30 pieces;
sandpaper - at least 20 cm;
marker;
ruler 1 m for measurements;
a hammer;
plane;
saw.

Important! Any equipment for food must be carefully looked after. Routine cleaning should be carried out regularly. The remains of wet food (mash) should be removed in a timely manner so that the food does not peroxide. Feeders are washed as needed, as this depends on the type of feed.

Manufacturing instructions:

Process the boards with a planer until a smooth surface is obtained.
Make the necessary measurements with a ruler and mark the appropriate dimensions on the boards. Using a saw, cut out the necessary details.
Mark paired parts with a pencil - numbers 1, 2 are applied.
Attach the end flanges to the bottom with nails and screws, positioning them so that they are 2 cm below the bottom level. Such small protrusions will be the legs of the product.
Then make a grout with sandpaper. Then use it to remove the burrs on the board intended for transfer.
Place the handle along the product along the transverse sides, and then fix it with nails (screws).
If the feeder is also going to be used for wet mash, it is filled with water and allowed to swell for 6-7 days. A swollen wooden surface will smooth out any gaps in the joints, and the product will not leak.

Video: do-it-yourself wooden tray feeder for chickens

Automatic

It involves spontaneous falling asleep of feed in the food container from the storage container. You can find many different models of such devices, but the automatic feeder made of wood, equipped with a pedal, is especially popular.

She needs the following:

The dimensions of the product depend on the number of birds, the size and structure of the chicken coop itself.

Important!Each blank should be sanded with sandpaper so that there are no irregularities that can cause injury to birds. It is impossible to cover with varnishes and paints, so as not to damage the health of chickens.

Making a standard model:

Draw and cut out 10 blanks for the feeder. Cover for the tray (26x29 cm), 2 panels on the sides (height 40 cm, top edge 26 cm, bottom - 29 cm), on which triangles are cut out so that the bottom is wider and protrudes slightly, the bottom of a rectangular shape is 29x17 cm, detail wall from the back (41x29 cm), 2 rectangular parts for the wall from the front (28x29 cm and 7x29 cm), a cover for closing from above and a pedal according to the parameters.
Cut the wooden bars into six pieces. The 2 bars to which the pedal will be fixed will be longer in the width of the box and pedal. Cut the other 2 middle bars to the size of the lid on top of the tray. The third pair is needed to connect the lifting mechanical device.
Cut with a saw along the patterns of the plywood blank.
Connect all sides with screws. It should be noted that the rear part should be placed at an angle of 15 ° so that the feed does not stagnate in the corner, but flows freely further. A clamp is used to ensure a better fit.
Attach the top cover. This requires 2 loops.
It is necessary to assemble the pedal and bars. Medium in size are attached on the sides to the lid. Two holes are drilled at the other end of the bars. The size of one of them must be slightly larger than the diameter of the bolt, and also be placed closer to the end of the bar. It should correspond to a hole in the side wall of the structure. It is necessary to embed the bolt so that the bar can move in the plane of the wall.
In the same way, fix the longest bar to the design pedal. The hole that will connect the bar to the wall must be placed 1/5 of the total length of the bar. The second hole must be drilled closer to the end of the bar.
Attach short bars to the free two holes located on each side. Such a mount must be rigid in order for the pedal to function, that is, you need to press the pedal and check that the top cover opens. If this does not happen, the bolt tension should be readjusted.
Treat the resulting structure with antiseptics.

Video: how to make an automatic chicken feeder with your own hands

Installing feeders in the chicken coop

It is necessary to install these devices at the rate of 1 piece for 20 heads. It is desirable that access is only for the head. The structure is installed securely so that the chickens cannot turn it over and do not paddle in it with their paws, as this will contribute to contamination of food and the appearance of infections. They should be positioned so that external environment was minimal, that is, indoors or under a canopy.

Usually in a chicken coop, feed containers are placed closer to the door, so that the chickens have an important reason to return home from free range. The edges of the feeders during installation should be at the level of the back of the bird. The feeding front for chickens is about 15 cm.

During the disinfection of the chicken coop, which is carried out 2 times a year, the feeders and drinkers must be treated with disinfectants. Arrange general cleaning of equipment for feeding and watering birds with detergents experts recommend at least 1 time per month.

Basic feeding rules

Feed for chickens should contain enough calcium. To do this, food includes mineral supplements (shells, chalk, meat and bone meal) and fermented milk products (whey, cottage cheese, kefir).
Chickens should consume three types of food - dry, wet, combined.
AT cold period and during molting, nutrition should be strengthened with vitamin and mineral supplements, germinated grain should be given.
Laying hens are fed 3-4 times a day.
The main diet of poultry is cereals (at least 60%). These are wheat, corn, millet, buckwheat and others. The rest of the diet consists of vegetables, green herbs, vitamin and mineral supplements.
Follow the rules of food hygiene.
The most convenient in terms of caring for chickens is industrial feed, but it is also the most expensive.

So, you can make a feeder for chickens or chickens yourself. For many homemade products, no special skills are needed. When choosing required type feeders, you can achieve an economical consumption of food according to all standards and provide food to the inhabitants of the chicken coop in a timely manner.

When growing chickens, special attention must be paid to the competent organization of the feeding process. To do this, first of all, you will need to acquire high-quality and convenient feeders. They can be purchased at specialized store or make it yourself, using the available materials and schemes. What should be the feeders and how to make them on your own, read below.

feeder requirements

A feeder for laying hens or broilers should have a number of characteristics:

Made from durable material. For the manufacture of the feeder, you need to use durable material that has a minimal tendency to deformation and damage during operation. In addition, the material should not have harmful properties, otherwise it may adversely affect the health of chickens during feeding.
Has optimal dimensions. The feeder should have sufficient volume to feed the entire population of birds for a whole day. To determine the optimal dimensions, it is worth considering the following norm: 10-15 cm of length should be allocated for each chicken in the feeder. For chickens, this rate is reduced by 2 times. However, if the tray has a circular shape, then 2.5 cm is enough for each individual. It is desirable that all birds have access to food at the same time, otherwise stronger individuals will push the weak ones.
Unpretentious in service. You will have to fill the feeder every day. In addition, it must be regularly cleaned and washed, as well as disinfected. All these processes should not cause difficulties for the breeder. For these purposes, it is better to make non-bulky structures that can be easily moved, washed and carried out other manipulations to prepare it for further operation.
Provides rational distribution of feed. The feeder should be designed so that the chickens cannot climb into it, scatter the feed and spoil it with their excrement. For these purposes, care should be taken to install protective sides, turntables and other devices to the feeder to strengthen the main feed mass inside the tank. In addition, the shape of the feeder must be stable so that the birds do not overturn it.

The feeder should be arranged in such a way that all chickens have access to food, and stronger individuals do not crowd out weaker birds.

Construction types

They are classified according to various parameters, each of which will be considered separately.

By material

Properly selected material for the feeder is a guarantee of the safety of the feed, and hence its economy. It could be:

Wood. Feeders made of wood are one of the most common options, as they are perfect for pouring dry food - grains, animal feed, various mineral supplements. In addition, wood is a natural material that provides the product with durability.
Wooden feeders should not be used for raw food, as raw food residues will stick in hard-to-reach areas of the structure, and then begin to rot and infect fresh food with pathogenic bacteria.
Plastic. Kuram in without fail it is necessary to introduce mash into the diet. It is best to pour wet food into plastic feeders, as it is easy to remove food residues from their surface. However, in this case, special attention will need to be paid to the choice of high-strength plastic.
Metal. Like the previous material, it is suitable for the manufacture of containers into which wet mixed feed can be poured. It can also be used to make green grass bins. However, it should be borne in mind that black material tends to rust when exposed to moisture, and stainless steel is quite expensive.

Feeders for chickens are mainly made of wood and plastic, the choice among which depends on what kind of feed it is planned to use the tray in the future.

By way of feeding

Depending on the type of food supply to the feeder, the convenience of feeding the bird will depend, because it is much more convenient to fill the feed once a day, and not several times at short intervals. Here are the optimal feeders for the type of food supply:

Tray. The simplest designs that are suitable for feeding young animals. The tray model is a simple container with sides that prevent food from spilling out. As a rule, such a feeder has an elongated shape.
Grooved. Similar designs are supplemented with a turntable or a delimiting removable grille (mesh). Inside, they are divided by partitions into several compartments (compartments) intended for different types stern. Grooved feeders can be placed outside the cage so that the hens can only reach the feed with their heads. This will greatly simplify not only the process of feeding, but also cleaning the container.
Bunker (automatic). Used for dry food. Their main advantage is that the breeder only needs to pour it into the feeder or grain in the morning. This volume will be enough for the birds to eat for a whole day. The design of such devices is made in such a way that the feed comes from the closed hopper to the trays as needed, so it does not get dirty and stays dry throughout the day.

By location

Depending on the location in the chicken coop, there are two types of feeders:

floor- mobile structures that can be installed in any part of the cage or poultry house;
hinged- structures that are fixed to the wall of the house with the help of special brackets or holding devices, therefore they are stable, which compares favorably with mobile feeders that can be overturned by chickens.

Some poultry farmers use both types of feeders at the same time, as each has its own advantages.

Varieties of homemade wooden feeders

There are various options for wooden feeders, which we suggest that you familiarize yourself with in more detail.

Bunker feeder made of pieces of wood

Great for those breeders who do not have the opportunity to periodically add grain.

To assemble such a structure, first of all, you need to prepare:

The guide for making a bunker feeder looks like this:

The assembled feeder will turn out to be roomy and comfortable, working in automatic mode.

An example of a hopper feeder assembled from wooden blocks is shown in the following video:

Is a simpler design, suitable for those who hold large livestock chickens.

To assemble the structure you will need:

The feeder can be assembled according to the following instructions:

Draw a diagram of the future feeder, accurately determining all the elements, their dimensions and installation locations for fasteners.
Transfer the drawing to the tree in compliance with the parameters specified in the drawing above.
Cut out all the details of the structure along the marker lines. In this case, it should be borne in mind that the bottom must be thick and heavy, otherwise the birds will be able to easily turn the feeder over. In addition, the height of the walls should be comfortable for chickens.
Connect all the parts together, leaving no gaps, because through them the food will get out. Additional processing of wood is not necessary.

This feeder is durable and strong, as well as versatile in relation to the type of feed used, that is, it is suitable for serving both dry food and wet food.

How to assemble a wooden chicken feeder is described and shown in the following video:

Two-story feeder

This option is mainly used for dry food, although various mashes can also be served in it. Such a feeder can be made for a small room, since the second tier allows you to compensate for the lack of free space. It looks like this:

Having prepared the bars and screws, you can begin to assemble the feeder:

Prepare all the details of the future feeder. Among them, the main one is the lower tier, 40 cm long and 50 cm wide. The length can be adjusted according to the number of livestock. The second floor is a small filling hopper - a trough with a front wall height of 10 cm and a rear wall of 20 cm.
Make a flap that will divide the lower tier into 1/3 parts.
Install the second floor on the ends of the first.
Attach a lid to keep debris out of the feed.

Varieties of PVC pipe feeders

For the manufacture of plastic feeders, farmers often use PVC pipes, as they are unpretentious and quite practical - they do not need to be drilled, welded or glued. We will consider various options for feeders from such pipes below.

With tee

This design has a "standing" shape. For its manufacture you will need:

sewer pipe 1 m long;
2 plugs for PVC pipes of the appropriate size;
tee with 45° angle;
a device for cutting plastic pipes or a saw for metal.

A guide to making a tee feeder looks like this:

Cut the plastic pipe into 3 parts - 70 cm, 20 cm and 10 cm. It should be noted that pipes can be purchased initially the right sizes so you don't have to cut them later.
Take a pipe 20 cm long and put a plug on one end. Thus, it will be possible to obtain the basis, that is, the bottom of the structure.
On the second end of the pipe, put the tee with the side elbow up.
Insert a 10 cm long pipe into the side hole until it stops.
Insert a 70 cm long pipe into the third hole of the tee and close it with a second plug from the other end to get the finished structure.

The assembled feeder at both ends (lower and upper) should be attached to the wall of the chicken coop with a wire. Of course, it is easier to fix it on an iron grid or support rails. Once the feeder is in place, it can be filled with food. Chickens will peck at the side opening of the tee without scattering it on the ground. For 15-20 broilers or 30 laying hens, this amount of feed is enough for a day.

At night, the top of the feeder must be closed with a plug, otherwise foreign objects, debris and bacteria will get into the feed.

What a feeder looks like from a sewer pipe is shown in the following video:

With cutouts

This design will consist of two pipes, one of which will be installed horizontally and will serve to feed the birds, and the other will be installed vertically and will serve as grain supply.

Here are the materials and tools needed:

2 pieces of pipe - 50 cm and 30 cm or 60 cm and 40 cm;
PVC elbow according to the size of the pipe;
2 plugs;
drill, jigsaw or power saw.

The procedure for making a feeder is as follows:

On a long pipe, draw 2 or more holes with a diameter of 7 cm and with the same step. They can be oval, round or rectangular in shape.
Make a hole with a drill, and then cut it out with a jigsaw. If desired, cutouts can be made on both sides.
Put a plug on one end of the pipe, and install a knee on the other end, into which to insert another pipe.
Fasten the finished feeder to the wall of the chicken coop with a wire. It is best to fix it on both sides - top and bottom. As in the previous version, you need to pour grain into the top pipe, and then close the hole with a second plug so that debris does not get into it. It is necessary to fill such a structure 1-2 times a day.

The method of making a feeder with two rectangular holes is demonstrated in the following video:

Bunker feeder for broilers

Such a feeder can be made for broilers from 2 weeks old, and it will take no more than 20-30 minutes. One load of it is enough to feed 30 heads of chickens throughout the day.

To collect the feeder you will need:

a piece of plywood or a wooden board measuring 20x20 cm and 8-10 mm thick (the thicker the base, the more stable the finished structure will be);
plastic canister measuring 20x20 cm;
PVC pipe for sewerage (section 10-15 cm high) and for water supply (section 25-30 cm high);
adhesive tape or electrical tape;
mounting angles, nuts, screws, nails;
hammer, saw, awl and a piece of rope.

Having prepared everything you need, you can start assembling the feeder:

Fasten a wide piece of pipe to the base of the structure (plywood or board) using mounting brackets and screws. It is enough to attach 2 corners opposite each other on the inside of the pipe.
Take a smaller pipe and cut it along the diameter of the hole to a height of 10-15 cm. Next, make a transverse incision, which should converge with the longitudinal one. Thus, you get a pipe with half of the lower part cut out.
Insert a thin pipe inside with a wide cut inside the feeder, and then connect both pipes with two screws - top and bottom.
Cut off the bottom of the plastic canister, and then put it with a neck on a narrow pipe. The joint should be wrapped with tape or tape.
In the canister, closer to the top, make a hole through which to stretch the rope.
On the wall where you plan to install the feeder, nail a carnation at the level of the rope. Fix the structure so that it is stable, and the chickens cannot turn it over.

The following video invites you to learn more about the characteristics of the assembled feeder:

Variants of feeders from improvised materials

Chicken feeders can be made from improvised materials that lie in almost every yard or house. Consider a few popular options.

From a cutting board

Necessary materials and tools:

wooden cutting board;
plastic funnel;
small plastic cup;
transparent rubber hose;
electric drill.

Collection instructions:

Trace the outer contours of the funnel on the board, trying to do this as accurately as possible.
Drill a lot of holes within the drawn circle, but you should not overdo it, since the flow of dry food should be moderate.
Take a hose and connect it to the end of the funnel. If necessary, you can use additional fasteners like a clamp.
Make a hole in the plastic more often, the diameter of which should be such that the free end of the hose fits snugly and holds well.
Place the other end of the hose into the prepared hole. If the density is insufficient, seal the edges of the hole and the outer surface of the hose with sealant.
Attach the socket of the funnel to the cutting board, having previously treated the contour of the circle with holes with sealant. Put a funnel on the circle and hold it in this way until the sealant dries.
Connect one end of the hose to the cup and the other end to the funnel, which should be at the bottom of the board.

From the watering can, through the hose, the grain will pour into the bowl itself, from where the birds can get food. At the same time, it is important to firmly fix the board so that the chickens cannot knock it over.

From a plastic bucket

Having prepared a sectional animal bowl and a plastic bucket, you can make a simple stand-alone feeder according to the following instructions:

Make holes in the bottom of the bucket through which the food will spill out.
Attach the sectional bowl to the bottom of the bucket with screws.
Fill the bucket with grain or any other food, and then close the lid.

How to make a hopper feeder from a plastic bucket, see the following video:

From PET bottles

The simplest version of the bunker, for the manufacture of which you will need 3 bottles with a volume of 1.5 l, 2 l and 5 m. The feeder is assembled in the following order:

Cut off the bottom of a 1.5-liter bottle, and drill holes with a diameter of about 20 mm near the neck in a circle. Thus, it will be possible to get a bunker.
Cut off the bottom of a 2 liter bottle, leaving a rim of about 10 cm on it. This will be the lid of the feeder.
Cut off the bottom of a 5-liter bottle, making a side of about 15 cm on it. This is a container where the feed from the bunker will be poured in the future. Drill a hole in the center of the cut bottom, the diameter of which corresponds to the size of the threaded neck of a 1.5 liter bottle. Make the same hole in a piece of plywood, which will provide stability to the structure.
Connect all the details - put the bottom of a 5 liter container on the neck of a 1.5 liter bottle, and then a piece of plywood, and tighten it all with a cork.
Turn the structure over so that the cork of the 1.5 liter bottle is on the bottom. So, you get a vertical hopper, inside which you need to pour the grain, and then close the 2 liter bottle with a lid from the bottom. The feed will pour out through the holes near the neck into a container made from the bottom of a 5 liter bottle.

How to make a feeder from a simple bottle can be seen in the following video:

From the canister

For such a feeder, you will need to prepare a plastic canister, a piece of pipe 10-15 cm long, fasteners and a knife. Collection instructions are as follows:

Clean and dry the canister.
With a knife or other tool, cut 5 holes with a diameter of 6-7 cm on the sides of the container so that the head of the chickens fits freely in them.
In the upper part of the canister, make a hole for filling the grain and attach a pipe on top. This means that their diameters must match. This trick will not allow chickens to climb inside the feeder.

To protect the feed from debris and rain, you should take care of the cover for the pipe. For example, for these purposes, you can use a piece of plywood.

From the CD case

If you have an old CD container at home, you can use it to build a feeder. For these purposes, you will also need to prepare a capacious bowl and a knife.

You can assemble the feeder in this way:

Clean and dry the container, and then cut 3-4 holes on its walls at a distance of 2 cm from the rim itself. The optimal diameter of these holes is 2 cm.
Fill the container with food and cover with a bowl on top.
Turn the container with the bowl over and place it in the chicken coop.

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Breeding chickens is quite an interesting activity. For many decades, it has been providing citizens with environmentally friendly food (eggs and meat), and also provides an opportunity to earn on their sale.

But in order to succeed in this difficult undertaking, you need to prepare the future place well for it, since the health of the birds and the quality of the products that can be obtained from them depend on this adaptation.

How to make a chicken feeder with your own hands and in what ways this can be done will be described in detail in this article.

There are not so many requirements that a laying hen feeder must meet, however, they should be followed when the preparatory work begins:

The strength of the material from which the feeder is made. Such material should have a minimum possibility of deformation and damage during operation.
The material also should not have harmful properties that may adversely affect the condition of the chickens in the process.
A container for feeding chickens made of a certain type of material should be used under specific view stern.
Such a device for chickens should provide rational use fodder. That is, the feed container should be shaped so that its size does not allow the chickens to climb into it and scatter food, as well as “pump” there. To achieve this, you need to take care of installing protective sides, turntables and other devices to the feeder. This will cover the bulk of the food. In addition, you need to give the feeder a stable shape so that the birds cannot tip it over.
The feeder should be easy to maintain. You will have to fill the feed container every day, as well as wash and clean it regularly. All these procedures should not cause any difficulties from the chicken breeder, and caring for chickens should not bring trouble. That is why it is necessary to make a feeder of light weight, non-bulky shape, which can then be quickly cleaned and put in order for further operation.
The feed container must be made of optimal size, that is, its volume must be suitable for feeding the poultry population for a whole day. At the same time, the amount of feed in the feeder for each chicken is 10-15 cm in length, and for this rate it is necessary to reduce it by 2 times.
In addition, the form of adaptation should be so arranged that all chickens have equal access to it, in order to prevent stronger birds from crowding out weaker individuals.

Types of chicken feeders

There are several types of chicken feeders. All of them have both their advantages and disadvantages.

Depending on the material used

First you need to select several types of feeders, depending on the material from which they are made:

Wooden.
Metal.
Plastic.
Metal rods in the form of a grid.

Wooden feeders are perfect for feeding dry food (grain, various mineral supplements), so they are far from a universal option. To make such a feeder with your own hands, it is better to have other feeding devices. However, wood is a very durable material that will ensure the durability of the product.

Those that are made of metal or plastic are used for wet mixed food and it is much easier to wash it from such a surface than from wood.

Therefore, the most versatile feeders are metal or plastic. But here you should carefully approach the choice of material in order to avoid its fragility or harmfulness.

As for the feeder in the form of a mesh of rods, it is perfect for feeding green grass to birds. That is, in addition to such a feeder, there should be another one suitable for daily bait.

Depending on the type of feed

There are also several types of feeders based on the type of feed supply:

Tray feeders are flat containers that are equipped with special sides. Due to them, the birds will not be able to scatter food. These containers are very suitable for feeding.
Grooved feeders have additions in the form of a turntable or a grid for restriction (it can be removed). And inside, such a container is divided into several compartments to accommodate different types of food. The advantage of this type of feeder is that it can be placed outside the cages, and this will simplify the process of feeding and cleaning the container.
Bunker feeders are used for feeding chickens with dry food. The main advantage of the bunker is that you can fill it with grain or compound feed in the morning and this volume will be quite enough to feed chickens for a whole day. It will be necessary to worry about the next portion only the next day. In addition, the feed from the hopper is fed into the trays as needed, it has a closed shape, which does not allow the feed to become dirty or wet.

Depending on the location in the chicken coop

And finally, depending on the placement of the feeder in the cage or poultry house, it can be:

Outdoor, it is more mobile, because it can be placed in any part of the "house" for chickens;
Hinged, which is placed around the entire perimeter of the cage or chicken coop, and it is attached to special brackets or holding devices, they can be made by hand.

How to make a chicken feeder?

Undoubtedly, there is a wide variety of different devices for feeding chickens on the market. But you can easily make a feeder yourself from improvised materials without much effort, knowing a clear algorithm of actions. The following will show how to make containers for chicken feed from various materials.

Bunker feeder

What does she represent? Its design is very simple: it is a feed hopper and a tray into which it will evenly flow.

We offer you several drawings of hopper feeders for chickens:

For its manufacture you will need:

Plastic bucket or plastic bottle;
A cutting object with which you can make a hole in the container.

When making a hopper feeder from a bucket, you need to make a round hole in it and give it the appearance of an “entrance” in the form of a short pipe of such a size that a chicken head can easily fit in there. At the same time, the whole bird will not be able to fit into the tray, and the feed will evenly spill out of the hopper.

If you make a container from a bottle, then you need to take a bottle of large volumes (5 l), and cut off the neck from it so that you can fill the food on top. The bottle must be placed in the tray and filled with food. When the chickens eat the feed, it will again evenly spill out of the bunker.

Wooden feeder

Wooden feeders are usually made from plywood. They are considered more durable and solid.

They can also be of both bunker and trough type.

See some drawings with dimensions various feeders made of wood:

How to make a wooden fixture in the form of a tray?

This will require:

board or thick plywood;
nails or screws;
paper and pencil;
ruler;
saw;
a hammer.

The manufacturing algorithm is as follows:

Before starting work, you need to take care of the drawing of the future device. On it you need to take into account all the details, parameters, and calculate the dimensions of the final product. Indicate the places where the components of the feeder will be attached. A high-quality study of the drawing will allow you to avoid errors in manufacturing, and then the resulting design will not have to be redone.
It is necessary to take the components - these are 2 side walls 100x8 cm long, the bottom in the amount of 1 pc. and 100x15 cm in size, 1 beam 100 cm long, 3 cm wide, and 2 cm high. The most difficult thing is to cut out two side walls of small sizes, to which a beam is then nailed from above. Width - 15 cm, the height of the edges should be on a par with the long side ones, taking into account the thickness of the bottom.
Then, following the drawn drawing, you need to cut out the necessary details from the wood. The walls of the feeder should be of such a height that the chickens cannot scatter the feed with their paws, but at the same time they can freely reach the feed with their heads. And the bottom should be of sufficient thickness and have significant weight so that the feeder does not turn over.
Next, you need to fasten all the details with nails and fasteners. When connecting wooden blanks, holes and crevices should not be allowed through which grain and other food can spill out. There is no need to process the tree in any way.

automatic feeder

Its principle is similar to the device of the bunker feeder.

Here is a drawing of one interesting design in which the automatic feeder is combined with:

The easiest way to make such a feeder is from three plastic bottles from mineral water, soda water, etc. It is this number of bottles that is suitable for an adult bird. You will need two bottles of 5 liters and one of 3 liters. The container must be thick-walled.

The algorithm for manufacturing an automatic feeder is as follows:

Take one five-liter bottle and cut it in half. Its upper part will not be useful in the future, so you can safely throw it away.
At the bottom of the bottle, you need to make 5 square holes (5 by 5 cm) around its entire circumference. They should be cut with a sharp knife at the height of the first rib from below.
From a three-liter bottle, cut off the top with a neck. It will make a convenient funnel through which you can pour food into the second bottle of 5 liters.

How to feed chickens through such a feeder? You need to take a whole bottle of 5 liters with half-filled food and, carefully turning it over and not spilling the contents, put it with its neck on the bottom in the first bottle with holes around the circumference. As a result, the feed will pour itself into the second bottle, from which the birds will be fed.

From a pipe

In order to make a feeder from a pipe, you will need the following materials:

PVC pipe, diameter 16 cm;
plastic parts - "knee";
two stubs.

To determine the length of the pipe, you need to figure out how much feed you plan to lay in it. Such a feeder should be of medium size, otherwise it will be unstable.

How to make a fixture from a pipe:

the PVC pipe must be cut into two parts, one of them is 50 cm, and the other is smaller;
these parts are connected using a plastic knee part;
in the second part of the pipe, you need to cut a hole with a drill on both sides with a circular crown. The radius of the hole is 4 cm;
at the end, it is necessary to cover the pipes with plugs.

suspended

The easiest way to make a hanging feeder is from a plastic bucket with a handle, with a volume of 5 liters or more and a shallow plastic plate or bowl, the diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the bottom of the bucket.

At a height of about 6-8 cm from the bottom of the bucket, you need to make holes similar to those made for an automatic feeder around the entire circumference of the container taken. Further, the bucket from the bottom is attached to a plastic plate that serves as a kind of tray, and the bucket is suspended from the net by the handle.

Feed is poured into the bucket, which also, quite evenly, then enters the tray, from which the birds can eat it.

Where to install a chicken feeder?

If chickens spend more time on the street, in a specially designated place, then it is better to install feeders there, because, spending the night "under the roof", the birds do not eat or drink. And there the feeder is simply not useful.

If the chickens are mainly in the chicken coop, then it is better to place the feed devices in it on elevations, or hang them, but at a small distance from the floor, so that it is convenient for the chickens to approach and peck the food.

In the countryside, many still keep chickens, geese, and large cattle to always have fresh produce for your family. Most often in villages, in summer cottages or in houses with suitable conditions, you can hear the cock crow and the clucking of chickens. It is these poultry that people most often keep, because it is not difficult to care for them, and the availability of fresh eggs and meat will be guaranteed. In order for the chickens to rush well and be fattened, it is important to make them the right diet and use properly equipped feeders for this, which you can do yourself.

Peculiarities

A chicken feeder can be purchased at a store or made by hand. Each owner chooses the most convenient and acceptable option for himself, which will allow minimal cost get the desired result. Purchased options are usually much more expensive and do not always fit the dimensions of the chicken coop or do not correspond to the number of chickens that will be eaten from them. In this regard, home-made options are becoming more and more popular, and there are more and more options for their manufacture every year. To be able to design a structure that is convenient for humans and birds, which will provide chickens with full access to food, it is important to consider some points.

Product convenience- it is necessary to choose materials that will be light in weight and have a convenient shape in order to quickly and efficiently clean the feeders, wash them and disinfect them. When creating a certain option, it is necessary to consider how exactly the process of filling the feeder will go and how the feed will reach directly to the birds.
Durable materials for the product- choosing the most suitable option for creating a feeder, you should pay attention to the strength of the structure. Products that are too heavy and massive will be inconvenient to use, while products that are too thin can cause injury to chickens and rapid wear of the food container.
Food quality control- to ensure the normal growth and development of the birds, it is important to give them dry and wet food, ensuring constant access to food for all individuals of the chicken coop. Right choice the design will make it possible to protect food from the fact that chickens will stomp on it with their paws, scatter it on the ground, and defecate in it. Contaminated food will harm the health of the bird, which will later affect the quality of the products received by humans.
Food dosage- depending on the number of chickens, it is necessary to choose the right container for the future feeder in order to calculate the amount of feed that will be eaten per day. For each hen, you need to allocate 10-15 cm of space for food consumption, 5-7 cm of space is enough for chickens, which should be constantly filled with food. If the feeder is round and high, then 2.5 cm of the height of the container will be enough for one bird. The correct calculation of the volume of the feeder will allow you to fill it with the right amount of food, which is enough for one day.
No harm to health- when creating a feeder with your own hands, you should make sure that the materials from which it will be made do not harm the chickens. The absence of toxic properties, unpleasant odors, dyes and other harmful components should be taken into account first of all. In addition, design features also affect safety. The presence of sharp corners and edges makes eating dangerous for birds, so it is worth making the feeder as convenient as possible so that the chickens cannot harm each other and themselves.

After analyzing all the factors, you can choose the right materials from which the feeder will be created, and find the most suitable design option based on the species diversity that exists today.

Kinds

There are several varieties of chicken feeders, which differ in certain parameters. According to the method of feeding, there are such options as:

tray;

grooved;

bunker.

The first type has the simplest design and is great for young hens. The feeder is a container with sufficiently high sides that prevent food from spilling out. For access of all birds to food, it is usually made in an elongated shape.

The second type is a similar variant, but supplemented by a turntable or a grate that serves as a delimiter. Such a feeder has several compartments for liquid and dry food and is often taken outside the cage, which minimizes the amount of scattered food.

The bunker or mechanical variety is used for dry food only. Its difference from other options is that the food falls asleep in the morning and it should be enough for the whole day to feed all the birds in the chicken coop. Thanks to the correct design, food is automatically filled into the tray as soon as the amount of feed there is small enough to make room for a fresh portion. Thanks to the closed design, the feed container remains dry and clean, and the chickens have constant access to food.

All three options are suitable for broilers. For day old chicks the best option a bunker feeder is considered, which is installed directly in the box where the newborn chicks are located. Industrial products have the same design principle, but their main difference is their large dimensions, which are justified by the number of poultry.

Another classification of poultry feed containers refers to the materials from which they are made. They may be:

wooden;

plastic;

metal.

The most popular are wooden products that you can easily make yourself by adapting the design and dimensions to the number of birds in the hen house. This type of feeder is suitable only for dry feed, as liquid feed will not be completely cleaned from the container, which will contribute to the development of harmful microorganisms. Wood is an environmentally friendly material, so it can be used as a food container for chickens without any doubt.

The plastic variety is ideal for use under the mash, which is necessary for the full nutrition of chickens. Thanks to their even and smooth surface, it is possible to quickly and easily remove all food debris and wash the dirty feeder efficiently. The main principle to keep in mind when choosing a container should be its quality. The thickness of the plastic and its composition must be suitable for use by chickens.

Products that are too thin can crack, causing food to spread on the ground. The presence of harmful components can cause gradual poisoning of chickens, which will result in diseases of varying severity. The height of such feeders should be designed for the age of the bird - for small chickens, you can choose products with low sides, for adult laying hens, you will need a larger and higher container so that they do not turn it over while eating.

The metal feeder is similar in purpose to the plastic one, but has its drawbacks. Ferrous metal, in constant contact with moisture, begins to rust, which negatively affects the health of the bird, and stainless steel has a rather high cost. After analyzing all the factors, it is clear why the advantage is usually given to the first two types of products. If we talk about the location of the feeders, then there are:

floor;

Hanging structures.

The first option can be considered optimal, because there is no specific reference to the place and the container can be installed anywhere in the chicken coop. The second option is fixed to the wall of the chicken coop, which allows you to securely fix the container, preventing the chickens from knocking it over. Depending on the number of birds and their age, you can use one particular option or both at once.

Selection rules

To choose the best option for the design of the feeder, it is worth considering some factors:

number and age of chickens;
dimensions of the chicken coop;
poultry diet;
diet.

Depending on the age of the bird, you can choose any design option, or use them based on who exactly you have to feed. If a bunker, tray and flute feeder is suitable for adults, then only the first option is needed for chickens. If the chicken coop is large enough, then a feeder or several such products can be installed on the ground. With minimal dimensions, these objects are screwed to the wall of the house. The location of such tanks will be the determining factor influencing the design of the future facility.

The diet of the bird is also important, which should consist of dry and wet food. If you follow these guidelines, then the best option would be a trough feeder, which has compartments for both food options.

It is also important to take into account the diet, which may include multiple feeding or a one-time bookmark. Not only the design, but also the size of the feeder depends on this factor. After analyzing all the characteristics well, you can understand which version of the feeder will be the most successful for a particular chicken coop. If you treat the choice negligently, then in the near future you will have to face a number of problems - chickens will go hungry, stop rushing, start to get sick, or often fight. To avoid any such situations, it is worth approaching the choice of feeder design with all seriousness.

How to do it yourself?

It is not difficult to make a chicken feeder from improvised materials, the main thing is to pick up everything you need and start creating a new product. The most popular and simplest option is to build a container for feeding chickens from a 5-liter plastic bottle. The advantage of this container is lightness, ease of work with it and the expected result. To homemade construction worked correctly, it is important to choose a container that will slightly exceed the size of the bottle so that the feed is poured into it, which the birds will consume.

The principle of creating such a feeder is very simple - round holes the size of a coin are cut at the base of the bottle, through which food is poured out. A plastic container is installed in a larger container, after which food is poured through the neck. As soon as the food from the tray is eaten, its supply will automatically be replenished with what is in the bottle. The number of such products is regulated by the number of poultry. There may be several such feeders to provide food for all birds for the whole day.

A more complex design option involves the use of wood. To make the feeder comfortable and neat, you must initially create drawings and only then get to work. The dimensions of the future product will depend on design features and poultry population. The wooden feeder is designed only for dry food, therefore it can be made in several versions.

A simple design involves the creation of a small trough into which food will be poured. This option is most often used in villages and dachas due to the simplicity of creating a product, but it has significant drawbacks: birds can scatter food, so it will take much more, it is more actively polluted and the bird can get low-quality food, which will damage her health. The most correct option would be to create a wooden bunker feeder. The algorithm for its construction is as follows:

you need to prepare all the necessary tools and materials at hand: a saw, a hammer, nails or a screwdriver with self-tapping screws, boards or fiberboard / chipboard / plywood;
create a drawing of the future structure;
make markings on the material from which the feeder will be created;
cut out the parts and connect them together.

The front part should have dimensions of 40 by 50 cm, the back - 40 by 40 cm. The sides will have a conical shape and connect both parts of the structure. The lid should exceed the top of the product by at least 5 cm, and preferably by 10 cm, in order to protect the contents from foreign inclusions that adversely affect the quality of the feed. There is a small gap at the bottom of the feeder. Through it, the food will wake up in a special tray under the structure, which will allow chickens to comfortably eat in the chicken coop.

A fairly new and original version of the material for creating a feeder are plastic pipes. A suitable diameter for this purpose will be at least 15 cm, and the length is selected taking into account the characteristics of the chicken coop and the number of birds. In addition to simple pipes, you also need to purchase a tee and plugs. There may be several design options.

A horizontally located pipe on which holes are cut, through which chickens can absorb food. On the sides of this pipe are placed elbows pointing upwards. A plug is put on one of them, the second is a worker, food is poured into it, after which a plug is also put on.

A vertically located pipe with a tee at the base and a branching on two sides, which will be a feeding tray, where food will spill from the main pipe.

Depending on the option, the type of fastening will also differ. The first is installed at the bottom of the chicken coop and can be attached to the wall or floor, the second option is attached to the wall or ceiling of the chicken coop.

In the spring-summer period, you can also build greenery feeders, which are best obtained from a metal mesh. It is twisted into a circle and filled with green fodder. If the feeder is created for chickens, then it is best to use the bunker version using a plastic bottle with a capacity of 1 to 2 liters, no more. The principle of creating such a product is the same and consists in making holes at the base and pouring food into the main part of the bottle.

Subtleties of operation

In addition to building the structure itself, it is important to properly care for it, keep it clean and change food in a timely manner. For the health of the bird, a necessary measure is the procedure for disinfecting the chicken coop, which is best done using a soap-carbolic solution. Windows, chicken coop doors and the feeder itself are cleaned. If necessary, disinfect drinking water, it is best to use a solution of bleach. To clean everything related to bird feed, you can use a solution of ferrous sulfate or use soda.

The tray feeder can be filled from one to several times a day, it is permissible to fill it not only with dry food, but also add greens for a more varied diet. Since the container remains open during the day, it is necessary to carefully shake out all the remnants of food and debris before pouring a new portion. The use of liquid feed in this case would be wrong and could harm the bird.

The grooved option involves the use different types feed, therefore it is necessary to carefully shake out food debris and wash out uneaten mash to prevent the development of harmful microorganisms. Food in this case is also filled up from one to several times a day, depending on the capabilities of the owner.

The bunker option is convenient for those who do not have a lot of time to care for and feed the chickens, because the food is filled up once for the whole day. Before pouring a new portion, it is also necessary in this case to clean the feeder and disinfect it. Timely feeding will provide the chickens with the necessary energy to incubate eggs, and good nutrition will make it possible to gain the desired weight if grown meat breeds birds. Proper operation will allow you to use the feeders for a long time, without wasting time and money on periodically updating them due to failure.

original ideas

Making your own bird feeder can be a lot of fun, especially if you approach the process with creative inspiration and imagination. In the absence of some components for creating homemade feeders, do not despair and run to the store to buy them, you can replace the missing parts. If there was no 5-liter eggplant at home, you can use a plastic bucket instead, in which it will also be easy to make holes and place it in a large container, where the food will be poured out. The convenience of this option is that it will be much easier to pour food into such a container, and thanks to the lid that usually comes with the kit, it is possible to protect food from moisture and debris.

At a small amount chickens, you can build a place for them to perch or a feeder from plastic buckets that are attached to the bottom of the wall of the chicken coop. The lightness of the design will not let it fall, but will allow you to protect the bird from any bad weather as much as possible. To prevent the feed from spilling, it is necessary to make a small barrier from part of the bucket lid. For those who do not want to complicate their lives and build complex structures, you can do it as simply as possible using a plastic container in which a window is cut. The size of such a window should be convenient for both the owner of the birds and the chickens themselves. It is important to position the hole at the optimal height so that the hens have enough food for a while. With a small number of birds, there can be 1-2 such feeders, but if there are a lot of birds, then their number can reach up to 10.

Wooden bunker feeders are considered the most reliable and, if properly maintained, can last for many years. The product may have an open container where food is poured out, or a closed board with holes cut for the bird. The first option is less practical, since the feed can be very scattered by chickens and become contaminated. The second one is more practical and convenient, therefore, if possible, it is better to build a protective cover.

For a young bird, you can build small feeders, the contents of which will be enough for the younger generation. The simplest and most convenient option would be to use a plastic bottle, which is screwed to a flat surface from the bottom, and holes are made at the top, from which the chickens can freely absorb food. It is not difficult to pour food into such a container, and in this case, you can use both dry food and use mixers.