Wasted chicken feed drives me nuts and I was determined to build a feeder that would put an end to chickens billing feed out onto the ground. After much research, contemplating dozens of designs and several iterations of my own, I am now happy with my PVC feeder. There are no longer piles of wasted grain on the floor, which makes me, my chickens and my feed budget happy. Mine cost approximately $12.00 to build and was finished in 20 minutes.
This is the finished feeder in my “Little Deuce Coop.”
Side view of the feeder.
MATERIALS LIST:
A PVC pipe or irrigation tubing, cut to the length that will fit your chosen location. (I used a 4″ wide pipe for the feed and a smaller one for the oyster shell, various sizes will work)
A PVC pipe cap for the top. (I used a 4″ cap, found in plumbing section of Home Depot)
A high corner litter pan
A piece of scrap wood
Extra long zip ties
3 screws
3 washers
A drill
LET’S MAKE IT!
- Drill four holes in the pipe, two on each side where they will align with holes in stud. (see photo above)
- Drill two holes through the stud at measured increments that mirror the holes in the pipe. ( photo below)
- Mark where the “feed dish” will be mounted. The pipe should sit approximately 1/4″-1/2″ above the bottom of the feed dish. If the dish is too close to the bottom of the pipe, the feed will not flow out into the dish.
4. Secure the scrap piece of wood to the stud with screws and washers. (as shown below)
For an oyster shell or grit dispenser:
- Pre-drill one hole in a PVC pipe cap . Cap should be two inches wider than the pipe.
- Secure the pipe cap to the stud with a screw and washer.
For a feed dispenser using a corner litter pan for feed:
- pre-drill two holes in the back of the litter pan where it will mount to the stud. Space them so that the washers align one above the other
- Secure the corner litter pan to the stud with screws and washers.
- Thread a zip tie through the two holes in the pipe and then the two holes in the stud and secure the zip tie to itself.
- Do the same for the second set of holes in the pipe and stud.
*NOTE: If installing feeder in the run, be sure to securely cover it at dusk to guard against rodents.
Click here for more tips on rodent control in and around the coop.**
Kathy Shea Mormino
Affectionately known internationally as The Chicken Chick®, Kathy Shea Mormino shares a fun-loving, informative style to raising backyard chickens. …Read on
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Wasted chicken feed drives me nuts and I was determined to build a feeder that would put an end to chickens billing feed out onto the ground. After much research, contemplating dozens of designs and several iterations of my own, I am now happy with my PVC feeder. There are no longer piles of wasted grain on the floor, which makes me, my chickens and my feed budget happy. Mine cost approximately $12.00 to build and was finished in 20 minutes.
This is the finished feeder in my “Little Deuce Coop.”
Side view of the feeder.
MATERIALS LIST:
A PVC pipe or irrigation tubing, cut to the length that will fit your chosen location. (I used a 4″ wide pipe for the feed and a smaller one for the oyster shell, various sizes will work)
A PVC pipe cap for the top. (I used a 4″ cap, found in plumbing section of Home Depot)
A high corner litter pan
A piece of scrap wood
Extra long zip ties
3 screws
3 washers
A drill
LET’S MAKE IT!
- Drill four holes in the pipe, two on each side where they will align with holes in stud. (see photo above)
- Drill two holes through the stud at measured increments that mirror the holes in the pipe. ( photo below)
- Mark where the “feed dish” will be mounted. The pipe should sit approximately 1/4″-1/2″ above the bottom of the feed dish. If the dish is too close to the bottom of the pipe, the feed will not flow out into the dish.
4. Secure the scrap piece of wood to the stud with screws and washers. (as shown below)
For an oyster shell or grit dispenser:
- Pre-drill one hole in a PVC pipe cap . Cap should be two inches wider than the pipe.
- Secure the pipe cap to the stud with a screw and washer.
For a feed dispenser using a corner litter pan for feed:
- pre-drill two holes in the back of the litter pan where it will mount to the stud. Space them so that the washers align one above the other
- Secure the corner litter pan to the stud with screws and washers.
- Thread a zip tie through the two holes in the pipe and then the two holes in the stud and secure the zip tie to itself.
- Do the same for the second set of holes in the pipe and stud.
*NOTE: If installing feeder in the run, be sure to securely cover it at dusk to guard against rodents.
Click here for more tips on rodent control in and around the coop.**
How high off the ground should the feeder tray? Also we have lots of mice. How do you keep the mice from getting to the feed
The base should be at the height of your smallest chicken's back so eveyone can reach it. I don't have trouble with mice but if I did, I suppose I'd address the eradication of the problem first, before leaving my feed in the run. Of course, you can always put it in the coop.
You could cut the bottom off a plastic milk jug to use as a funnel, too, for help with filling the two.
We are planning on making two of these this weekend! Thanks so much for the instructions!!! =)
We are planning on making two of these this weekend, super excited about them. Thanks so much for the directions! =)
My husband built a similar gravity-fed feeder using PVC, except he used the aluminum bottom of a large old open poultry feeder we already had, attached to the pipe with L-shaped aluminum brackets that also allow enough space between the two for the feed to flow through. That pan sits on a cement slab, well away from the fencing & predator's paws. The pipe goes straight up, then angles over & inclines upwards, passing under the nesting boxes, where the opening is accessible from the outside the coop. The opening is currently covered with an old coffee can, which gets… Read more »