# Something beginners should know about commercial feed dispensers.



## Chans_Farm

First, I realize there is a Feeding & Watering forum on this site. However, I felt "newbies" to raising chickens would come here (Beginners Forum) prior to visiting the feeding and watering forum. (I hope you good folks will leave it in this forum?)

Anyway, I want to catch other "newbies" before they make the same mistake I did, buying a commercially sold feed dispenser (feeder) like this:









That feeder, with a few modifications, would be a great feeder to have. However, as they are currently sold, they do nothing but cost you money. The chickens will climb inside it, perch on the sides and leave litter inside and outside the feeder. They will also sling the feed out as they eat and move their heads from side to side while they eat.

So, after I purchased that particular feeder, I realized I had made a major mistake. I needed to come up with a better way to satisfy the palates of 61 very hungry chicks, and soon.

Ironically, that same day, a friend posted an image of chicken feeders on her wall that were made from 4" PVC pipes and elbows. I thanked her for her timing, headed out to the plumbing supply store, and then on to the farm.

At the plumbing supply, I got a roll of tie wire:









Some 4" Schedule 40 PVC pipe, some PVC glue (that I ended up NOT using. I will explain why, later), some 90 degree PVC elbows, some 45 degree elbows, and some bricks to support the bottom of each feeder.

First, we cut some short pieces of the 4" PVC to join the 45 and 90 degree elbows together.









Then, we cut the lengths needed for the feed storage portion of the feeder. Each was cut to 1200mm. But, they can be cut considerably shorter, depending upon your specific application and how many feeders you have in each chicken house. I have been having our workers cut them to 600 mm since then.

After you have the feeders completely assembled, make sure they are snug together and then take them to the coop. Put a regular sized brick underneath each feeder, place it against a wall or post, and secure it.









*NOTE:* Remember the glue? Don't use it. You can press the two elbows together against the short joining tube, where you will not need glue. This will make it easier to clean the feeders when that time comes. I started to use the glue, but decided to try them without the glue first to see how they held up. I am still happy with their performance.

*NOTE:* Since we have interior posts in our chicken coops, the tie wire idea was fine. However, you can certainly use the standard 4" PVC pipe clamps, plumbers strap, or even large plastic cable ties, to secure them.

After they have been successfully installed, fill 'er up! 









I would start out with a lower fill level at first. I keep enough in each feeder to last for about 24 hours. So, adjust your fill levels accordingly. Then, just wait for them to line up for their meals. (You may have to initially show the feeders to a few of the birds, especially if they have been accustomed to a different type of feeding system.)









Sometimes, there is room for just one to dine. At other times, a few buddies may want to share a meal:









Here in Cambodia, I built the first three of these for about $20 USD. After cutting them shorter, I saved a bit more on the build.

Our first feeders were installed on May 3rd, over three weeks ago. We have encountered zero problems with them, and zero problems with the birds trying to eat from them.

If you have any specific questions, please feel free to post them here, or send me a PM (Private Message). I will be happy to answer any questions for you.


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## piglett

i like the idea 

i already built some that are a big improvement over the ones that you buy in a store

i'll see if i can get a pic tomorrow once the sun returns


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## Chans_Farm

piglett said:


> i like the idea
> 
> i already built some that are a big improvement over the ones that you buy in a store
> 
> i'll see if i can get a pic tomorrow once the sun returns


Sun return yet?


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## piglett

Chans_Farm said:


> Sun return yet?


he he he 

i'm sorry Chans

i ended up with a lot on my plate

it turns out the wife is 20 weeks along 

a new baby girl will arrive +/- Oct 1st

i hope you can give me a pass for now 

piglett


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## Fiere

Congrats Piglett!!! How exciting for you and the missus!

I will keep sitting on my thumbs for the pics, no worries


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## piglett

got my plate full folks


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## Chans_Farm

Hey! Congrats, man! I'm very happy to hear this! 

You know what causes that, doncha? Drinkin' that Yankee water.  

Seriously, give your wife my best.

-Paul


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## Ranch

I did this in the spring, and have had no problems either. I didn't want to pay for more feeders so I grabbed what was laying around my husbands shop. Mine go into a small dish that they can't scratch out feed. I had to be able to feed them with out being here for a day or two. It worked great and my hb was proud that I had solved my problem with out him or extra money. I love the post because it is a great idea.


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## Chans_Farm

I tell ya, *Ranch*, we have had the first ones supplying feed for a month now. No lost feed and no litter in the feed. I'm sure this will pay off, long term.


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## hildar

Nice, however I like it when my chicks get food on the ground and they have to scratch and peck at it. It's their real way of feeding. Plus if I put that much feed in for my chickens and it lasted a few days then I couldn't spend my quality time with them day after day,I enjoy them coming to me to the barn, and me having to trip over them on the way back to the coop. Plus my older hens and rooster don't use a feeder. Where they free range all day long, I just sprinkle corn in the coop at night time, for a before bed snack. Only my chicks get to use a feeder once chicks are a month old they learn how to forage in the juvenile pen, then after that they get moved into the big yard.


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## piglett

Chans_Farm said:


> Hey! Congrats, man! I'm very happy to hear this!
> 
> You know what causes that, doncha? Drinkin' that Yankee water.
> 
> Seriously, give your wife my best.
> 
> -Paul


here are my new buff pullets along with big daddy & my laying hens


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## Fiere

Piglett, I wish to steal your rooster! He's got a bit more junk in his trunk than my Chara boy.

A friend uses the same feeding set up and likes it, I will have to incorporate it for winter scratch.


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## piglett

Fiere said:


> Piglett, I wish to steal your rooster! He's got a bit more junk in his trunk than my Chara boy.
> 
> A friend uses the same feeding set up and likes it, I will have to incorporate it for winter scratch.


we had 2

one was making too much noise & lost the last fight over the ladies

so he is now "chilling out" 

i wish i could send eggs up the the great white north

you would have one that size by spring


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## Fiere

Chara is 8lbs at under 7 months. He's just the "American" style, so he lacks the wide and poofy arse of your fellow. He's all chest, basically. Still has a lot while yet to mature but he won't change that much. 
Now I have a few pullets here that are about 2.5 weeks old and they already have junk in their trunk, so I'm hoping the pairings will be quite nicely improved.

Here he is at 4 months. He's gotten much larger, wider and nicer since then but you can see he is built less than stellar in the butt. I don't have a recent side view of him (those aren't my hens, btw lol).








My plan is to cross him with my hens, which looking at their parents, are smaller than what I want to see, but have that more "heavy through the body" Orpington look. Chara will increase their size, they will widen his hips, compact him, and loosen his feathering. Next year I'll bring in unrelated stock that looks a little more like what I want and breed the offspring back. In a few years if I keep it up, I should be close enough to the standard. That's the goal anyways. It's SO hard to find stock here, especially quality stock. You'd think it'd be easier with a more common breed such as a buff orp, but no. Seems everyone has them and they're all the same ****e. Gold coloured ISA hens. Drives me right around the bend!


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## piglett

i like his big tail
i'll breed the daughters back to the dad & we will see what we get


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## lakesidemaiden

piglett said:


> he he he
> 
> i'm sorry Chans
> 
> i ended up with a lot on my plate
> 
> it turns out the wife is 20 weeks along
> 
> a new baby girl will arrive +/- Oct 1st
> 
> i hope you can give me a pass for now
> 
> piglett


Congratulations!!


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## lakesidemaiden

piglett said:


> here are my new buff pullets along with big daddy & my laying hens


He is very handsome. We have 3 buff orp hens, no buff roo though. Have a gorgeous RiR roo that was supposed to be a hen, her name is Gwynne. She will forever be a she, though she is a he. Transgender Chicken, we love her so  Somehow we ended up with 16 roos. We have two silkie roos we are probably going to end up giving away at this point, http://nh.craigslist.org/grd/4502951720.html. Just have too many roosters. And yet, I'm even now considering getting a buff orp roo from you, because I love them so much lol


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## 7chicks

Chans - thank you for the great explanations and illustrations. Nice to hear how well this set up works. We've been planning to add this to our coop for a bit but haven't gotten around to it. No matter what set up I have used for feeders for my girls, I always end up with a fair amount of waste with their flinging out onto the run floor and then there it sits - perfect for rodents.  At the end of the day, how easy to toss a cap over the feed opening of the pvc pipe to keep rodents out.  I have those feeders you showed first and after a week of use, found I too absolutely hate those feeders. Got them 4 years ago and they've been sitting around in the garage ever since.


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## Chans_Farm

7chicks said:


> Chans - thank you for the great explanations and illustrations. Nice to hear how well this set up works. We've been planning to add this to our coop for a bit but haven't gotten around to it. No matter what set up I have used for feeders for my girls, I always end up with a fair amount of waste with their flinging out onto the run floor and then there it sits - perfect for rodents.  At the end of the day, how easy to toss a cap over the feed opening of the pvc pipe to keep rodents out.  I have those feeders you showed first and after a week of use, found I too absolutely hate those feeders. Got them 4 years ago and they've been sitting around in the garage ever since.


Yeah, I would definitely suggest building your feeders like mine, or *piglett*'s, whichever is easier for you to construct. Wasted feed can get pretty costly, pretty quickly. I am happy to say that, after having put around 150 kilograms through those feeders, our feed losses are almost zero.

I don't recall if I stated it or not, already. But, I cut my original ones to about 1200 mm tall. I would make them considerably shorter, unless I had quite a number of chickens in the flock. I would say cut them to about 600mm (roughly 2 feet). The six I have in the first chicken house are more than enough for 70 to 80 chickens.


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## 7chicks

Thanks for the added info. I have 7 full grown hens right now, 1 sebright banty, and now 3 baby chicks (in the house with me and getting oh maybe a "wee" bit spoiled). All I was looking for to add was a buff orpington to my little clan this Spring but ... Well you just can't go with 1 or 2 chicks ...  Ended up getting my buff chick plus 2 other different breeds. Like to keep my flock friendly, colorful, and meant to be great pets so I can enjoy them and well, spoil them.


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## piglett

lakesidemaiden said:


> He is very handsome. We have 3 buff orp hens, no buff roo though. Have a gorgeous RiR roo that was supposed to be a hen, her name is Gwynne. She will forever be a she, though she is a he. Transgender Chicken, we love her so  Somehow we ended up with 16 roos. We have two silkie roos we are probably going to end up giving away at this point, http://nh.craigslist.org/grd/4502951720.html. Just have too many roosters. And yet, I'm even now considering getting a buff orp roo from you, because I love them so much lol


we have some fine buff orpington cockerels to choose from
when do you want to come take a look?
we are over on Beach Pond Rd.

piglett


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## lakesidemaiden

Hmmm that is so tempting...I will have to wait til I get more housing in place, then I can take my sisters Buff Orp hens and do some purebred Buff Opingtons <3


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## crazychick22

*I bought a commercial feeder, works great!*

I have 34 chickens, and i bought a commercial feeder. Is is so much better if you hang it though! You are right, they poop in it! Now, with it hanging though, it is hard for them so balance on it so i don't have that problem anymore.  But i think a pvc pipe feeder would be worlds better so thank you


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## Chans_Farm

crazychick22 said:


> I have 34 chickens, and i bought a commercial feeder. Is is so much better if you hang it though! You are right, they poop in it! Now, with it hanging though, it is hard for them so balance on it so i don't have that problem anymore.  But i think a pvc pipe feeder would be worlds better so thank you


Well, I started this thread on May 26th. Here it is already August 1st and I am still very happy with the change. Our feed losses dropped to almost nothing. We have also come up with ways to cut the commercial feed (adding cracked corn and other ingredients), to make the commercial feed last longer. So, our costs to feed the chickens are the lowest they have been since we started this venture.

At the moment, our flock has changed to mostly silkies. They seem to reproduce like rabbits. The silkies also fetch a higher price per kilogram, than the other birds did and we can sell them a bit smaller than the other birds. For some odd reason, the Khmers want them a bit smaller to eat? Not sure why. But, as long as they are buyin', we are sellin'!


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## TheLazyL

Chans_Farm said:


> ...Anyway, I want to catch other "newbies" before they make the same mistake I did, buying a commercially sold feed dispenser (feeder) ...The chickens will climb inside it, perch on the sides and leave litter inside and outside the feeder. They will also sling the feed out as they eat and move their heads from side to side while they eat. ....


Notice how your chicks are bending down to eat? The commercial feeder should be up off the ground like the ones you built. About even with their back. That will help prevent them from scattering feed all over and pooping in their feed.

Use a upside down funnel for a roof. That will keep the chickens from roosting on and pooping in the feeder.


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## Chans_Farm

TheLazyL said:


> Notice how your chicks are bending down to eat? The commercial feeder should be up off the ground like the ones you built. About even with their back. That will help prevent them from scattering feed all over and pooping in their feed.
> 
> Use a upside down funnel for a roof. That will keep the chickens from roosting on and pooping in the feeder.


That is because I do not use that type of feeder anymore, and haven't for months.


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## Fiere

Chans_Farm said:


> At the moment, our flock has changed to mostly silkies. They seem to reproduce like rabbits. The silkies also fetch a higher price per kilogram, than the other birds did and we can sell them a bit smaller than the other birds. For some odd reason, the Khmers want them a bit smaller to eat? Not sure why. But, as long as they are buyin', we are sellin'!


Funny hey aren't turned off by the black skin. I know I'd be hesitant to eat one. Though in Eastern Asia it is a delicacy! I can't remember where abouts you're located.

Good that business is lucrative!


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## Chans_Farm

PHP:







Fiere said:


> Funny hey aren't turned off by the black skin. I know I'd be hesitant to eat one. Though in Eastern Asia it is a delicacy! I can't remember where abouts you're located.
> 
> Good that business is lucrative!


Sorry for the late reply.

I'm in Cambodia. And yes, they LOVE these chickens here. Here are eight of our chicks that were born on the 3rd of July. Waiting for more to hatch now.


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## piglett

Chans_Farm said:


> PHP:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry for the late reply.
> 
> I'm in Cambodia. And yes, they LOVE these chickens here. Here are eight of our chicks that were born on the 3rd of July. Waiting for more to hatch now.


good looking bunch Chans

i have eaten a silkie cockerel ....... i'll pass but i gave it a shot


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