How to Build Poultry Feeders
Though chickens are relatively simple to care for, acquiring the items that they require for care can become expensive over time. Poultry feeders can be pricey when purchased at a feed store. However, With a bit of time and patience, you can build your own poultry feeder with the satisfaction of saving money.
Building a poultry feeder only takes an afternoon, making it the perfect project for children to help with.
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Things You'll Need
- 5-gallon plastic food grade pail
- Shallow metal pan (should be at least four inches in diameter wider than the pail)
- 1/2-inch plywood (should be one inch wide and equal to the interior diameter of the pail)
- 2 1/4 x 2-inch bolts with nuts
- 1 1/4 x 4-inch bolt with nut
- Sharp cutting blade
- Drill
- 2 metal washers
Instructions
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1
Turn the pail upside down and cut out the bottom with a sharp blade. Leave a one inch rim around the outside of the pail. Leaving this rim provides the feeder with stability when the weight of the feed is introduced.
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2
Insert a piece of plywood that is one inch wide and equal to the interior diameter of the pail into the bottom of the pail. Rest the plywood on the one inch rim of the pail.
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3
Drill 1/4-inch holes through the wood and the rim 1/2-inch from the edge. Attach the wood to the rim of the pail with a two inch long bolt. Fasten a nut on the inside of the pail.
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4
Drill a 1/4-inch hole through the middle of the plywood crossbar. Drill another 1/4-inch hole through the middle of a shallow metal pan. Bow the center of the pan slightly upward. This gives the feed a path to flow towards the edges for the poultry to eat.
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5
Attach the feed pan to the pail with a four inch bolt through the plywood crossbar and the middle of the pan. Put the bolt through the top of the crossbar in the pail. Attach the bolt with a washer and nut. Then, put on the pan with the stabilizing disk below it. Keep one inch between the first nut and the pan. Use a washer and nut to affix the pan and stabilizing disk.
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6
Turn the feeder upright. Put feed in the feeder check the flow. Loosen the bottom nut below the stabilizing disk to allow more room between the pail and the pan if the feed appears to be flowing too slowly. If it is flowing too quickly, tighten the bolt to reduce the space between the pail and the pan.
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7
Hang the feeder by the handle of the pail at a height appropriate for the size of birds. The feeder should be hung low enough to allow the birds to get their heads into the feeder to eat. However, the feeder should not low enough to allow the birds to stand in the feeder.
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