Many aspiring poultry farmers are wondering where to start. Most often in Russia, broiler chicks are selected and bred for their high meat production and early maturity. Perhaps the most important thing in breeding chickens is the chicken feeder. A great option to help save money is a chicken feeder, made by hand, shown in the video.
DIY broiler chicken feeder
What distinguishes the capacity for feeding the chicks
The most important thing that distinguishes the container in which the food of poultry is located is its reliable protection against spreading and contamination of feed. Everyone knows the fact that chicks like to climb into their plates and rummage their paws in the stern. As a result, the birds remain hungry and the food becomes dirty. Contaminated feed can lead to poisoning of the chicks and a reduction in just purchased livestock.
Even though the broiler chickens feeder is reliably protected from spreading the feed, it will still be contaminated, so it needs to be washed and disinfected periodically. Hence, it is necessary to use a material that does not absorb odors, which can be washed with a disinfectant. An important point is the mobility of the structure, so that at any time it would be possible to rearrange it from one place to another without much effort. The ideal option for a chicken feeder with your own hands from improvised materials.
Naturally, the dimensions of the broiler chicken feeder should be significantly smaller than for adults, which can be seen in the photo and video. The optimal shape of the container is round. It is necessary to calculate the size so that the entire livestock at the same time has an approach to it, otherwise less physically developed individuals will constantly remain hungry and may die.
Types of feed distribution mechanisms
All home-made poultry food installations differ in the method of fastening, localization, materials of which they are made, and dimensions. Depending on the feed system, a distinction is made between:
- automatic designs;
- grooved;
- regular trays.
Usually the tray model is used for feeding with wet mash. The design is equipped with a limiter that prevents birds from scattering and clogging feed. Grooved models are typically equipped with grooves and millstones. Automatic - the most reliable designs that allow you to fill the feed once a day or several days. In this mechanism, a gradual feed supply is provided as needed.
Feeding mechanisms from what is at hand
The natural question that arises after all of the above is how to make a chicken feeder with your own hands what are its dimensions. One of the most popular designs is a chicken feeder made from a plastic bottle. To be able to make a construction, you will need:
- self-tapping screws, nuts;
- plastic bottle;
- a plastic plate or cup;
- nails, wire;
- watering can.
Holes must be made above the bottom of the bottle, then the bottle should be placed in the center of the plate or bowl and attached to the bottom with a self-tapping screw so that the feeder does not turn over. Hot pieces of wire are inserted into the bowl at 3 cm increments to create a barrier for the chicks through which they cannot enter the feeder.
Bottle feeders for chickens in the homemade ranking are in the first place in demand. Making them the easiest, and the materials are always at hand. You can build a couple of such feeders, so that all individuals have enough food, if the livestock is too large.
To feed small day old chicks, you can make a very simple design from an old container from discs and a plastic plate. Cuts are made along the top edge of the container at a certain distance. Care must be taken to ensure that the incisions are smooth, in order to avoid injury to the chicks, then you need to fill in the feed in the container and turn it over with a plate. The bird feeder is ready.
Automatic feed mechanism
Farming can be very tedious and the chicks simply don’t have time to keep an eye on the availability of feed in the feeders. For a large farm, an automatic do-it-yourself broiler feeder is suitable, suitable for both adults and chickens. There is enough feed in such feeders for a long time, and it is fed as needed. For the manufacture of feeders and car drinking bowls for chickens you need:
- 2 pieces of plastic pipe;
- self-tapping screws;
- metal knife;
- two taps;
- plug and adapter.
Often, after the repair of plumbing fixtures, pieces of plastic profile remain on the farm. If they are not at home, then in the store they are sold not so expensively. It is necessary to connect the pipes using an adapter, to which two half-branches must be connected. Having connected the two structures, they are attached to the wall. If the chick population is large, it is not necessary to make multiple feeders. Pipes are connected to the tee more authentically and several holes are made to provide access to the feed.
Feed mechanism for growing young animals
Broiler feeders essentially do not differ from other bird feeders, however, the chicks of this breed gain weight very quickly, thanks to their appetite, and over time they need a large container for food. You can make a feeding trough your own hands out of a plastic bucket already grown up. When making such a feeder, it is necessary to select a bucket only from food-grade plastic, in no case do not use containers from building materials. To make this model, you will need a bucket, a 5 liter plastic cooler bottle, cardboard and a stationery knife.
From cardboard you need to cut a rectangular template. It should be of such a size that the head of the chick can freely pass, plus a centimeter for growth. Next, on the bucket with the help of the template, you need to make markup. The bottom of the opening should be oriented towards the age and height of the young broilers. Two pieces of 15 cm should be cut from the plastic pipe, in which holes should be made.
With the help of a watering can, you need to fill the bottle with food and put on the profile segments, put on the bucket on top and turn it over. This design is more complicated in execution, but at the same time more stable and reliable. The capacious bottle allows you to forget about the constant filling of feed for a long time. If it's not entirely clear how to make a feeder, you can see the photo.
Chicken feeders from a sewer pipe
The simplest plastic bottle feeder for chickens
DIY chicken feed in 15 minutes!
Wooden feeding mechanism
Often in the household there are many unnecessary wooden planks that have nowhere to adapt. For chicks, you can make a feeder in the form of a long box. Of course, making a wooden structure yourself will be more difficult than previous models, but it will last much longer. Initially, you should draw drawings on paper, and then transfer them to a tree.
The height should be about 20-25 cm, width - 20, length - up to 1 m. The back wall is fixed at an angle. A net with large cells is put on top of the box. Instead of a mesh, you can attach a wooden plank along, and across - several sides. On the worldwide network, you can find a video that describes in detail the design of products with your own hands from scrap materials.
Now you know how to make a good chicken feeder. Every novice farmer will be able to complete any designs for feeding and drinking water at home. The price of suitable containers in modern stores is quite high, so it’s quite possible to save money and adapt unnecessary things to useful business.