The standard option for dishes for feeding chickens has always been a metal or wooden trough. A feeder of such a plan is very inefficient and unprofitable, since chickens constantly turn over the capacity, sprinkle grain. We have to constantly monitor cleanliness. There is an alternative to such a device - chicken feeders from sewer pipes.
The cost of the material is low, it is easy to work with it, the arrangement principle helps to save the grain from rash and raking. Special systems allow you to feed in portions without constant monitoring of the level of feed.
The principle and features of the device
For the manufacture of chicken feeders from sewer pipes, an affordable material is suitable. The assembly process of the device takes little time. Since plastic pipes have a minimum weight, fixing such structures is quite simple.
Sewer feeders for chickens are versatile, functional and have a long service life. You can make such a device using elementary tools. At the same time, the design looks neat and convenient to use. It can be cleaned, washed, filled with food, moved without any problems.
In addition, it is recommended to use additional devices that will help make the feeder more functional. These may be elements used in the fastening of sewer pipes.
Types of structures
Sewer feeders for chickens can be diverse designs. Types of fixtures:
- Vertical - the housing is perpendicular to the floor.
- Horizontal - the main part of the device is placed along the wall of the chicken coop parallel to the ground.
- Bunker - allows you to adjust the feed for the bird.
Sometimes a bunker feeder is combined with a vertical or horizontal type on the principle of placement and manufacture. The choice is made taking into account the number of birds, the design of the premises or pasture, and personal preferences.
List of required tools
To make high-quality chicken feeders from plastic sewer pipes, you need to choose the right tools and materials. The list will consist of only a few items. This is because the work with plastic pipes is not complicated by the hardness of the material.
For each version of the feeders, pipes with a certain diameter are used. Usually several options apply. Additionally, you may need tees, adapters, rubber bands to connect the elements.
To make holes along the entire length of the pipe, it is worth using a file for cutting metal or a jigsaw. Marking is done using a marker or felt-tip pen. A drill or screwdriver is useful for mounting.
Tightness in some parts of the device can be achieved by applying glue mass to the seams and sections with a special gun. But it is better not to resort to the use of this option, since chickens can peck the glue.
Making the easiest feeder
If there are no special restrictions and preferences in choosing a device model, then you can choose the most elementary one. You can make such a chicken feeder from sewer pipes using the following materials:
- A plug that will match the diameter of the pipe.
- 2 pieces of plastic pipe with a length of 40 and 60 cm.
- Knee to jump.
- Felt-tip pen.
- File.
- Measuring tape.
- Screwdriver.
Step-by-step instructions for manufacturing a feeder:
- First mark with a felt-tip pen.
- On a 60 cm long pipe section, make several holes with a diameter of at least 60 mm. You need to position them along the element.
- Close the hole with a plug and, on the other hand, use the elbow to attach the second part of the plastic pipe.
- The vertical pipe can be attached to the wall using a screwdriver.
Operation is very simple. In a vertical pipe, you need to fill the grain, which is evenly distributed in the horizontal part with holes.
Variant of hopper feeder made of plastic pipes
This principle of work is considered ideal for arranging a chicken coop, in which the owners contain many chickens or broilers older than two months. Do-it-yourself bunker chicken feed is as follows:
- You need to purchase a pipe with a diameter of 20 cm. Its length can be 20 - 30 cm. Put the pipe on plywood and fix it with building corners, screwing them with screws. Corners should be placed opposite each other.
- Take a narrow pipe 50-60 cm long. In it, make a longitudinal cut with a height of 15 cm. Cut half the pipe along the cut.
- Insert the narrow pipe into the wide pipe with the cut end. Place so that the elements are in contact with the walls. Connect them together with self-tapping screws.
- Take a plastic container with a displacement of at least 5 liters. Lean the neck against the second end of the thin pipe. The connection can be made using electrical tape.
- To complete the installation of the structure, just attach the container to the wall.
The principle of operation is elementary. Fill the tank with grain. Chickens will eat their food, spilling out at the bottom of the feeder. The grain will gradually fall down the pipe. 30 chickens have a capacity of 6 liters per day. You can not use the baklag. Then the grain will be stored in the vertical part of the feeder.
Making a vertical automatic feeder
This design of a bird feeder is made in 10 minutes, if the right materials are at hand. It is enough to purchase the basis of the product. In this case, the diameter of the PVC pipes should be as large as possible. Cut height should not be more than one meter. Additionally, you need a flat part, for example, a lid from a plastic bucket.
On one side, cut several small holes along the edge, each of which will have the shape of a semicircle. To install such an element in the lid from the bucket exactly on that side downwards where the holes were formed.
Pour grain into the pipe. It will spill out into the flat lid through the holes. As you eat, the feed will go down the pipe.
Custom design options
Homemade chickens are more relevant, cheaper and more functional. Having in the arsenal of plastic pipes of different diameters and a saw for cutting, you can make a rather non-standard, but at the same time functional design. Original ideas for chicken feeders:
- In a large-diameter pipe, make 5 round holes at the same level. Insert cuts of pipes of smaller diameter there.
- Clamp together several pipes with clamps, at one end of which a knee is fixed. The structure is mounted vertically.
- Lay the pipe horizontally, the ends of which are closed with plugs. Cut a few round holes along the structure.
There are many options for making simple but effective feeders. It is worthwhile to show imagination and think through the details. It will take no more than 30 minutes to make some types of feeders. You can diversify design options by using several types of materials within the same product.
Formation of a horizontal structure
If the diameter of the sewer plastic pipe is 110 mm, it can become the basis of almost any design option. Additionally, you will need screws, clamps, tools for cutting plastic. The corner of PVC and caps can be useful.
The most common option for making a horizontal feeder can be an autonomous horizontal version of the design. Need to take two pipes. In the first, cut out a part so that a peculiar "trough" is obtained. Close one end of this pipe with a plug. At the second end, fix the elbow to which to connect the second pipe. It should be located perpendicular to the main part (with a "trough").
Depending on the length of both parts of the pipes, the amount of feed loaded into the main part of the device is calculated. You can make the same option, but for 2 parallel feeders, which will improve the efficiency of the design.