3 EASY DIY Chicken Feeders

Adding more chickens means making more ways to feed them all!
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[@WindsofChange]

I use the oyster shell and it works GREAT! Very strong shells...so strong that you have to give them a solid whack to crack them

[@BigDmike24]

Yes for real ...don't even talk about these guys. We have a lot of ducks and love them. Rascals they are. The wetter and muddy it is the more they love it. Lol!! Have a good weekend!!

[@dustinwoodhouse1940]

Thanks for sharing great ideas. I'm a small suburban home owner, so small-scale chicken ops for just our own eggs. Feeding and watering have been hands down the biggest pain. These ideas are awesome!

[@rhiannonfugatt3269]

Thanks for such a great job getting your ideas and building projects in youtube. It has been very inspiring. I am getting ready soon to build a new chicken house from pallets soon, too hot here right now unfortunately so have to wait a while longer.

[@connor1goalie461]

By far the best feeders that will suit my set ups. Thanks so much I am borrowing this idea .

[@WPRJersey]

Several months ago I watched one of your videos. It was the whole Bloody Mary stuff with the one chicken that kept getting picked on. Since then I think I've gone through all of your videos. I love everything your doing and what your believes are. Currently living in Suburban Hood NJ I am looking to get out and move the family to TN. Get plenty of useful Acres and just figure it out. Keep up the great videos and God bless you and your family.

[@jonathanmadsen9338]

Love your ideas and plan to be finishing up with mine this week!

[@BASheppard]

Thank you for this video. Very informative and helpful

[@dcfunhouse]

thanks for the video, just got our first chicks and this provided some very good ideas.

[@gulfcoastsouthernliving9108]

I like the feeders, lots of creativity in design. I know this video is 2 yrs old but I do have a suggestion on the barnstall wood box feeder. I would make it with a board like roof down about 6-8 inches from the food to keep the chickens from getting up into it. I am looking around to see what I will do and ran across this video. I am prepping for chickens next spring and want to have most of what I need in place before getting them. I subscribed to your channel to futher view your videos.

[@diyp8755]

the chicken has a nice feeder

[@SindeePalomino]

These don't need the bagged grit because they have access to dirt/sand outside. If they don't have access to loose dirt/fine sand outside (not inside compacted/glued hard by manure or hidden by straw, etc.), please suppliment grit into their diet so that they can properly digest their food or they can die. Grit, naturally foraged or bagged, "grinds" up their food, similar to us chewing our food.

[@SunnieDIY]

Rabbit bottles make good waterers in a brooder as well. Since my friend showed me that I havent once used the typical waters again lol. I hate messy poultry waterers. I had mine lifted too and they still found a way but I had shavings not straw.

[@glennelliott7009]

As i am watching the video and a good idea for shell issues and cheap feed is regular grass clippings. If you read on chickens eating grass its actually essential in there diet to produce good eggs and numbers.

[@elizabethhicks9696]

My question is Can you do a day in the life of you video? Like when you get up everything you have to get done on the farm in a day etc? I think it'd be super interesting to watch and educational, running a farm takes a lot of work lol. I realize that might sound creepy I swear I'm not a weirdo lmfao Stay Awesome and another great video!!!

[@SSLFamilyDad]

I have planned on something like that, just need to wait for spring/summer weather to make it work.

[@johnmarshall8175]

You the man!....thanks for this awsome information..👍👍👍

[@Atwater88]

What an awesome feeders

[@LatinDanceVideos]

Thx for the video. I use some cardboard folded into a Vee when pouring and don’t have a funnel handy.

[@fourdayhomestead2839]

I love your ideas. I have all the stuff to put your posted projects together.

[@jamesquinsler5607]

Awesome! Another chicken video!

[@justlookin2]

Great video Thanks! I'm just in the planning stages so I will be watching more of your videos!

[@michaelyoung9447]

Great feeders

[@peggyflynn91]

This is so good

[@shadyfieldhomestead1974]

Our chickens are at 10 weeks old now. We are still feeding them chick feed until they are about either 16 or 18 weeks old. Anyway, I keep hearing different arguments on which type of feed to use, either crumbles or pellets. Each side has its arguments and I am really wondering which is the best? Do pellets get lodged into their crop more often? I keep a bowl of grit around which they almost never use. That may be because they're on crumbles or whatever, I'm not sure. I am getting closer to when I have to start them or transition them to layer feed and am really undecided on which to choose between crumbles or pellets? Thanks for any feedback I get.

[@heatherk8931]

I today just gave my chicks the pellet feed. Its actually small, but you do need to transition over several days. Ie, mix some layer into the grower to let their tummies get used th o it. The good thing about pellet is they will eat it off ground, but crumble is easier if you have any birds with crooked beaks 😵😊

[@nancyfahey7518]

I like that shoebox feeder.

[@ChiChiGlamShop]

I’m going to try the pvc tubing, I have enough wood and stuff laying around to make the little tray, I just need to run to Lowe’s to grab the tubing or at one of the habitat for humanity resell stores, they keep a lot of that stuff.

[@gentileuk1311]

Go girl

[@duskydon]

ducks are just so pleasant. What ducks need is a pond. A pen isn't as important as a pond. You can use plastic as a pond liner. Their mess will stay at their pond. A roof and some straw and you will know where the ducks are. A fence to keep predators out. Some feed under the roof but right next to the pond.

[@debbiedooshomesteading7027]

great ideals i like DIY

[@JH-lz4ky]

What would you feed an all organic gmo free flock?

[@NorthwoodsAcres]

You mention the best way to feed chickens is out in the forest/field. I agree! However, I would caution new chicken owners to be to "stuck" on free ranging, especially if you live in a cold climate. We live where there is lots of snow in the winter (and apparently the spring this year), and I was allowing our chickens to free range, even in the snow. This led to an easy snack for hungry coyotes. So our new plan is to free range in the summer, but keep them in the coop/run in the winter. They really were not getting any nutritional benefits with all the snow anyway. Oh, the one other thing to consider about free ranging.... your chickens might not decide to lay eggs in your egg boxes. Especially if you have nice nesting areas where they free range. So people just getting started just need to think about that. Great video. I love the feeders and will be building some similar for our Turkeys and new chickens that are arriving soon!

[@cbwhitedove]

Thank you for all the great videos!! I love that you post Scriptures at the end of your videos too!!😉

[@marygates8567]

pssst....you can keep your shells and dry them out then crush them and add them to their feed to fix thin shells situation. Cheaper than oyster shell :)

[@ronshook5194]

I ALWAYS KEEP OYSTER SHELL IN A SEPARATE FEEDER. THE HENS WILL CONSUME WHAT THEY NEED. ALOT OF LAYER FEEDS HAVE CALCIUM ADDED, IF THE HEN NEEDS MORE SHE WILL GO TO THE SEPARATE FEEDER.

[@enscribe]

You can just give the oyster shell in a free feed bucket, you can gauge the amount they are using that way. We use a bucket on the fence with a hole for drainage, and a makeshift wire around it to keep them from scratching in it.

[@noltehsu]

Great video! Do you have problems with ants or bugs getting into the trash cans with your feed in it???

[@ThatYoutubebloke]

How do you keep the rats out?

[@china_sickness7005]

The good thing about the pipes is that you don’t get mobbed by chickens every time you feed them and they will also always have access to food, like he said

[@WetPaintBostik]

Galline

[@vginnmusa3128]

Watch out for rats feeding at night from the open feeders. I have to use a treadle feeder...they adapted within a week or two.

[@ipromisemusic]

how many scoops of feed last them a week in the pipes?

[@robinnorman1170]

I hear soldier fly larva works the best for calcium.

[@jag9028]

What are your plans for the growing Barred Rock flock since the suburban coupe is too small? New coupe on the horizon?

[@SSLFamilyDad]

new coop on the horizon, I plan on a coop like the suburban coop for the pasture but 20 times bigger

[@heatherk8931]

@@SSLFamilyDad are you processing any for meat yet or selling eggs?

[@PG-wi9oq]

great vid.. How do you treat ants in the coop.. ?.. small black ants are in my chicks coop , which may be harmless but i dont want to leave food in there in case they feed on it and dont want to leave..

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Chickens love to eat ants:)

[@lechatbotte.]

My chickens were never crazy about the oyster shell calcium. I just gave them the used egg shells.

[@thomassutherland1026]

I live in western NC. Where is it you get your grain ration from. A local mill?

[@SSLFamilyDad]

yes, there are several feed stores/grain elevators that make their own feed mix in our area here in Michigan

[@PortlandOregonHomes]

What about varmints? How do you keep the mice/rats etc out?

[@SSLFamilyDad]

No rats here that I have ever seen and chickens love to eat mice, so do my barn cats:)

[@Screamingpinesfarm]

You will or should I say you do have just not bad so dont notice. To get rid of rats/mice baking soda/sugar/flour mixed with little feed. When they die not poisionise to other animals they build up gas ruptures there intestines ( Rats cant fart)

[@seanmacdonald5255]

+I agree that, unfortunately, rats will find you.

[@ronyerke9250]

There are several manufacturers of heat tape and heating wire. Are any of their products suitable for use with the PVC pipes you have in your barn water distribution system? If not, I remember back when I lived in a manufactured (mobile) home that I had heat tape on my 3/4 inch copper water supply pipe. It worked on the pipe under fiberglass pipe wrap. Is that something you might consider doing? Obviously, it would impact your electricity use and bill.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

I have used heat tapes in the past however the chickens love to peck all the wrapping away! I have just decided to use this system in the warmer months and avoid the hassle

[@ronyerke9250]

Oh. I was thinking about a second "armor coating" for the insulation (more expense and work, right?), but as long as you have it handled, that's good. By the way, you don't HAVE to add a strap to stiffen up your original chicken feeder. An alternative way would be to install a slat, rod, or stick (or two) between the existing straps and the PVC that runs the full length to add a little support. I take it that the joints aren't glued together for some reason.

[@shawnhagen6871]

I use those pipe feeders as well, I need a funnel to pour feed in the top, looks like you do too lol

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Lol, yeah I have always meant to grab a bell reducer to put on the top

[@ede2225]

I'd go another 3 or 4 inches on the pipe going down, so you can put lots of feed in the pipe and it auto-feeds them. Or, just increase the height of the little tub 3 or 4 inches. That way you don't waste feed.

[@MFox-ms3jg]

I live in Arkansas where it gets darn muggy in the summer. Do you ever have issues with the food getting moldy from putting in a whole bag of feed? How often do you clean things out?

[@robertveronda4225]

Instead of mixing the calcium into the feed give it to them free choice. I recycle all our egg shells back to the ladies and haven't had an issue with thin shells. Grit? too cheep to pay for rocks for them, they can and do get it from the ground! Love those feeders, hate my trough feeders.

[@shawnhagen6871]

Right hand side of the single stitch pulls free to open the bag

[@sheilamclaughlin963]

Amazing how many people don’t know how to open a bag pulling a string

[@ynotshowme2ur3times]

You try the horizontal nipples? Wife wants me to make a video soon on the ones i make. The chicks take to them faster and you can use any container. I recently made one with a sunnyd jug. You can place close to the light and it wont freeze. Check out one step farm

[@greatwesterngardens9405]

I did read through the comments to make sure nobody has yet asked this, but what do you do with your used egg shells? I feed mine back to the birds and have never had to supplement their calcium at all. Of course the eggs I sell or give away dont factor into that but have still never had a problem.

[@MFox-ms3jg]

I'm new to everything and learning a ton. I'm guessing you'll grind the shells? Then do you mix into their feed or spread on the ground?

[@cole1178]

@@MFox-ms3jg just loosely crush it. You can either throw it on the ground or in the food. Doesn't really matter.

[@liedracook9639]

Ok so i have a concern about the chickins going after eggs ( not fertal )and pecking at them and eating the yolk. I thought they wouldnt do this if they were getting oyster grain in there food. ( mind you i have no idea what i am talking about so forgive me)

[@Screamingpinesfarm]

Un medicated for ducks Ducks need a higher niacin then chickens Ducks will choke on there commerical feed with out water.Chickens once feathered out do not need heat to stay warm.

[@annablack4599]

we have half an acre covered in mulch. (play ground ish) would that be enough for 6 or so chickens to free range on? I know lots of bugs live in the mulch.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

I would day yes, however they also like green grass and other plant life but they will certainly find lots of bugs and worms in the mulch

[@kenfarley957]

How about egg shells for grist and calcium? Mine will eat egg shells.

[@litahsr.8226]

yeah but on a barn little worried with rats / mice

[@fourdayhomestead2839]

How long does feed stay fresh if stored cool and dry?

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Feed will last months as long as it is dry

[@litahsr.8226]

all filthy clean it lol 5:20 update: first u seed not good for hay now u got hey 🤨 11:00

[@johnford3761]

Do you have any problems with rats getting in your feeders?

[@PD-we8vf]

Please make a black soldier fly larvae production bin.

[@PD-we8vf]

Any chance you will make one this spring?

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Probably not, I thing those things are not really worthwhile. Just feed the meat scraps and other scraps right to the chickens, why go through all the hassle to make fly larvae?

[@PD-we8vf]

Because you don't have to worry about the safety and quality of the food you give them. You can feed BSF roadkill and other rotten meat and they will not transfer any disease to the chickens and then to you.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

ok that is a good point I suppose. I don't know I have just never felt the need for the soldier fly deal. Maybe I will look back into that and see if I can put something together

[@PD-we8vf]

Glad you are reconsidering. They are 40% protein with lots of calcium and magnesium and good fats. It can't hurt to try. You could also soak and ferment some of the feed. Here are a few places to get some ideas. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYCqZYymj6-Dnbs kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYjRfmxvfc-gi9U kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6Hdpn2eh8hrh80 This guy says they can harbor pathogens at 5:51 Not sure if he is referring to residue from rotten meat on them or in their bodies. I haven't heard this before, but he says to wash your hands if you handle them with your hands. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2PXZISfba6jo9Em51s kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXanf5mNrKudjrM kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmKad5SArJiIfaM kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKa4fqVnmsmXetE kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoOcaqubl9eSmNU kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZrMn6edeJyBmpo kzbin.info/www/bejne/a2bZkH2Abth1hK8 kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4vGpYV-dtx0fsk kzbin.info/www/bejne/aquVi6h8Zb2Nh9km43s small 5 gallon simple maggot bucket. My friend said when he was a boy they had a flower pot (one of those black cheap plastic ones) that they suspended from a string in the hen coup, added an inch or two of soil, and they'd just throw all their meat scraps into that. The flies and other carnivorous insects get in there, lay eggs, and then the maggots eventually fall out. He told me that after maggots started to regularly fall out, the smarter chickens started to just sit under it all day scrambling for fresh bugs as they hit the ground. Or a mealworm kit www.joshsfrogs.com/josh-s-frogs-mealworm-kit.html This guy throws his feed onto the cattle cow pies 3 days after they are there. reduces the fly pressure. Perhaps you could use your pig manure. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYSsk3efqdidbqsm4s kzbin.info/www/bejne/naXTZmudn9eqbqsm11s Have fun J.

[@cynthiamolenaar770]

What about mice? Do you have any of them feeding on the chickenfood? My problem here in The Netherlands right now...so I need to think of something mice can’t reach 😳

[@cynthiamolenaar770]

Whoops I see someone already asked the same question... sorry 🤣

[@bl3524]

I have a newbie question. If i feed them food for a few days, wont they eat it all in one go?

[@SSLFamilyDad]

You can’t really bulk feed goats, they can over eat and get sick. You can bulk feed them hay though, give them as much as you want and that can hold them over for days

[@heatherk8931]

@@SSLFamilyDad lol, I think they meant newbie not nubian. That was funny from the outside reading in.

[@matthewgonsalves2479]

great video thanks!! your trash can keeps the critters out, lol sounds like some lame raccoons lol

[@joestone2068]

Do you have predator problems

[@harrisonmorgan3577]

Do the Barred Rocks not fly out of the roughly 6’ tall fenced in yard?

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Most of the time, no. But I do have 1 that likes to get on top of the coop then fly out but she seems to get back in at night somehow also

[@user-xb1ht4py2v]

no rocks in florida soil, need grit !

[@chevy6299]

Someone told me today it was the 105th day of January

[@lokidude100]

13:20 no food for red chicken

[@cheapreviews4691]

do chickens get too fat that they cant produce egg anymore?

[@arnoldromppai5395]

you are working far to hard to open a feed bag, just cut the last knot end string on the other end of the feed bag tag and grab the 1st or 2nd flat stich and pull, it comes right a part in on simple pull,, any good laying mash you buy has grit in it, I see far to many feeding a man made crumble, witch is full of crap, a laying mash is a mix of chopped grains oyster shall and grit and is 18% protein. I made my layers feeders years ago that hold 150Lbs of feed, so I don't have to worry about feeding for a week at a time, it is a pain feeding and watering every day, so they have running water at all times and a number of large feeders, just do not put ducks or geese in with them as they will eat none stop and empty the feeder in a day, how ever I feed my turkeys, meat birds all the same way in there own pens, the easiest big feeder is a 45gallon drum a trash can with holes cut in the side bottom and put a card board cone in center on bottom and set in a pan an inch off the bottom and a lid on top