[Ruth Cross]

I am looking at getting a few layers at my allotment. Having read John Seymours 'Self sufficiency' book I have come across the idea of making my own hung feeder. The basic principal is a small covered bucket with a few holes around the edges on the bottom. A plant 'saucer' is then attached to the bottom of the bucket and it is suspended.

The idea is the chickens peck the food out from the holes and any spillage goes into the saucer.

Does anyone have any experience/ideas/pros/cons of homemade feeders?? :?

[muntjac]

thye werk as we used them on pheasants when we ran short ..  but i wouldnt use them for chucks as they can attract vermin and the birds can get fat  thus stopping them laying

[muntjac]

this will do the job

   
http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/1/1-4/Ray_Kreuziger.html

[Ruth Cross]

Thanks for your help. It is similar to what I was thinking, but I think my explanation was not great :roll:. I think I will use you link. Thanks again  

[GrannieAnnie]

or you can buy one of these!!!!!  (ok, so I'm lazy!!!)

http://www.solwayfeeders.com/ProductsResultsList1.asp?cat=4

[richyrich7]

Sounds like what I've done for mine, used an old poultry pellet bucket  :oops:  and the bottom of a black bucket, bit o wire in the top and a pyramid shaped block of wood in the bottom to help the feed move outwards, but mines hung up inside so birds no problem, and I've had no probs with vermin either touch wood.

[jiranz]

...
Does anyone have any experience/ideas/pros/cons of homemade feeders?? :?

I use a 2 or 3 L plastic juice containers. Cut off the bottom. Push a nail through the neck about 1.5 inches up, and clip one or two spring clip clothes pegs up inside the neck and over the nail so they obstruct the opening but are hanging loose. Hang it off a fence or farm gate upside down with string or whatever and fill with chicken feed pellets.

Hens seem to prefer yellow pegs and their natural curiosity makes them peck at the peg which disturbs the feed so a few pellets drop through at a time which they eat.

I have 3 of these setup around the place (plenty of land so they are total free range) for about 36 hens. The brown shavers and Cobbs picked it up in no time. The bonus for us was that the Muscovy's did not figure it out (let them eat grass so it discriminates in favour of our budget.

There is nothing clever about it, you can make one in 5-10 minutes and it does work.
I also made one with a 2l coke bottle and a single peg just for one cobb who stands beside it all day bringing down one pellet at a time for the others to eat. You can jam an ice-cream pottle over it to keep rain out.

[joyfull]

hello, I don't know if you realise but the post you have answered is from 2007. As you are new why not take a look in our welcome section and introduce yourself to everybody and also if you click on your profile could you please put your location in