Whichever options are available for automatic feeding of chickens, they all serve one important purpose - the regular supply of dry feed for the normal breeding process of poultry. Today it is not uncommon for models with a hopper or products with a timer.
After all, the main task of using such a feeder model is to ensure the continuity of the feed supply.
Why do you need a regular feed?
The automatic chicken feeder is widely adopted by poultry breeders. These feeders are convenient in that they meet the biological needs of the birds without the need for cleaning or direct involvement of the farmer. In addition, a well-made feeder can last for many years without losing functionality.
The auto-feeder model is a special device into which the required amount of feed is supplied at a certain time. The technical sophistication of this device has a positive effect on the egg production of chickens. The system "unties the hands" of the worker, allowing him to leave the cage for a long time. Much depends on the design when feed can be fed over several days or a week. Chickens will not get hungry and will lay eggs.
Modern home-made devices in the form of feeders can be made from anything. Wood and plywood, metal and plastic, pipes, boxes, bottles are used. So, the feeder can be a prefabricated structure using various materials. Mixing feed is not recommended. It is better to install several feeders in one structure.
Types of car feeders
Automatic feeders are indispensable, they are mounted for constant self-supply of dry feed in the process of breeding poultry. Not everyone is right and useful. You need to carefully choose devices that can last more than one year. Auto feeders can be made of various materials. The simplest model is the bunker. More sophisticated versions of feeders are equipped with a timer and programmability.
Made from the most durable ABS plastic or made of steel, the feeders are powder painted. The complete set of models includes a stern area and a tray, which, in turn, can be divided into compartments. Some models of feeders require additional capacity, such as a large can or bottle. The simpler the product model, the simpler its design. For example, some simple feeder options are better suited for broiler chicks.
Consider the main types of auto feeders.
Bunker
The hopper feeder is designed according to the vacuum principle, when the feed enters a closed container and tray through a small opening. It is important to make sure that the fasteners of this design are reliable, because they will often have to be removed from the wall in order to change the tray.
Plastic bucket
This option involves the use of a plastic container. But it should not be left outside, as moisture will enter the food. Better to leave the bucket in a closed chicken coop. A plastic bucket with a capacity of 5 to 10 liters is suitable as a feeder. The lid must fit snugly against the container. You can use a bowl or tray as a feeder tray (special accessories are sold at the pet store).
Canister
Usually a capacity of about 5 liters is used here. This can be a plastic canister that fits inside the chicken coop. The plastic container is cut in half, the lower part with a bottom is used, in which holes the size of a chicken head are cut. The canister is tightly closed by the top and filled with food.
In the form of a wooden structure
Wooden models are usually made of wood, chipboard, plywood. Wood is a practical economical material for use in the backyard industry. However, such a container is not very durable. But the model is easy to make at your own discretion - depending on the size and volume of the container.
Pedalless design
Wood is the best material for making a non-pedal auto-feeder. The container is made of two side walls and a lid, the bottom is reinforced with a metal pallet. The finished feeder is treated with emery, but not painted or varnished. The feed is fed through a hole in the container where the feed is poured. Such simple designs cannot compete with the pedal mechanism.
Pedal design
This type of construction is referred to as more complex and sophisticated mechanisms for automatic feeding. But the mechanism works quite simply. The bird independently presses the foot on the pedal, after which it receives food. There is no need to specifically teach this - the chickens will quickly adapt to the new rules of the game. The main thing is to ensure the tightness of the structure so that it can be left in the yard. Any safe and moisture-resistant solution will do for additional treatment.
PVC feed pipe
This device is a PVC pipe attached to the wall of the birdhouse. Convenience and practicality of the device is that it is difficult to turn it over during use. The volume of PVC pipes allows you to add up to 10 kg of feed to the trough. In this way, poultry feed is provided in large poultry houses. True, you will have to clean the structure (pipe) more often than another device.
Timer and dosing options
Automatic feeders with a timer and dispenser - a new word in the technical equipment of modern poultry houses. Modern structures of this type are needed for feeding grain mixture and dry feed. Mechanics allows you to efficiently use feed mixtures. The timer helps to regulate the feeding time, and the feed auger mechanism will ensure that food flows into a special tray.
Dispensing attachments make the task even easier. Equipped feeders can be floor structures or suspended structures, with different tray filling rates. Those of them that are placed at a height can be adjusted to the growth of the bird. Feeders with dispensers are easy to use and are made of high quality and durable plastics with low weight. Any such design includes:
- container for loading bulk feed;
- standard feed tray;
- connection element with the dispenser.
Automation with a dispenser and a timer is convenient because food arrives at the right time. The system feeds feed through the auger directly to the tray. The timer mechanism has a spare battery and a separate storage capacity. A fairly convenient and cheap do-it-yourself smart feeder project with a timer includes components such as an electric motor, a programmable timer installed on the top bar of the cage.
Many models with automatic feeding are equipped with backup batteries and a convenient reservoir for the safety of free-flowing feed.
The device can automatically feed feed up to 8 times in a row. The device is convenient to use, since here you can regulate the intervals of feed intake using a timer.
How to do it yourself?
Such a convenient and functional device as an auto feeder can be made by hand for agricultural needs. The traditional auto feeder is made in the form of a wooden structure equipped with a dispenser.
Materials and tools that you may need to create an auto feeder:
- plywood sheets impregnated with a moisture resistant agent;
- a set of wooden blocks;
- ruler, marker, construction tape;
- bolts, screws, hinges;
- a hacksaw for wood and an electric drill.
It is important that all elements of wood construction are treated with a special compound - an environmentally friendly antiseptic. There are many variations of drawings of this design. Consider the most common option for making an auto feeder for chickens.
- On a solid sheet of plywood, you need to place the main elements of the future structure: strips for the side and one rear walls, bottom and cover, front parts, cover over the feed, pedal.
- Make 3 pairs of parts from several wooden blocks: one will be more authentic, 2 others - shorter. This is an element for connecting strips, an element for fastening a cover, fixing elements.
- All walls of the structure are fixed with standard screws. The back wall is set at an angle of 15-17 degrees. The lid is attached with hinges - so it is more convenient to fold it back to add food.
- The longest bars are attached on two sides: on the side of the cover, on the opposite side where there is a hole for the bolts. Fixing the bars is also needed at the place where the pedal is installed.
- Before installing the assembled (bunker) structure, it is equipped with a dispenser.
- The device can now be tested in working order.
- When pressing the pedal, the cover should lift easily. You can adjust the degree of tension of the bolts at the joints.
- In the finished form, the structure is sanded for a smooth surface, all wooden elements are additionally impregnated with antiseptics.
Convenience of equipment
The original ideas for creating auto feeders are embodied in the bold models of these necessary fixtures. The main convenience of automatic poultry feeders is the feed mechanism. Moreover, this mechanism is easily regulated and controlled. As a result, a feeder with a dispenser provides chickens with constant access to feed when the lid is triggered under its own weight.
Some models of the design of such a feeder can be equipped with batteries for a longer autonomous operation. Easy to use feeder with replaceable spreaders.
For information on how to make an auto feeder for chickens with your own hands, see the next video.