Do It Yourself PVC Chicken Feeder

We could have bought a chicken feeder from the store, but what fun would that have been? We used our old chick feeder for way to long and it would get knocked over when there wasn’t enough food in it…however the way it is designed you really cannot open it until the food is low or it will just fall out. The goal of the new feeder was to be sturdy and accessible from the outside of the run, just like the water.

Even though I go in the run everyday to clean, it is still nice to be able to add food from the outside. Now, my morning routine is to clean up the run, give the chicks some snacks and then close the run door. Then I can open the coop door and let them out while I add water and food. Finally, I open the coop from the back door and freshen up a little. I added some cheap plastic bins under their roost which collects most of the poop at night and makes for an even faster cleanup!

The PVC Pipe

Check out Pinterest and you will find a ton of variations of feeders. We decided to use four inch pipe so it would be wide enough to share. As with anything the hubby does, he had some older pieces of pipe laying around he was able to modify to make the feeder. Instead of using a cap on the bottom, he found a plastic container that fit perfectly! It’s nice because it makes the feeder easier to take apart when I need to clean it. Of course the best feature is the pipe that leads to the outside.

All I need is a funnel and I can add food at any time.

Some versions of this feeder actually hold food in the long vertical pipe. Ours is not designed that way, but I can’t imagine a time I would need to have days worth of food waiting for the chicks.

Update on the ladies and fella

Hard to believe it’s been almost almost 18 weeks since our adventure started! I never get tired of watching chickens play. I have to admit that I’m a little sad that the chickens are not as friendly as they were as babies. They will still eat out of my hands, but nobody walks up and plops down in my lap like I imagined (maybe I shouldn’t believe all the stories I read on the internet).

The most exciting thing is getting ready for some eggs!! We removed the panel blocking the nesting box. I still need to add some straw to make them cozy, but other than that I’m ready….just need the girls to step up. It’s still a little early, but it’s fun to check every morning just in case someone laid an egg.

We also have considered getting more chicks. The hubby is rebuilding the brooder box floor with the same vinyl as on the coop floor. I had originally decided to wait til Spring, but then I thought about how that would mean waiting until next fall again for more eggs. We can no longer order from Grayslake Feed, but Tractor Supply is running their chick days until`the end of September! I figure since 1/3 of our pullets from a hatchery were actually cockerels, we should have at least similar luck from a store.