Many novice farmers who decide to start poultry farming are wondering where to start. Most often in Russia, broiler chicks are selected and bred for their high meat production and early maturity. Perhaps the most important thing in breeding chickens is the chicken feeder. A great option that can save you money is a chicken feeder made by yourself in the video.
Even though the broiler chickens are well protected from the spread of the feed, it will still become contaminated, so it needs to be washed and disinfected periodically. It turns out that it is necessary to use a material that does not absorb odors, which can be washed with a disinfectant.An important point is the mobility of the structure, so that at any moment it was possible to rearrange it without much effort from one place to another. The ideal option is a chicken feeder with do-it-yourself materials.
Naturally, the size of the broiler chicken feeder should be much smaller than for adult as can be seen in the photo and video. The optimal shape of the container is round. It is necessary to calculate the sizes so that the whole livestock at the same time has an approach to it, otherwise less physically developed individuals will constantly remain hungry and may die.
Types of food distribution mechanisms
All home-made poultry food installations differ in the method of fastening, localization, the materials from which they are made, and dimensions. Depending on the feed system, there are:
- automatic structures ;
- grooved;
- regular trays.
Typically, the tray model is used for feeding wet mixers. The design is equipped with a limiter that prevents birds from scattering and clogging feed. Groove models are typically equipped with grooves and millstones. Automatic – the most reliable designs that allow you to fill the feed once a day or several days. In this mechanism, a gradual supply of feed is provided as needed.
Mechanisms of feeding from what is at hand
A natural question that arises after all of the above is how to make a chicken feeder with your own hands what its dimensions are. One of the most popular designs is a chicken feeder made from a plastic bottle. To be able to make the design, you will need:
- self-tapping screws, nuts;
- a bottle of plastic;
- a plate of plastic or a cup;
- nails, wire;
- watering can.
Holes must be made above the bottom of the bottle, then place the bottle in the center of the plate or bowl and attach it to the bottom with a self-tapping screw so that the feeder does not turned over. With a three-centimeter step, incandescent pieces of wire are inserted into the bowl to create a barrier for the chickens through which they can’t get into the feeder.
The bottle feeders for the chicken in the homemade rating are in first place in demand. Making them the easiest, and the materials are always at hand. You can build a couple of such feeders so that all individuals have enough food if the livestock is too big.
To feed small daily chicks, you can make a very simple design from an old container from discs and a plastic plate. On the upper edge of the container at a certain distance make cuts. Care must be taken to ensure that the incisions are smooth, in order to avoid injury to the chicks, then you need to fill the feed into the container and turn it over with a plate.The feeder for small birds is ready.
Automatic feed mechanism
The farm can be very tiring, and chickens simply do not have time to constantly monitor the availability of feed in the feeders. For a large farm, an automatic DIY broiler feeder is suitable, suitable for both adults and chickens. The feed in such feeders is long enough, and it is served as necessary. To make a feeder and a car for drinking chickens:
- 2 pieces of a plastic pipe;
- self-tapping screws;
- metal knife;
- two taps;
- plug and adapter.
Often, pieces of a plastic profile remain on the farm after repairs to plumbing fixtures. If they are not at home, then they are not sold so expensively in the store. It is necessary to connect the pipes using an adapter, to which you need to connect two half-bends. Connecting the two structures, attach them to the wall. If the number of chickens is large, it is not necessary to make several feeders. Pipes are connected to the tee more authentically and several holes are made to provide access to the feed.
The feed mechanism for young growth
The broiler feeders are essentially the same from the feeders of other birds, however, the chicks of this breed gain weight very quickly, thanks to their appetite, and over time they need a large container for food.You can make a feeder with your own hands out of a plastic bucket already grown up. When making such a feeder, it is necessary to pick up a bucket only from food plastic, in no case should you use containers from under construction materials. To make this model, you will need a bucket, a 5 liter plastic cooler bottle, cardboard and a stationery knife.
A rectangular template needs to be cut out of cardboard. It should be of such a size that the head of the chick can freely pass, plus a centimeter for growth. Next, on the bucket with the help of the template, you need to make markup. The lower boundaries of the openings should be focused on the age and growth of young broilers. Two pieces of 15 cm should be cut from the plastic pipe, in which to make holes.
Using a watering can, fill the bottle with food and put on sections of the profile, put on the bucket and turn over. This design is more complicated in execution, but at the same time more stable and reliable. A capacious bottle allows you to forget about the constant addition of feed for a long time. If it’s not clear how to make a feeder, you can see the photo.
Wooden mechanism for feeding
Often in the household there are many unnecessary wooden boards that have nowhere to adapt. Chicks can make a feeder in the form of a long box. Of course, making the wooden structure yourself will be more difficult than the previous models, but it will last much longer. Initially, you should draw drawings on paper, and then transfer them to a tree.
Height should be approximately 20-25 cm, width – 20, length – up to 1 m.The back wall is mounted at an angle. On top of the drawer put on a grid with large cells. Instead of a grid, you can attach a wooden plank along, and across – several sides. You can find a video on the worldwide network that details the construction of DIY products from improvised materials.
Now you know how to make a good chicken feeder. Every novice farmer will be able to complete any designs for feeding and drinking water at home. The price of suitable containers in modern stores is quite high, so it’s quite possible to save money and adapt unnecessary things to a useful business.
