There are many models of poultry feeders, including those with an automated dispenser. But you can make a chicken feeder yourself from improvised material, which will be no less functional.
The diet of poultry consists of dry food and wet mixtures (food waste, sprouted grains, etc.). Therefore, the chicken feeder must be resistant to moisture, safe for pets, comfortable, protected from dirt and debris.
How to make a stationary chicken feeder
The capacity in which the feed is poured is best done in the form of a trough. Its height should be such that the sides are at the level of the breast of a medium-sized bird. For 20 chickens, a container with a length of 1.2-1.5 m, a width of 20-25 cm and a height of sides of 10-12 cm will be enough.
The feeder can be made from wooden planks of the appropriate size. The thickness of the lumber can be small: 0.5-1 m is enough.
The boards are connected from the outside using metal corners and short self-tapping screws or glued together. If the container will be filled with wet food, it is lined with linoleum from the inside. This material must be thin enough to bend at the corners of the feeder, which avoids unnecessary seams. If different feeds will be in the container, 2-3 compartments should be made inside the box, delimiting the space with the help of transversely laid wooden planks.
To prevent the chickens from climbing into the feeder, a protection must be mounted on top of the drawer. The simplest solution is to install thin metal rods at a distance of 5-7 cm from each other. This distance is enough for the bird to easily get food. The rods must be bent at an angle so that both ends can be fixed in the inner side of the sides of the feeder, and at the top a straight or sharp angle is obtained. In order to prevent these rods from moving, a stronger metal rod is placed at the break points and each bar is attached to it in turn. The protective mesh can be made removable or strengthened on the sides of a wooden container.
