How to make a weather-proof chicken feeder

November 2, 2012 Posts No Comments
Weather proof chicken feeder

Automatic chicken feederPaul Maxwell entered our automatic
chicken feeder contest
with a very cheap and easy homemade feeder that stands up well to rough
weather.


Inside automatic feeder

He used a kitty litter
container and an old juice bottle as outer and inner containers,
attaching the two together with a piece of heavy steel wire.  He
found the wire in the barn, bringing his total cost to $0, but
mentioned that you can use a wooden dowel if you don’t have any heavy
wire around.



“It’s been working
flawlessly for years!” Paul wrote. 



I love the simplicity of
Paul’s design, and its scalability to hold more or less feed.  How
about a metal trash can as the outer container with a five gallon
bucket inside?  Or two small containers to fit in the brooder?


Our chicken waterer is the POOP-free solution to
keep chickens waterers for weeks with one change of water.

Treadle chicken feeder

October 31, 2012 Posts 5 Comments

In the world of chicken
feeders, the treadle feeder seems to be the
most innovative solution.  These feeders keep your laying pellets
inside a closed container, so rats, sparrows, and water can’t get
in.  When a chicken wants to eat, she just jumps up on the lever,
which automatically opens the door and lets her dine at her leisure.



Grandpa’s Feeders are the
best online version I stumbled across, and I’ve heard multiple
chicken-keepers sing their praises.  The feeders are expensive
($210 once you add in shipping), but the quality looks top-notch. 
The
Carpenter Shop has a
cheaper version ($65 plus shipping), although
it looks like you have to jump through a lot of hoops to order one
online.



Treadle chicken feederOr you can make your
own!  Designs abound on the internet —
check out this
one by Backyard Chickens to start, this
one in Grit, or this elegant one
from Woodworking Corner.



Have you built your own
treadle feeder?  Did you have trouble
training your flock to hop on the lever?  I’m very interested to
hear from anyone who’s given one of these designs a try.


Our automatic chicken waterer keeps the mess out of
chicken-keeping.

Automatic chicken feeder contest

October 29, 2012 Posts No Comments

Homemade chicken feederWe’ve had at least half a
dozen requests for an automatic chicken feeder in the last month. 
While I wish I could say we’ve solved the feed problem like we solved the water problem, I can’t.  But maybe
you can?



How to enter:

Send in your photo(s)
and description for a chance to win your choice of a 10 pack
DIY kit or 3 premade
waterers! 
Either email your entry to info@avianaquamiser.com (one photo per email, please
— multiple emails are fine) or post
it on our facebook page by midnight on November
16.  We’ll choose one winner to receive the grand prize, and
several more honorable mentions to be showcased on our website.



What we’re looking for:

We’re interested in fun
photos and ingenious feeders.  If you’ve bought a commercial
automatic feeder, feel free to enter with your review of their design,
and if you’ve made your own we’d like to see that too.  Our
readers love to hear specifics about dollar amounts and time costs, as
well as anything you wish you’d done differently.  Most of all,
we’re looking for an automatic feeder that solves the problem of
spilled feed, stolen feed, and spoiled feed.


The fine print:
All photos and text entered in our contest become the property of
Anna Hess and
Mark Hamilton.  We don’t care if you use them for other things; we
just want the right to put them up on our website and perhaps share
them with future readers in ebook and CD form.



I look forward to seeing
your feeder in action!