We had something like this, but I made the part that goes in to the bottom from a piece of threaded rod and welded it to the side of a piece of flat stock to make a T, then I cot a circle out of a bucket lid where they used a container lid:
It goes in a 35 gallon drum screwed to the wall, no waste until they get to the last 1/4 of the barrel.
Aaron Z
Clever idea, but certainly not "waste free". It may start that way, but them lil fookers will realize how it works and beat up the lower tray and it will go everywhere. Too small also, you will be filling it up every day or other.
Been running chickens for awhile now. 30 at the moment. I cannot be bothered to deal with them everyday. I have a 50 gal plastic drum for water and another 50 gal plastic drum for feed set up kinda like this:
This article will explain how to make a simple feeder out of a barrel! —Credits— YouTube Happy Egg Farm —What You Will Need— ⚫5-30-gallon barrel (I'm using a 30-gallon barrel) ⚫Elbow pipes I saw a few great ideas on Youtube about using PVC...
www.backyardchickens.com
Only difference is I used 45deg fittings instead on 90s. The 90s are a bit long for the chickens to get all the way down in there to feed. I can dump 15 gallons of feed in the barrel, check the water barrel and collect eggs once a week. It is a nice mellow saturday morning chore, so easy peasy.
Oh yeah, keep the lids on the barrels so the chickens wont poop into them as they will try to sit on top.
My turkeys are set up the same way, low maintenance.
Keep the run big enough and you wont have to deal with the droppings other than around the lay boxes. Arrange your run and house for YOU, not the birds. If you cant easily get in there to do maintenance and cleaning, you either wont do it or you will be hating life. Man sized doors folks, full height ceilings, etc. Skip those feed store "coop kits". They suck and are too small. You would be better with an old van or shed. Again, if you cannot fit in it, you are doing it wrong. Chickens really dont give a sh1t what it looks like. Function over form.
Winter: I have a livestock waterer heater (donut looking thing with a plug) in the water barrel. The lay box area has a door to cut the wind, but I dont heat it at all. We hit -40 last winter and they did fine. I have found it easier selecting a breed for the climate than trying to optimize egg production or something. We have some leghorns now, got em for free, and they are not real cold hearty birds. My preference is Barred Rocks, but Rhode Islands are ok too. Jersey Giants and Orphingtons have been good all weather birds too. Heritage breeds, or close to, will be better all weather birds that need less maintenance.
Chickens arent like dogs. Plan on a few extra birds from what you think you want. You may lose one or two along the way (impacted egg or similar), or more likely you will get one with bad temperment that just attacks the others. No solution on that but to cull it. if you are thinking "4 is just right", you may be down to 1 or 2 in short order. It happens.
First round of chickens all got names. They were fun names like "soup", "bisquit", "omlet" and such, but the wife really treated them like pets more than livestock. Many rounds of chickens later, there are no official names, but are often hollared at with names more like cuss words. Something like "you M-Fer! You pooped on my shoe" or "G-D it! You peck me one more time and it is the pot for you ya little sh!t!". All in good humor of course, .....most of the time.
If you are doing this to introduce your kids to keeping animals, make sure you include them when it is time to slaughter and clean them. Our first round of birds, we went to a local farm that for a very minor charge would let you use their equipment and show you how to do the deed. My boys went too. They learned alot about bird biology as well as life lessons. Processing birds is easy once you have the steps figured out.
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