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For dry food it is very convenient to use a bunker model of the feeder. The design consists of a grain container installed above the tray. As the bird eats it, the food is automatically poured from the hopper into the tray under its own weight. Such feeders are beneficial when feeding broilers for meat. The size of the bunker can be calculated so that the filled feed is enough for a day. To make your own bunker chicken feeder you will need to build a pattern from several elements. In extreme cases, any container can be used for the bunker.
Why is it better to have a bunker feeder on the farm?
When a poultry farmer first gets chickens, he usually puts food in a bowl or simply scatters it on the floor. The first option is not very convenient in terms of contamination. The food gets mixed with droppings, bedding material and other debris. If the bird stands on the edge of the bowl, it will tip over and the entire contents will end up on the floor. The second feeding option is not suitable when using small feed. Instinctively, the chicken is constantly scratching in search of food, so she will eat most of the feed, but if it is whole grain.It is not always possible to remove scattered feed from cracks and other hard-to-reach places on the floor. In addition, such food simply gets trampled into the mud.
By installing a bunker feeder in the chicken coop, the poultry farmer immediately solves several problems. Firstly, chickens will not be able to get their paws into the food no matter how much they want. But at the same time, each bird is given free access to food. Secondly, the design is easy to maintain. This is especially felt when they put up feeders for broilers, because this meat breed of chickens constantly eats. The bunker can be filled once a day, but you will have to add food to a regular bowl every hour.
Requirements for the parameters of the feeder
First, it is worth noting that any feeder that has a large capacity for storing feed is considered a bunker. Now let's figure out what requirements apply to the design:
- The chicken should have free access to feed and it should be easy to obtain. At the same time, the bunker structure simultaneously serves as a barrier for the bird so that it does not paddle into the food. The sides play an important role on the tray. Their height should not allow food to spill out onto the floor.
- The design of the bunker feeder is thought out to the smallest detail to make the product easier to use. They think through everything: the material, fasteners, the opening lid and even the pedal with the feed dispenser. Typically, feeders are made of plywood or plastic. The lightweight product can even be attached to a cage; if it gets dirty, it can be quickly removed and washed.
- A very important requirement is the size of the feeder.If the capacity of the bunker is not sufficient to provide food for the entire livestock, then servicing such a feeder is no different from a bowl. The broilers will have to constantly add compound feed. It is important to calculate the length correctly. The norm per 10 cm tray of food is 1 adult chicken. 5 cm of space is enough for the chicken. This does not mean that for 20 broilers you will have to make a two-meter structure. You can build two or four smaller feeders.
There should be enough space for all the chickens near the food tray. Otherwise, weak birds will be pushed away and will be severely stunted.
The video talks about the feeder:
Homemade feeder made from plastic containers
Let’s start looking at making bunker models of broiler feeders with our own hands with the simplest design. You need to dig around in the shed and find any plastic container and tray. This could be a bucket with a lid, a thick sewer pipe, or other similar things.
We will look at an example of how to make a bunker-type feeder using a bucket of water-based paint:
- So, we have a 10 liter bucket with a lid. This will be a bunker. For the tray, you need to choose any bowl larger than the diameter of the bucket. It would be better if it was also plastic.
- Using a sharp knife, cut out windows in a circle near the bottom of the bucket. Don't make big holes. Holes with a diameter of 30–40 mm are sufficient.
- The bucket is placed in a bowl, a through hole is drilled in the center of the bottom, and then the two elements are tightened with a bolt. Although this action is not necessary, since the weight of the feed will press the hopper firmly against the tray.
Now all that remains is to install the feeder in the chicken coop, pour a full bucket of feed and cover it with a lid.
Drawings, photos and procedure for making a wooden bunker feeder
A reliable and complete chicken feeder can be made from wood. A board alone is not the best choice for this job. Sheet material is ideal: plywood, OSB or chipboard. We will connect the cut out elements with slats and screws.
First you need to make your own drawing of a bunker feeder for chickens, according to which the sheet material will be cut. The photo shows the diagram. You can leave these dimensions or calculate your own, adjusting the dimensions of the structure to the number of chickens.
The diagram shows that the structure consists of two identical side parts, a front and a rear wall, forming a bunker. The lid is attached to the top with hinges. The bottom of the side parts and the back wall form a tray. All that remains is to cut out the front element - the side, as well as the bottom. The result should be a bunker structure, such as shown in the photo.
If desired, the drawing can be modified. The side parts are cut into a V-shape, and the tray is expanded onto two sides of the hopper, and made as a separate box. The result is a two-sided bunker feeder.
The principle of manufacturing a bunker structure is simple:
- all the details of the pattern are drawn on the selected sheet material;
- the drawn fragments are cut out with a jigsaw;
- the edges of the workpieces are sanded with fine-grained sandpaper;
- use a thin drill to make through holes for bolts or small recesses for self-tapping screws;
- installing slats for reinforcement at the connecting joints, assemble the entire structure, tightening it with bolts or self-tapping screws;
- The hopper lid is secured with hinges so that it can be opened.
Feed is poured inside the finished bunker, and the feeder can be placed in the barn for the chickens.
Improving the feeder with a pedal with a dispenser
The hopper-type feeder, improved by a dispenser, was invented by a farmer from Australia. The design is intended for feeding a small number of chickens. If necessary, it is better to make them larger, but not increase the size in any way. Otherwise, the dispenser mechanism will not be able to operate.
The operating principle of the design is simple. There is a wide pedal installed in front of the plywood tray. It is connected to the tray lid by rods made of wooden slats. When the chicken steps on the pedal, it goes down. At this time, the rods lift the lid of the tray where the food is poured. When the chicken comes off the pedal, the lid will cover the tray again.
A feeder made from wood yourself will last longer if it is impregnated with a protective antiseptic. It is undesirable to use varnishes and paints, as they can harm the health of chickens.
