Feed
Build your own Poultry Feeder
How to build a Poultry Feeder (cheapo style)
Going in and out of the chicken run every day to feed my girls was fun in the beginning, but as the days grow shorter and mornings are colder, it was no longer my idea of fun. What to do, what to do?
A poultry feeder was the only solution. But the proud cheapskate I am, it had to come free or much cheaper than in the local animal store.
So here we go:
Build a Bucket Feeder
- Get a bucket, a used standard five gallon (20 liter) plastic bucket will do. Empty it, clean it. Make one inch (or 2 cm) holes at the bottom of the bucket, every hole set 2,5 inches apart.
- Get a pot plant dish (plastic) attach it it to the bottom of the bucket. You can glue it or fix it with bolts and nuts.
- Put the feed in and you’re done.
Chicken feeders must stay dry and clean
An elevated chicken feeder keeps the feed a bit cleaner. Attach the poultry feeder with some string on the hinges to the ceiling of your chicken coop. Don’t hang it up too high though.
The feeder can be used inside and outside, just put a lid on the bucket for protecting you poultry feed from getting wet or contaminated.
NOTE: You will want to keep pests out and the feed dry. If you only have a small amount of chickens, I advise you to not fill the feeder to the rim.
If you are not the DIY kind of person, not to worry. Below I have listed some affordable alternatives.
Chicken Feed
What kind of chicken feed is good for your flock?
A chicken will eat practically anything that looks like food and fits in its beak. The good thing is that they’re not picky 
But you must see to it that they eat the right chicken feed.
You eat what they eat. If your chickens get fed with only barley or corn, you’ll get a taste of it too in their eggs and meat.
Needless to say that variation in their diet improves the egg quality and keeps your fowl healthier in general.
Seasons
Chicken diet is also season bound. In winter, when small bugs and insects are rare, I usually feed them a bit more corn and wheat and fish meal to compensate the protein levels .
In summer I try to give them as much green as I can. They can forage the garden for insects and worms themselves. They particularly love salad leaves, dandelion leaves and left over vegetables. Potatoe and carrot skins are also very popular among the flock.
You can mix your feed yourself or buy it at the animal store. But before you buy pre-mixed pellets, mash or grain mix for your chickens you must check what kind it is and what’s in it. If you’re still not sure, taste it. If it has a neutral taste, it’s probably all right.
In general, pre-ground mash or pellets will do, but if you’re keeping larger quantities of chicken, mixing your own feed might come a lot cheaper.
Note: Do not give baby chicks the adult feed! They need a starter mash, of which there are several. Switch to adult feed after 4 to 7 weeks.
Proteins
Chickens are omnivores, they need proteins a much as we do. That is why fish meal is a common supplement in a chicken diet.
A real treat are worms and small insects. These are full of protein too. If you free-range your flock they will peck them out the earth themselves, but if you keep them in their run it’s nice to give them a treat from time to time.
Grit
Grit is crushed rock that chickens use as “teeth”. Basically, it helps chickens digest their feed. For run-kept fowl it’s good to sprinkle some over the run surface every couple of days. Free range chickens will find their own grit in the pasture. No need to feed them extra grit.
If you don’t want to waste your time on pondering on what to feed your chickens, it’s time to go to the store! Don’t buy the cheapest feed, it is usually full of milling byproducts and not very nutricious. Better to pay a bit more for good quality feed.
Your chickens will be just fine when fed only this. Just remember that giving them your food scraps and gardening waste is a small effort to keep happy chickens!
For more detailed information and step-by-step instructions for raising your own flock click here
