Hens using the chicken feeder
This is my 3d printed chicken feeder design, it mounts on to standard 100mm PVC pipe and holds up to 5 days of food for my 6 hens.
Design and Printing
Creating the 3d model with TinkerCad
This is the model that I produced using TinkerCad. The idea is to allow the chickens access to a limited amount of food at one time to reduce waste.
The design is available on Tinkercad
The print files and settings can be viewed and downloaded on Thingiverse
TinkerCad model
Printing the feeder
The finished print
Printed in Sunlu PLA+, it took in the region of 15 hours using the following settings:
- 0.2 resolution
- 15% infill
Building the feeder
Prepare the PVC pipe
Cut a piece of 100mm PVC pipe to the required length, I made mine 60cm long to allow for it to be suspended under the hen house.
Insert the pipe into the printed feeder part. Drill pilot holes for the 4 screws and screw in place.
Drill 2 holes at the opposite end to accept the wire or string for hanging the feeder.
Printing the feeder
The finished chicken feeder
Installation
The chicken feeder in use
This feeder is made to be suspended in a place where it is protected from to rain. My chicken house is raised 1.4 meters off the ground, so I can hang the feeder underneath. Positioning it under the chicken house also has the advantage of deterring wild birds from ‘stealing’ the chickens’ food.
The hens using the feeder
A short YouTube video of the hens and the feeder
Updated design
After using the chicken feeder with my hens I found that if I filled it with ground grain it worked fine, however if it was used with whole grain it had a tendance to become blocked.
I went back to my Tinkercad design and made a few changes
The changes I made to the design were to reduce the height of the internal cone, removal of internal separations and enlarging the grain feed arches.
The updated design
These modifications have eliminated the blockage problems and the hens are happier now.