These will be used to raise the rain barrel up to the proper height to allow the birds to drink from the nipples. Purchase a different size if your rain barrel requires it. This will be used to connect the end of the PVC pipe to the rain barrel, so you should double-check your particular rain barrel to ensure it’s a 3/4-inch threaded connection. The design of this waterer can also be adjusted based on the size of your run by adding or removing additional nipples, or changing their positions. It needs to be positioned on the side of the coop where you plan to have the poultry nipples, and ideally, somewhere where you can redirect the rainwater from a gutter into the barrel. The Watererīefore starting this project, decide where you want to place your rain barrel. Once the tubes are securely fastened, you can trim any excess off the clamp straps.ħ – Test the PVC hubcap tops for a good fit, but also check that you can remove them easily to refill the tubes with feed and supplements. Screw each of the steel clamps.Ħ – Slide the feeders through the clamps and make sure that the tube mouths fit securely through the opening in the screen, then tighten the clamps around their tops. Optional: You can measure the final opening and frame it out for extra support using the 2-by-4 if needed.ĥ – When you’re ready to clamp the tubes, use a drill bit that’s smaller than the head of your screws but larger than the threads and drill hole at the backside of each hose clamp (the side opposite the tightening point). The bottoms of the feeders should sit on the ground, or some sort of solid surface such as the frame of your coop. You’ll use this board to clamp the top part of each tube in place.Ĥ – Cut a 9-by-9-inch hole in your chicken wire as an opening for the feeder tube mouths. Repeat this step for each of the feeder tubes.ģ – Before you place the tubes, decide where to install them, and make sure there’s a wide board in place.

Hold each connection for a minute for a firm bond. If everything fits snugly, take it apart, apply the PVC cement where the pieces connect, and then press them back in place. This creates the bottom end of the tube where the chickens will eat. Then dry fit a street elbow onto the open end of the 90-degree elbow. Be sure to sand down the rough, sawed edges and remove any PVC dust so your chickens don’t eat any.Ģ – You want to test the fit of the elbows to your feeder tube before you glue them this is called a “dry fit.” Take one of the sawed tubes and dry fit a 90-degree elbow to one end. 3 feet of 2-by-4 wood to create a frame around the hole in the chicken wire where you plan to insert the feedersġ – Cut the 10-foot length of 3-inch PVC into 3 equal pieces using the saw (your local home improvement store may be able to do this for you.) These sections will form the bodies of the 3 feeder tubes and store the food.Screws of appropriate length to attach steel clamps to your coop.Used for clamping the feeders to the chicken coop Three 3-inch PVC 45-degree street elbows.Used as caps for the tops of the feeders. One 10-foot-by-3-inch PVC pipe, cut into roughly 3 equal sectionsĬut into 3 equal pieces, this will form the body of the feeders.

Install the feeders through the protective wire so the openings are accessible to your chickens yet covered by a roof. Two of the three PVC tubes hold feed, while the third contains grit and oyster shell. They’re also easy to load, holding two or more weeks’ worth of food and water. The food system holds 20 to 30 pounds of feed and supplements, while the water system stores up to 30 gallons, and both are accessible from outside the coop or run. This DIY food and water system is ideal for a backyard flock of 3 to 6 chickens and for busy urban homesteaders with little spare time. Here Liz provides detailed equipment lists and instructions for building a low-maintenance food and water system for your backyard chickens. This is a companion piece to Liz Fulghum’s article Low-Maintenance Backyard Chickens.

Diy pvc chicken feeder waterer