Automatic bird feeder with replaceable cassettes. We make a bird feeder from available materials

Automatic bird feeder with replaceable cassettes.  We make a bird feeder from available materials
Automatic bird feeder with replaceable cassettes. We make a bird feeder from available materials

Feeding chickens can be optimized using automatic feeders

Automatic assistant

Automatic chicken feeders have long been widespread among poultry houses. Industrial copies are quite expensive and ineffective on small farms. Cheap consumer goods are not worth the money they ask for. Don't be upset. It’s not difficult to make an automatic feeder with your own hands in a matter of hours.

Bird feeders are manufactured taking into account the biological needs of birds, they are easy to disinfect and clean, do not require special maintenance, and serve long years without losing its original appearance.

This model has been popular for more than 10 years. It was invented by an Australian farmer. Domestic amateur poultry farmers have slightly simplified the complex technique.

Metal feeder according to the Australian farmer's design

To make a feeder with your own hands we will need:

  • thin plywood;
  • wooden blocks;
  • furniture bolts.

We put together a box. The feeding tray is opened by pressing the pedal. The rest of the time the feeder is closed. The cover is attached to the bars with bolts. The small size of the feed container and a clever mechanism will prevent the chicken from scattering food. We would like to make a reservation: the bird will have to be taught to use such a device.

Simpler options

If you have no desire to tinker with complex mechanisms, then we present the following models. They are quite simple, but meet all the requirements of a poultry farmer - rational use feed and space.

Bunker

Ease of manufacture and affordable materials have made this model the most popular among home-made feeders. Components:

Simple bucket feeder

We do not drill through the bottom sides of the container. large holes– food spills out through them. We screw the hopper to the pallet. We fill the structure with food. Narrow sides prevent birds from raking. The lid will protect you from debris, moisture and curious creatures. This model is convenient to move around the chicken coop or area.

A more complex version of a do-it-yourself bunker feeder. We need:

  • volume bottle (18-20 l);
  • a piece of pipe (according to the diameter of the neck);
  • plastic bucket.

At the bottom of the bucket, holes are made for the chickens' heads. The pipe is a restrictor on the neck of the bottle. We cut it out in the shape of a “crown”.

Grain is poured into the bottle and a cap is put on. Place the container neck down in the bucket. And thanks to the handle, moving such a structure around the site will not be difficult.

Bucket and bottle feeder

Pipe

Plastic sewer pipes have long been used not only for their intended purpose. Poultry farmers adopted them when making their own feeders.

What do we need:

  • two short pipes of large diameter;
  • tee;
  • stubs.

We cut round holes in the plastic on both sides - the bird’s head should fit freely inside. The approximate diameter is seven centimeters. Close the hole on one side with a plug.

If you don’t like such innovations, then it’s permissible to simply cut out the gutter.

Feeder for chickens from a pipe

Connect the feeder to the second pipe using a tee. Through this structure you will add food to the birds and close it with a plug. It is recommended to take him outside the fence. This model will be an excellent helper if you have a large number of chickens. You use space sparingly. Pets cannot reach food with their paws.

For a small farm, build a simple version of the feeder. Materials:

  • long pipe;
  • stub;
  • knee.

The knee is located at the bottom of the structure. The pipe is firmly fixed in the chicken coop.

The food is poured in through the top and the cap is closed. For a few hours you don't have to worry about bird food.

Pipe feeder with elbow

Wooden

This great option for small quantities of poultry or for chickens. The principle of operation is similar to the bunker type. It represents:

  • triangular feed chamber;
  • food tray.

Food is poured on top and covered with a lid (from wild birds, debris or water). Food is added from the top container as food is eaten in the bottom tray. Chickens do not scatter food and do not row.

The model is quickly disassembled and washed. The small size will allow you to move it to any corner of your site.

A simple plywood feeder

The presented feeders are simple and available options for the domestic poultry farmer, made with your own hands. When choosing a model for your farm, always rely on the following points:

  • number and breed of chickens;
  • chicken coop dimensions;
  • material.

Based on these factors, choose best option under your poultry house. The larger the population, the longer the feeders will be. If you are feeding broilers, it is recommended to pay attention to bunker types.

They will allow you to worry about adding feed for several hours. Remember: all presented models are used under bulk types food.

You can find fresh fruits and vegetables on supermarket shelves at any time of the year. It’s not a problem to buy poultry meat today. Why, then, do not summer residents stop growing their own crops and do not give up their subsidiary farming? We are sure that each of the gardeners and poultry farmers will tell you how the products grown with my own hands, tastier, juicier and more environmentally friendly. But if even urban summer residents can maintain a vegetable garden, then raising chickens is not such an easy task. However, for our folk craftsmen, a do-it-yourself feeder is not a problem. If there was a desire, information on homemade devices we will select it for you.

Balanced and, very importantly, timely nutrition is necessary for chickens to be healthy. But things to do modern people a lot and it’s not always possible to keep track of feeding times. It is much easier if the feeding process takes place using a device that supplies food automatically. We bring to your attention several options for homemade feeders and drinkers. We will be glad if any of the proposed models will make your life easier.

Constantly remembering poultry feeding hours is very difficult. Considering that the farmer may be away for a day or two, hopper-type feeders become an indispensable item.

Option #1 - pipe to you, hen!

The most ingenious inventions are usually very simple. This is exactly what the idea of ​​using polypropylene pipes can be considered.

To collect the right device you will need:

  • pipes of various diameters;
  • couplings;
  • connecting devices.

We attach a part called a “connecting elbow” to the polypropylene pipe. We place the resulting structure in the chicken coop. We pour food into the pipe from above, and then close the upper end of the structure with a lid. The feed is fed into the knee under the influence of gravity. As the chickens consume feed, it will be added to the knee from the pipe. In the pipe, the level of the product will gradually decrease. After a few days, it will be possible to pour a new portion of food into the pipe.

This design is good if there are few birds on the farm. Otherwise, the connecting elbow can be replaced with another pipe, securing it parallel to the floor. Get food from horizontal pipe birds will be able to through the holes in it. Such a feeder not only saves the owners time, but also space in the chicken coop: it is conveniently located and does not bother anyone.

This is how a simple feeder looks like: polypropylene pipe. Agree that it’s difficult to come up with something simpler than this basic device

Of course, if there are a lot of chickens on the farm, you can simply make a lot of pipes for feeding them. But we will do it simpler and attach another pipe to the main one - a horizontal one, in which we will make holes

This device has one drawback: the lack of limiters. Chickens can climb onto the pipes, trample and ruin the food.

Option #2 - bunker type devices

If you buy an automatic bird feeder in specialized stores, you will have to pay a decent amount. Moreover, a large farm will require several similar products. Meanwhile, there is nothing complicated in the proposed design.

When choosing a menage or portioned dog bowl to make such a feeder, do not lose sight of the fact that its diameter should be greater than the diameter of the base of the bucket

You need to prepare:

  • a plastic bucket that was left after the renovation;
  • a sectional bowl for dogs or an inexpensive vegetable bowl, also made of plastic;
  • sharp knife.

We cut holes in the bottom of the plastic bucket in accordance with the number of compartments in the container. The size of the holes themselves should allow feed to flow freely into the feed pan. The bucket and the menagerie must be connected to each other using screws.

It is better not to place the feeder on the ground, but to hang it. In this case, the likelihood that chickens will climb on it is minimal.

The food is poured into the container and the bucket is closed with a lid. The feeder can be placed on a horizontal surface or suspended so that the birds can freely get food. Hanging the bucket by the handle in the right place, you can rest assured that the chickens are fully provided with food for several days.

Option #3 - basic dining room

Construction requires very little time and the most simple materials. Prepare:

  • container with a plastic handle;
  • chain-link mesh;
  • sharp knife.

The plastic container must be emptied of its contents, rinsed thoroughly and dried. Carefully cut out the front part. We make a cut in the handle of the bottle so that it can be hung on the mesh that surrounds the chicken coop. We pour the food directly into the bottle. It is important that the container is at a height that is as comfortable as possible for the feeding bird.

The feeder is built in a matter of minutes. It’s good if the chicken coop is fenced with a mesh, otherwise a piece of chain-link can be simply pulled in the right place

Option #4 - plywood feeder

Another option for a bunker can be made from a sheet of plywood. We cut out vertical high walls and build a box without a front part. The height of the feeder is approximately 90 cm. Thanks to this size, you can fill a large number of feed immediately.

The feed should not get stuck at the exit. To do this, place a piece of plywood at the bottom of the box so that it has a slight slope towards the front. Now the bulk feed will roll down to where it will be accessible to the chickens. Optimal inclination using granulated feed is 20-25 degrees, and when feeding grain - 12-15 degrees.

A plywood feeder is also a simple device. It’s just more difficult to care for than plastic products. An antiseptic coating can help, but plastic is still more hygienic

The horizontal area in front of the inclined plane is the place where the feed will fall. A common problem Many home-made structures are due to the lack of restrictions, thanks to which chickens cannot climb into the feeder, scatter the feed and spoil the feed with the products of their vital activity. IN in this case The problem was solved with the help of restrictive sides. The front side should be at least 6 cm, and the side sides should be twice as large.

The advantages of this design are its spaciousness and security. Using this device, you can be sure that the food will last for a long time, it will be spent rationally, it will not spill and will not be spoiled

All you have to do is attach the front wall and you're done. The feeder will last a long time if it is thoroughly treated with antiseptic preparations. Use a spray gun for this purpose. The coating will give the product a finished and even elegant look acrylic paint. You can assemble all the parts together using a screwdriver and self-tapping screws.

Option #5 - plastic devices

Food plastic – excellent material, from which it can be made convenient drinking bowls and the same “plates” for chickens. The undoubted advantage of these devices is their mobility. They can be carried and placed where it is convenient for the farmer.

To work you need to prepare:

  • two plastic buckets;
  • two water bottles that are used in a household cooler;
  • a piece of polypropylene pipe approximately 25 cm long and of large diameter;
  • electric drill and drills 20 and 8 mm in diameter;
  • electric jigsaw.

It is necessary to make holes in the buckets in such a way that the birds can freely reach water and food, but cannot get inside. To make the openings uniform and neat, you can use a template. By applying it to the walls of the buckets and tracing it with a felt-tip pen, we get the contours of future holes.

From an aesthetic point of view, these drinking bowls and feeders are very good. But they are also incredibly functional.

Let's mark a hole by drilling a hole in each with an 8 mm diameter drill. We use a jigsaw to cut out the openings. For plastic will do saw for both wood and metal, but you need to choose a product with a small tooth.

We make two limiters from a piece of polypropylene pipe: for food and for water. Thanks to this device, the neck of the container will not touch the bottom of the bucket, and it will be possible to control the supply of feed and water. Using a jigsaw, we divide the pipe into sections of 10 and 15 cm. Take a short piece and drill three holes at a distance of 3 cm from the edge with a drill of 20 mm in diameter. We also drill holes in a long section of pipe with the same drill, but at a distance of 5 cm from the edge. Next, we cut out segments with a jigsaw in a long section to make something like a crown with three teeth.

It is very convenient that the buckets have handles by which these structures can be transported to the place of use. There you can either install devices or hang them all by the same handles

Fill the containers with water and food. We put a long limiter on the bottle with food, and a short one on the one with water. Cover the containers with buckets and turn them over. The devices are ready. So easily and quickly both a feeder and a drinking bowl can be made from materials that are easy to obtain. Thanks to the presence of handles, both devices are convenient to carry. This is the most hygienic and country option.

Video master class: bottle feeder

There were more ways to make a fattening device. To eliminate this obvious injustice, we invite you to watch a video on how to make a very simple waterer for chickens from plastic bottles that can be bought at any store.

Winter time is a serious test for birds. Every day it becomes more and more difficult to find food. Take care of the birds - hang a feeder made with your own hands from the simplest materials at hand, which we usually throw in a landfill. We selected photos and original ideas making feeders that do not require special skills and complex drawings.

How to make a bird feeder with your own hands?

Having accustomed the birds to the feeder, you will be able to watch the entertaining bird bustle and secret life birds

Some of them defend their rights in fights with relatives, others enter into competition with other species, but without exception, all of them carefully look around so as not to miss the attack of a small hawk, which is very interested in visitors to the feeder.

A simple bird feeder will bring great benefits to birds

Materials for making a feeder can be very varied, but there are some general rules design:

  • the feeder should, first of all, be convenient for the birds; there should be no difficulty in removing food;
  • The roof and sides will help protect the food from snow, rain and wind. Exposure to moisture can cause food to deteriorate and become moldy, which means it will turn into poison for birds;
  • it is desirable that the material from which the feeder will be made be resistant to moisture, otherwise such a design will not last long and a new one will need to be made;

The feeder must be safe: have no sharp sides and be located high enough above the ground

  • walls and corners should not be sharp or prickly;
  • make feeders for small birds small sizes so that larger and more aggressive species do not encroach on their food;
  • It is better to place feeders on tree branches or attach them to walls outbuildings at a height of about one and a half meters, so that the cats would not offend the birds, and it would be convenient to add food to the feathered friends.

Advice. Birds get used to permanent place feeding and are ready to travel many kilometers to the feeding trough. Therefore, feeding must be constant, otherwise the birds may die.

Plywood bird feeder

You can buy a feeder in a hypermarket, or you can make it yourself in a few hours. A plywood feeder can be made open, with a flat or gable roof, provide a bunker compartment if you cannot constantly monitor the amount of feed in the feeder. Of course, you will need drawings, fortunately, there are plenty of them on the Internet already ready-made sizes parts for sawing. Choose a design that you like, the drawing will make the work easier and guarantee that in the end you will get exactly what is shown in the photo.

Lightweight and durable feeder made from plywood sheets

When choosing a design for a future feeder, consider the bird population in your region. Jays, pigeons and magpies can eat all the food, leaving little titmice hungry. To prevent this from happening, make the size of the feeder openings such that big birds couldn't get to the stern.

So, you will need a hammer, an electric jigsaw, nails of suitable length, glue on water based, sandpaper, plywood, timber 20 x 20 mm. Let's look at a simple feeder.


Ideas and drawings of a bird feeder made of wood

Wooden feeders are attractive because they last a long time and keep their shape well - this is due to the properties and reliability of wood. To make such a feeder you will need at least minimal skills in working with tools and a drawing. The board for production should be 18 - 20 mm thick. Let's consider the option of making a feeder, which you can do yourself or take a photo as a basis for a drawing. We will need a beam measuring 4.5 x 2 cm for the racks, a square of plywood 25 x 25 cm for the bottom, two pieces measuring 35 x 22 cm for the roof, nails, screws and glue.

Feeder made of wooden beams


Such a feeder can be installed permanently on a dug-in post or drill two holes in the ridge, screw in a screw with a hook and hang it on a wire. Several birds can fly up to the feeder at the same time, the food is protected from the wind by the sides and roof, the feathered friends of the garden will love such a cozy dining room.

Finished wooden feeder

If you have a gazebo on your site, hang a simple feeder there without a roof. It is enough to make a side and a bottom. If you want to paint the feeder or open it with varnish, then use water-based compounds so as not to harm the birds.

Advice. To prevent the wood from splitting, you need to make the tip of the nail blunt, and drill a hole for the screw before screwing it in.

Making a feeder out of cardboard (suitable for children)

One of the most simple feeders. The cardboard version is interesting because it can be made in a place with children and at the same time have a great time with them. This would be a great craft for kindergarten or primary school. There is a lot of room for creativity here. Cardboard is an excellent option; it is only afraid of direct water. But if you want to play it safe and make the feeder more resistant to moisture, then you can external elements Cover the feeders with wide tape, especially its upper and lower parts. In a forest or park, such a feeder can easily last all winter and part of spring.

Collage of a cardboard feeder. Photo livemaster.ru/topic/179659-delaem-kormushku-iz-kartona

The set of tools and materials is minimal, and if you don’t have something from this list, you can always find a replacement. So we will need these materials and tools:

  • A couple of sheets of cardboard (A4 format or more);
  • Ruler;
  • Scotch tape (for structural reliability);
  • Stationery knife;
  • A rope or piece of nylon rope to hang the feeder;
  • Pencil or felt-tip pen;
  • Cardboard glue or glue gun;
  • Hole puncher.

If such a feeder is going to take a prize, how best craft in your kindergarten, then you will have to work a little in terms of external design. Here our cardboard will give a head start to any Tetra-Pak (this is a milk or juice carton), you can beautifully draw on it and decorate it in every possible way. Undoubtedly, the prize from kindergarten will be yours!

Pumpkin feeder

But here, as they say, words are unnecessary - everything is visible in the photo collage. I would like to add that such a feeder looks very attractive and unusual and will be a real decoration of your garden, this is due to the shape of the feeder and its color, which looks great against the background of white snow.

This option is also suitable for making with children. And such a beautiful, bright craft will definitely not go unnoticed in kindergarten.

Bird feeder from a box (package) Tetra Pak) from juice or milk

You can make a feeder from a milk carton or a tetra pack of juice, like this. Even a child can do this. For this you will need:

  • clean juice box;
  • a piece of nylon rope or wire to hang the feeder;
  • adhesive plaster;
  • marker;
  • scissors or stationery knife.

Milk carton bird feeder

First of all, mark and cut holes on opposite sides of the tetra pack. To make it convenient for the birds to take food and fly out. We cover the bottom side of the window with adhesive tape for the convenience and safety of the birds. We poke a hole under the holes with scissors and insert the cardboard rolled up into a tube, which is left over from cutting the holes above. In the bent corners we make small holes for wire or rope. And we tie it to a branch.

The feeder can be attached to a tree trunk. Such a feeder will not sway in the wind. To do this, feeding slots are made not on opposite sides of the bag, but on adjacent ones. On the opposite side we fix the wire in the slot and screw it to the tree.

Horizontal feeder made of tetro pack

You can make a feeder out of two juice bags. We cut the first package along the narrow sides, leaving the top uncut. From the second tetra pack we cut off the third part and cut a hole on the front side of the bag - this will be the feeding board or the bottom of the feeder. We combine the bottom with the first package so that we get a triangle. The parts can be connected with glue, wrapped with tape, or by piercing the bottom of the sides and inserting straws for cocktails.

Bird feeder made of plastic bottles 1.5 - 2 liters

Let's look at some variations of making a do-it-yourself feeder made from plastic containers.

Option #1. The simplest feeder

Symmetrically, on both sides of the bottle we cut out two holes: round, square, rectangular or in the form of an arch. There should be bridges between the holes. If you make a slot in the form of an inverted letter “P” and bend the plate upward, you will get a rain canopy. You can stick an adhesive plaster or fabric tape to the bottom edge of the hole - the edges will not be sharp and the birds will sit comfortably. We make symmetrical holes in the lower part and insert a stick - the result is a feeder with a perch.

A simple feeder made from plastic bottle

You can attach such a dining room for birds to a tree by wrapping the jumper with tape, rope or other suitable material as seen in the photo. If you make a hole in the bottle cap and insert the ends of the twine, and then tie them in a knot, you will get a loop that can be thrown over the branches of garden trees.

Be sure to make the edges plastic feeder safe - cover the cut areas with electrical tape

Option #2. Bunker feeder.

This design is rational to use because the feed can be poured in for several days. As the birds eat it, the food will automatically be added to the feeding area itself.

Hopper feeder made from plastic bottles

You will need two bottles of the same volume. We mark one bottle with a marker before cutting. We make holes at the bottom, as in feeder No. 1, and remove the top third of the bottle. We make two symmetrical holes at the top - a ribbon or twine will later be tied to them for hanging the feeder. In the second bottle we cut several holes at the narrowest part - food will pour out of them. Do not make large holes right away; it is better to expand them later. We pour food into the bottle, tighten the cap and insert the bottle into the first bottle, cut by a third.

Option #3. Feeder with spoon

We make a hole in the cork and insert twine for hanging. Then we make two holes symmetrically the size of the spoon. We cut a hole in the bottle above the bowl-shaped deep part of the spoon, slightly widening it so that the birds can take the food. Fill the feeder and hang it up.

Feeder with spoon

Advice. Using a hot needle or small nail, make several holes in the bottom of the feeder to drain moisture that gets inside.

Bird feeder made from a plastic bottle 5 liters

Probably in every house there is an empty plastic five liter bottle from under the water. Make a feeder in one evening to feed birds in winter period from this material it is very simple. Such a container will hold much more food than a smaller plastic bottle, as can be seen in the photo. Several holes will allow several birds to feed comfortably at once.

Feeder made from a five-liter plastic bottle

It's very simple and quick option, invite your children or other family members to take part in the manufacturing process: find ribbon or wire to tie the finished feeder to a tree branch, prepare a treat for the birds. Prepare a clean bottle, a sharp knife, pruning shears or a utility knife.

We cut the hole based on how we plan to secure the container to the tree:

  • horizontally - cut a wide hole from the bottom of the bottle and the same from the neck;
  • vertically - at a height of 5-7 cm from the bottom of the container, cut several square holes or three rectangular ones.

Materials needed to make a feeder

It is convenient to tie the bottle by the neck to a branch with wire or twine. If the feeder is made in horizontal version, then use a knife to make two holes on the wall through which you pass the twine for tying. To prevent the feeder from swaying in the wind, place a quarter of a brick on the bottom to weigh it down, and load the treat on top.

Out of five liter bottle You can also build a bunker feeder. To do this you will need a five-liter bottle and two 1.5-liter bottles, a marker, a stationery knife and a rope.

You can place the feeder under the roof to make the birds more comfortable

With a little ingenuity, you can use the simplest plastic bottles to create unusual dining rooms for birds that will decorate your area.

Shoebox bird feeder

Everything is simple here. Take a thick shoe box with a lid. We make a round hole in the lid. The hole needs to be moved slightly from the center to the bottom edge of the box (a little different in the photo), this is necessary so that the birds can reach the food, which will lie at the bottom of the box.

We make a small hole in the top of the box and insert a tourniquet or rope through it. We tie an old pencil or stick to the end of this rope. We will then tie the other end of the rope to the branch of the tree on which we plan to hang the feeder. Then you can wrap the box with wrapping paper, but this is for aesthetic purposes, you don’t have to do this.

We make a roof out of ordinary cardboard and put it on glue. Next, we glue the lid to the box itself with tape, as in Figure 3, 4, and also thread a rope through the lid.

At the moment when we hang the finished feeder on a tree, the roof may peel off from the box, but this is not scary, it won’t be able to get away anywhere, because... it will be held in place by a rope.

And in the picture below is an even simpler version of a shoebox feeder. But there is no need to explain anything here, everything is already visible in the photo. The entire box is simply wrapped with tape, which, by the way, is very practical. And in our opinion, it turned out to be original and unusual.

Cardboard bird feeder

To make a bird canteen with your own hands, the simplest material will do, which is stored in abundance on the balconies of most families: boxes from electrical goods, cardboard packaging from food products. Choose thicker cardboard with a laminated coating; laminate will slightly increase the service life of the feeder. Although, as written above, you can use wide tape for these purposes. The advantage of this design is that there is already a bottom, walls and roof of the future feeder, which needs to be slightly modified by cutting holes in a square or rectangular shape On the sides.

Even a schoolchild can make a cozy feeder from a mailbox with his own hands

You will need a nylon cord, scissors or a stationery knife and tape. Since cardboard is very durable material and is afraid of moisture, a finished feeder wrapped with tape will last until the next season. Having cut through side holes and having secured the cord, you can hang the feeder and fill it with treats for the birds, which will not keep you waiting long. Place sand or some pebbles at the bottom so that the structure does not sway too much in the wind.

If you cover a cardboard feeder with paints, it will last longer.

You can do it a little differently. We glue the lid of the box perpendicularly so that the lid serves as a stern stand, and the second part of the box serves as a side and a roof. We glue the structure with tape. We make two hooks from wire: we bend a piece of wire in half and pierce the “ceiling” of the feeder with the ends, twist it and bend it from the inside. By connecting the hooks, you can hang the feeder on a branch. As you can see in the photo. Now pour in the food and wait for the guests.

Window bird feeder (with suction cups)

Such feeders are a very interesting option for general development children, and adults too :). The feeder is attached to the window, or rather to the glass, using suction cups. Usually such feeders are also made transparent in order to fully enjoy watching the birds. If you have suction cups, you can make such a feeder yourself, for example, from the same plastic bottle, but you must agree that it will still not be as aesthetically pleasing as ready-made option from the shop. Children will probably start taking pictures of all this, and photos with yellowed, cloudy bottles will, to put it mildly, not be so hot. The purchased options look very nice.





Hello, dear visitors and regular users of the site “Visiting Samodelkin”. Today I want to tell you about another homemade product of mine and I’m posting a detailed photo report about its making. Since, in addition to rabbit breeding, my farmstead also has a large number of chickens, the question of optimal mode feeding, as well as the method of preserving food, was very pressing for me.

The fact is that the chicken is constantly rowing for something, looking for something, and so on. Therefore, the food that I poured into ordinary feeders, namely wooden trays, half car tires and the like, was either raked or trampled down. And with a flock of about 70 chickens, feed losses are quite high.

Wooden feeders are also not convenient for me because, whatever one may say, the material is short-lived. Moreover, he stands on the street all the time. Of course, you can buy a feeder, but they are all small, and if they are made to order, the price will be simply exorbitant. Therefore, after scouring the Internet, I found just such an option for myself, which suited me perfectly. I downloaded the picture and made a pattern for the side part based on it. The remaining parts are not needed, because there is nothing complicated about them, they are ordinary galvanized strips of the size you need. For work I needed such tools and materials. Galvanized steel sheet, rivets, riveting tool, drill, drill with a diameter of 4 mm, hammer (preferably a wooden mallet), grinder with a flap disc for grinding, metal scissors, tape measure, felt-tip pen for marking and welded mesh, the cell of which is 3x6 cm.

Initially I prepared the pattern. I did it using the selection method, i.e. I cut it out and looked to see if it would fit or not. Since the weather was windy, to prevent the edge from blowing, I put a weight on it. But this does not interfere, everything is clearly visible in the photo and you can easily make the same one for yourself.


I trace along the outline with a felt-tip pen and cut it out. But you should hurry. If you do not cut it within 7-10 minutes, the outline on the metal will blur and exact dimensions you won't succeed. You need 2 of these parts.


After this, we bend the edges of the blanks as shown in the photo.





Then I cut out the bottom tray of the feeder. Its length is 96 cm, and 2 cm on the bends at the edges. I calculated its width by adding the length of the lower part of the side and the two adjacent to it, plus 2 cm for the bends. I marked it and started bending it.






Now you need to secure the pallet to the side wall parts. I drilled 4 mm holes and secured them using a riveter and rivets. The diameter of the riveting is 3.8 mm. The fastenings are quite strong.








The next step was to cut out 2 strips of metal that would be attached to the inside of the feeder and would be the front walls of the feeder, its bunker part. Here I simply cut off exactly 96 cm, since bends are not needed on them, they will be attached to the side walls that already have them.

Bottom part of these parts falls below the top side. This is so that the food that you will pour into the feeder does not spill over the edges. And the bird won’t be able to throw it away. The main thing is not to lower it too low, otherwise it will be difficult for the birds to get it out of the feeder.










The main work is done. Since my feeder is quite large, according to my estimates, one and a half bags of feed will fit into it, I need to strengthen its bunker walls. This is necessary so that the grain in it does not burst the walls, which will lead to deformation of the entire structure. To do this, I cut strips from the same galvanized material and bent them at the edges at an angle of 90 degrees, in the form of the letter P. I riveted them in inner space bunker.








I installed the same stripes on the top of the feeder.



I also cut out the corners and installed them at the corners of the structure. Both for strength and for a more “presentable appearance”


It's time to attach the mesh. To do this, I cut small strips of galvanized steel, which I pre-drilled at one end. Having marked the location of the mesh on the feeder, I made holes and riveted these blanks there. They act as loops when lifting the net. You can also fix it rigidly so that the net cannot rise, but then, if the feeder gets dirty, it will be very inconvenient to clean it.





Now we prepare the mesh. Since its cell width is 3x6, and this is not enough for the chicken’s head to fit into the grate, I removed the jumpers and the cell width doubled. I ground off the protruding bitten remains of the grate so that the bird could not get hurt. I install it on improvised loops, bend them and cut them to the right size. I also make fasteners on the sides from strips so that the mesh is firmly fixed and cannot open.





Since this feeder will be standing outside most of the time, it is necessary to make a cover for it so that rain does not get into the feed. To do this, I took the mounting angles and attached them to the edges of the metal strip that should become the lid. As usual, I fasten everything with rivets.







I'm making a pen. It doesn’t make sense to bother and that’s why it’s made of the same material as the whole feeder. I simply bend the metal as shown in the photo and attach it to the lid. At the same time, I make the same handles, only smaller in size, for the sides to make it easier to carry the structure.


The advantage of this feeder is that you will no longer be dependent on whether the chickens have grain or not. By falling asleep once every few days, depending on how many heads of birds you have, you can calmly go about your business and not think about going to feed the farm. As the grain is pecked, thanks to the hopper device, the feeding compartment will be constantly replenished with food until the hopper runs out. Production time is about 4.5 hours. This is complete from drawing development to the last riveting. Then I got the hang of doing it in 2-2.5 hours. The cost of such a feeder is about 800 rubles, while for the same price you can buy a 15-liter feeder on the Internet. The benefits are obvious. So do it. I wish you all success!!

Winter is just around the corner, and it’s getting harder for the poor birds every day to find food for themselves. Let's help them, at the same time teach our children kindness and mercy, caring for our little brothers. In return, grateful birds will delight you with simple but cheerful songs, as well as sketches from their bird life. If you place a video camera next to the feeder, you can eventually get an exclusive story in the style of “In the Animal World” and show it at school during a lesson in the natural world or biology. In general, in this article we decided to talk about what a bird feeder you make yourself should be like. We will offer a description and photo.

Making a simple feeder with your own hands

First of all, inspect the proposed material from which you plan to make a feeder, and estimate your capabilities. Also consider some design requirements:

  • Remember, it should be convenient for the birds, as well as for pouring and removing food.
  • It must have protection from wind and precipitation; the wind can simply carry the food outside, and precipitation can cause the food to freeze or mold, which is also inconvenient for the birds.
  • The material from which the feeder is made must be moisture-resistant so that it does not have to be repaired or remade several times during the winter.
  • There should be no sharp edges or corners on it, so as not to injure the birds.
  • If you plan to feed small birds, then the feeder should be made small so that large and aggressive birds do not rob it and scare away small birds.
  • It is better to place your feeder on tree branches or attach it to the walls of a house or household. buildings, no lower than one and a half meters from the ground, so that cats do not get there, and it is convenient for you to replenish food supplies.

Plywood option.

Of course, you can buy it ready-made in a hypermarket. But to make it yourself, and even together with your children - what could be better if your sons help you, and your daughters look at such a handicraft father with different eyes! Moreover, there are no difficulties here. It can be made closed, open, with gable roof. On the Internet you can easily find any drawings with ready-made sizes and patterns. Choose any!

For small birds, you need to take into account the size of the structure, so that large voracious crows wouldn’t even think of poking around there, it would simply be very uncomfortable for them there.

  1. So, prepare for work a jigsaw, a hammer, suitable nails, sandpaper, water-based glue, plywood, a 20x20 cm block. Let's start with the simplest option.
  2. We make the bottom 25X25 cm, and make the roof larger so that water flows past without getting inside. We mark the remaining parts according to the patterns on plywood.
  3. Be sure to sand the sawn edges properly so that no burrs remain.
  4. We cut the block into 4 racks 25 - 30 cm long.
  5. If you plan to make the roof flat on a slope, then make 2 of the 4 bars shorter by a couple of cm, and on a slope.
  6. We first glue all connecting places with glue, and then fasten them with nails. We attach the racks to the bottom, and the sides to them.
  7. We fasten the roof on top of the racks with self-tapping screws.
  8. Now all that remains is to fix the feeder in the chosen place and pour treats there.

Options for a wooden feeder.

This is a more durable material. If you have the skills to work with wood and tools for processing it, feel free to get down to business. You will need a board 18 - 20 cm thick for work, in addition, prepare a block of 4.5x2 cm, a square piece of plywood 25x25 cm (bottom of the feeder), and for the roof 2 pieces of 35x22 cm, as well as self-tapping screws, glue and nails.

Homemade feeder made from a milk bag/box.

Here we are talking about how to make a bird feeder. The next option is the most basic. Even a child can handle it. We take:

  • Clean bag/box of juice or milk.
  • Wire or rope made of nylon for hanging.
  • Marker.
  • Band-Aid.
  • Stationery knife or scissors.

First, we mark and cut out holes for the birds on opposite sides. We protect the cut edges with adhesive tape so that the birds do not get hurt. We poke holes under the holes and insert scraps from bird holes rolled into tubes, and above the holes we make holes for wire or rope for hanging. We attach our feeder to a branch.

It can also be attached to a tree, but then you need to make holes not on opposite sides, but on close ones, to make it easier for birds to approach.

There is an option for a feeder made of two packages, it turns out triangular shape. We cut off the first bag by 2/3 and cut out the front side at the bottom, this will be the bottom. And we cut the second package from below along the narrow sides, but do not touch the top. Now we combine both parts and secure them with glue or tape.

1.5 - 2 liter bottles also make feeders.

Option 1. Cut holes on opposite sides of the bottle free form. When cutting holes in the shape of the letter P, you can bend the half-cut part upward to create a rain shelter. Be sure to stick an adhesive plaster or tape on the bottom of the cuts to prevent damage to the bird's legs. You can make holes in the bottom and insert sticks, this will be a perch.

It can be attached to a tree or hung on branches if it is in a lid with inside Tie a rope in knots in the holes to make a loop that needs to be thrown over the branches.

Option 2. The feeder is a bunker. The best option if you visit there only on weekends. Then there will be no need to monitor the replenishment of food every day; it will gradually fill up on its own as it is eaten.

To do this, take a pair of identical bottles. Make a hole near the bottom of one bottle. Remove the top part. We cut a symmetrical pair of holes at the top for further hanging. We make several holes at the neck of the second bottle; the supply of food will pour in there. You should not make large holes right away, then expand them as necessary. Now we fill in the actual food and insert it into the first cut bottle.

Option 3. Feeder with spoons. We make holes in the lid and insert a rope in the form of a loop. Next we make symmetrical holes for the spoons. We make a larger hole on the side of the cup so that food can spill out. All that remains is to fill the feeder and hang it.

It is advisable to make several small holes in the bottom of any bottle feeder with a hot needle or nail to drain moisture.

Bird feeder from a five-liter bottle.

Bird feeders can be made not only from wood. We offer you products that were created from other available materials. The feeder looks very interesting for birds from a plastic bottle. Spending one evening and feeding the birds all winter is not a useful activity for a stormy autumn evening! There is a five-liter container in every home, and a considerable number of birds can easily feed themselves from such a container. The main thing is to make more holes.

The whole family can take part in the manufacturing process; you need to prepare pruners, a bottle, a knife, wire or rope to attach to the tree.

First we decide how the feeder will be attached to the tree, then we mark the future holes.

If it is placed vertically, then we retreat 5 - 7 cm from the bottom and make several square or triangular holes.

If horizontally, then cut wide holes in the neck and bottom of the bottle.

Wire or twine will perfectly secure the feeder to the tree. To prevent the wind from rocking it, you can put a quarter of a brick on the bottom, and then pour food on top.

like this big bottle can also be adapted as a bunker option. Then, in addition to the 5-liter bottle, you will need 2 1.5-liter bottles, a marker, a knife and a string.

  • We mark holes for birds on a 5-liter bottle, a couple, and one larger one for a one and a half liter bottle.
  • We make a U-shaped hole for the bottle, bend the visor up, and seal the cuts with adhesive tape.
  • For a one and a half liter bottle, we make holes at the points of contact with the bottom of the five liter bottle and a little higher, so that food can spill to the bottom as needed.
  • We cut a hole in the cap of a five-liter bottle so that the neck of a one and a half liter bottle can be seen from there.
  • From the second one and a half liters we cut off the neck in the form of a funnel, and put it on the protruding neck of the first 1.5 liters.
  • Everything is ready, all that remains is to attach the bird's canteen to the tree.

A shoebox would make an excellent feeder.

A shoe box or similar in size, maybe laminated, made of thick cardboard, is suitable for making a feeder. Everything is already there - roof, bottom, walls, minimal work remains - cutting through required holes and attach to the tree. Here you need a stationery knife, a marker and tape with a cord. If there is no lamination, the tape will help protect the feeder from bad weather. The bottom must be weighted with sand or pebbles so that it does not sway in the wind, and after pouring food, hang it on a tree.

There is another option - we attach the lid with tape perpendicular to the inside of the box, the lid will actually be a table with food, and the box will be both a roof and a side. We make a hook from wire, and after piercing the top of the feeder, we hang it to the chosen place. All that remains is to pour in the food and arm yourself with a camera or video camera!