Our automatic food and water system worked so well the first time that we made a second one for our new chicken coop after moving to Woodside.
It’s ideal for a backyard flock of about 4-10 chickens. Allowing the storage of 20-30lbs of feed at a time, plus grit and oyster shells and 30 gallons or more of water, you can easily go two weeks or longer before having to re-fill either. Both are also accessible from outside the coop/run, making checking on and refilling them quick and easy.
The PVC Feeder
Made up of three PVC tubes, this feeder allows you to have two dedicated to feed, and one that can hold a combination of grit and oyster shells. The design and layout of the coop will direct the best place to install the feeders. It should be installed through the chicken/hardware wire so that the feeder openings are accessible to your chickens and covered by a roof. The tops of the feeders should be easily accessible from outside the coop and run so that you can easily monitor and add food as necessary.
Parts and Supplies
(1) 10’ 3” PVC Pipe, cut into roughly 3 equal sections (will form the body of the feeders)
(3) 3” PVC Hub Cap (Used as caps for the tops of the feeders)
(3) 3” 90° Elbows (Used for the base of the feeders)
(3) 3” PVC 45 Degree Street Elbow (Used for the feeder opening)
(3) 5” Stainless Steel Clamps (Used for clamping the feeders to the chicken coop)
PVC Cement
Large Grit Sandpaper
Hand Saw or PVC Cutter
Drill
Screws of appropriate length to attach steel clamps to your coop.
Optional: 3’ of 2x4 wood. Used to create a frame around the hole in the chicken wire of your coop where you plan to insert the feeders.
Instructions
Cut the 10’ length of 3” PVC into three equal pieces using the saw (your local home improvement store may be able to do this for you). These will form the bodies of the three feeder tubes and store the food. The sawed edges will be rough, so sand them until smooth and brush out the PVC dust.
For each of your cut PVC feeder bodies: dry fit the 90° Elbow to the bottom and the 45° Street Elbow. Once you’re happy with the fit, neatly apply the PVC glue to the connection points and press together for about a minute to bond.
Decide where you will install your feeders in your coop/run. Make sure there is a surface wide enough to attach the steel clamps. It should be near the top of the feeder tubes.
Cut a 9” x 9” hole in your chicken/hardware wire to insert the feeders. The bottoms of the feeders should be set on the ground or on a solid surface, like the wood frame of your run.
Optional: If needed, measure the final opening and frame using the 2x4 for extra support.Pre-drill a hole at the back side of each hose clamp (the side opposite the tightening point). Use a drill bit that is smaller than the head of your screws but larger than the threads for easy installation.
Screw each of the steel clamps to your coop using a single screw right in the middle of the clamp. The middle of each clamp should be 3 ¼ inches apart.
Insert the feeders through the screen and tighten the clamps around their tops. Once they are securely fastened, you can trim off the excess length of the strap on the clamps.
The Waterer
Before starting this project, decide where to put your rain barrel. It needs to be positioned on the side of the coop where you plan to have the poultry nipples and, ideally, where you can redirect the rainwater from a gutter into the barrel. The design of this waterer can also be adjusted based on the size of your run just by adding or removing additional nipples and changing their positions.
Parts and Supplies
Rain Barrel
(1) 10’ ½” PVC
(1) 1/2” PVC Tee Connection
(2) 1/2” PVC Caps
Poultry Nipples
3/4 to 1/2 adapter
This will connect the end of the PVC pipe to the rain barrel, so if your rain barrel has a different-size outlet, you'll need to get the right adapter.PVC Cement
Cement Blocks, bricks, or anything else you have on hand to raise the rain barrel to the proper height for the birds to drink from the water.
Sandpaper
Hand Saw or PVC Cutter
Instructions
Determine the distance between where you plan to place your rain barrel and where you want the waterer to be positioned within your run. This will determine the length of the PVC that connects the rain barrel to the water splitter/poultry nipples.
Cut the PVC to length.Cut three 4-inch pieces of PVC.
Cut two 2-inch pieces of PVC.
Sand all ends of cut PVC and brush away PVC dust.
Starting with the tee, glue a 4-inch section of PVC pipe to each side and the long length of PVC to the stem of the tee (this section will connect to your rain barrel).
Glue a poultry nipple to each of the 4-inch PVC sections connected to your main T.
Important: When the whole unit is laid upside down on a flat surface, the poultry nipples should all be aligned at a 45-degree angle upward. This will ensure that the chickens can easily access the nipples.Glue another 4-inch section of PVC and another poultry nipple tee onto the ends on each side of the tee.
Glue the 2-inch PVC pipe pieces on either side and finish with the PVC caps.
While you let all the glue dry, position your rain barrel in its final position. The waterer should be high enough that your chickens have to reach up to peck at the nipples. Use the concrete blocks to adjust the height.
Screw the ¾ inch to ½ inch male adapter into your rain barrel’s threaded port located along the bottom.
If necessary, cut a small hole in the chicken/hardware wire so the waterer can fit through. Feed it through from the inside of the coop and glue it to the ¾ inch to ½ inch male adapter, already connected to your rain barrel.
Wait a few hours for the PVC glue to cure. 24 hours is ideal.
Fill the rain barrel with water. The chickens will be attracted to the shiny metal nipples and will peck at them out of curiosity. They will quickly learn that they are a water source, but remember to provide another water source until they figure it out.
Two final things to keep in mind, one good, one less good:
If you add a gutter and a downspout that feeds into the rain barrel, the system will top itself off, and the water will be naturally refreshed.
This watering system is great for temperatures down to about 28°F / -3°C, but things start to freeze below that, especially when it’s a sustained cold. You can provide an alternative water source or invest in a submerged heater + heat wrap for the pipes.
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Interesting setup! I’m using a mobile coop and at this point don’t mind visiting with the flock 2x a day to refresh water, etc., but I’m saving this for when that inevitably wears thin.