WelcomeUser Guide
ToSPrivacyCanary
DonateBugsLicense

©2024 Poal.co

498

Quail are messy eaters. The little shits will take a mouth-full of crumble and shake their heads all over losing most of it through the wire. That's money down the drain. It's also very frustrating.

I've tested J feeders, pvc elbow designs, and quail specific bottle feeders. All those still lose a little feed (at best). The trick is containing their entire head so they can shake like crazy without any feed escaping. You could make this without the pipe and simply add 2" of crumble each day. I'm lazy, so I prefer the pipe as it feeds the birds for several days.

My winter water setup lasts 3 days, and this feeder will also last 3 days. My summer setup will feed and water 75 birds for 5-7 days.

Another angle: https://files.catbox.moe/96myl0.jpg

NASA enhanced ultra-CAD diagram: https://files.catbox.moe/bgysz3.png

Make the holes large enough to get their neck into. Make them as high as possible while still allowing the birds to reach the bottom with their peckers. Use your head on how many you cut into the bucket, because you don't want so many that feed escapes on accident. Cut 4 triangles up the bottom of the pipe to allow feed to spill out into the bucket. Use trial and error here, so start with smaller/lower triangle cuts. Gravity does all the work, and the birds hopping around on the wire will keep the bottom of the bucket covered with feed.

I can't say I invented this method. There are a lot of variations. What I can say is once you get this dialed-in, you won't lose a speck of feed. Plus, you too can be lazy like me. Later, I'll post a pic of how I built one of these into the outside wall of my brooder.

Quail are messy eaters. The little shits will take a mouth-full of crumble and shake their heads all over losing most of it through the wire. That's money down the drain. It's also very frustrating. I've tested J feeders, pvc elbow designs, and quail specific bottle feeders. All those still lose a little feed (at best). The trick is containing their entire head so they can shake like crazy without any feed escaping. You could make this without the pipe and simply add 2" of crumble each day. I'm lazy, so I prefer the pipe as it feeds the birds for several days. My winter water setup lasts 3 days, and this feeder will also last 3 days. My summer setup will feed and water 75 birds for 5-7 days. Another angle: https://files.catbox.moe/96myl0.jpg NASA enhanced ultra-CAD diagram: https://files.catbox.moe/bgysz3.png Make the holes large enough to get their neck into. Make them as high as possible while still allowing the birds to reach the bottom with their peckers. Use your head on how many you cut into the bucket, because you don't want so many that feed escapes on accident. Cut 4 triangles up the bottom of the pipe to allow feed to spill out into the bucket. Use trial and error here, so start with smaller/lower triangle cuts. Gravity does all the work, and the birds hopping around on the wire will keep the bottom of the bucket covered with feed. I can't say I invented this method. There are a lot of variations. What I can say is once you get this dialed-in, you won't lose a speck of feed. Plus, you too can be lazy like me. Later, I'll post a pic of how I built one of these into the outside wall of my brooder.

(post is archived)

[–] 1 pt

That's 4" diameter PVC. The taller it is, the more food it holds.

The slits at the bottom of the pipe control how much can pour into the bucket. You don't want much in the bucket, just enough they can get some in their mouths. Too much and they can make a mess. Too little and they'll panic and peck each other.

[–] 0 pt

why does you winter set up water and feed less?

[–] 1 pt

Good question. In the warm months, a 5 gallon bucket feeds a row of drinkers. I can't keep this from freezing in the winter, so I use a 1 gallon jug on a DIY warmer. The feed doesn't freeze, but it draws moisture which can prevent it from flowing down and out the bottom properly.

I keep fewer birds through the winter, so they can get by for a few days on the smaller drinker/feeder. I did consider an aquarium heater and circulation pump, but 3 days is plenty lazy.