How to Make Chicken Feeders & Drinkers

Raising chickens gives people access to fresh, clean chicken eggs on a daily basis. People in rural or suburban areas raise chickens, but a person must check with local zoning boards before housing chickens in suburban areas. Most suburban areas allow four to six hens, but no roosters. Chickens require a good amount of water for the production of eggs. Making water and food containers for the chickens is simple and inexpensive, and the containers supply two to three days worth of food or water for up to ten chickens.

Things You'll Need

  • 2-5 gallon plastic buckets with lids (an acrylic paint bucket is fine)
  • Liquid detergent
  • Water
  • Drill
  • 1-inch paddle drill bit
  • 2 new, clean oil pans
  • 1/4-inch drill bit
  • Pliers
  • 3 short 1/8-inch bolt with fitting nuts
  • 3/8-inch drill bit
  • Cinder block
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Instructions

  1. Feeder

    • 1

      Clean any paint off of the 5-gallon bucket and lid using warm, soapy water. Wash the inside of the container and lid using liquid detergent several times. Rinse the container making sure any old paint is removed from the container. Never use an oil paint container because oil paint contains toxic elements that are absorbed by the food or water. Acrylic paint is non-toxic, so the containers are safe.

    • 2

      Drill a 1-inch hole on the bottom side wall of the bucket. Drill holes every 3 inches around the side wall of the bucket. Flip the bucket so the bottom faces up.

    • 3

      Place the oil pan on the bucket with the top of the pan facing down. Drill three holes into the center area of the oil pan and bucket, so it forms a 2-inch wide triangular shape.

    • 4

      Turn the oil pan and bucket over, and feet the bolts through the drilled hole. Put the nuts on the bolts protruding through the other side of the oil pan and bucket. Tighten the bolts, and turn the feeder back over.

    • 5

      Clean any debris out of the feeder. Fill the bucket full of chicken feed, and put the lid on the top. Shake the bucket a few times so the feed starts flowing through the holes into the feeder. Hang the bucket on a post using the bucket's handle. As the chicken eats the feed, more food automatically falls into its place.

    Waterer

    • 6

      Follow the same cleaning methods as for the feeder.

    • 7

      Drill a 3/8-inch hole in the top outside wall of the bucket directly under the rim on one side of the bucket. Drill a second hole on the opposite side of the top of the outside wall of the bucket.

    • 8

      Clean any debris out of the bucket, and fill it full of water. Put the lid on the bucket, so it is tightly sealed. Place a cinder block on the ground where you want the waterer. Place the oil pan on top of the cinder block with the top facing up. Flip the bucket upside-down into the center of the oil pan. The water fills up the oil pan, and stops when the water covers the holes. As the chickens drink, more water drains into the oil pan.