DIY Automatic Chicken Feeder Assembly instructions.

Now that you souped up your Coop with the DIY Hacks for easy moving. And the chickens have a fresh supply of water from your Automatic chicken waterer you built with a 5~Gallon bucket and some Horizontal Poultry Nipples. It’s time to make your DIY Automatic Chicken feeder for your Modern Steader $30 Chicken Coop you built in 30 minutes. After this last step, there will be nothing stopping you from providing you and your family with the best chicken meat and eggs that you can get on the planet. You are one unstoppable Modern Steader! Next, you will be asking me for plans on the Automatic pig feeder and waterer so you can have your own Pasture Raised Pigs and be Eating BLT’s with Pasture-Raised BACON next summer.

DIY Automatic Chicken Feeder Video

Materials List:

1~ Three Inch PVC 90 Degree Elbow.

2~ 5~gallon bucket with lid

Hardware listed below is a suggestion & you can use hardware you may have on hand to suit your needs

2~ 3/16 aluminum rivets that are for 1/8” long material

1~ A few feet of shipping tape or duct tape or masking tape

Tool List Below, you can substitute tools listed based on tools you currently own 

1. Cordless drill or corded drill or screwdriver and hand drill
2. 3/16″ drill bit
3. 3 ½” hole saw or jigsaw or utility knife and a very steady hand
4. Hammer & pliers for rivets

Assembly Instructions for the DIY Automatic Chicken Feeder

You will need to first cut the 90-degree elbow exactly in half in the middle of the curve. 

Mark 2 holes on your bucket front 4 inches up from the base of the bucket and 6 inches apart from each other on the center of the hole.  Drill the two 3 ½” holes. Save the bucket circle slugs after drilling holes. 

Prepping The PVC FITTINGS

The PVC elbows actually measure 3 ½” wide and 3 ¾” tall at the flange where it will be flush with the bucket.  You may need to file 1/8” off the top quarter and 1/8” off the bottom quarter of your circle for a tight fit.  File and test the fitting a few times for a perfect fit. 

Then drill a 3/16” hole in the top center of the fitting just behind the flange.  There is a factory mold line on center on the fitting for reference.  This is for placing a rivet to hold the fitting in place and also allow the fitting to be removable should you need to clean it. 

Take a pair of pliers and a hammer to flatten ¼ of the rivet flange upward to act as a flat stop for the rivet to rest up against the inside of the bucket. 

Keeping Your DIY Automatic Chicken Feeder From Falling Out

Take the 2 plastic slugs that were removed from the bucket when drilling the hole and clean up the edges.  Mark a line on the circle slug across ¾ the way down the circle (meaning you will be cutting off ¼ of the circle).  Tape the circle to the back side of your fitting (this is the side that was saw cut).  You want the part where the ¼ circle is missing to be on the bottom side of the fitting and make sure it is straight and centered.  This will only allow your chicken’s access to a small area of feed and will keep the feed from falling out.  Also cutting down on feed loss and will prevent any feed from being lost when you move your chicken coop. 

Your 2 fitting halves should now be ready for installation.  Simply install them in the holes and make sure they are straight and centered. 

Using the Rivets to Hold the Fittings in Place

Look inside the bucket and find your rivet hole and install rivet.  The flat side of rivet flange should be flush against the bucket.  Your fittings should be a tight fit making glue or silicone unnecessary.  If you made a sloppy hole you may need to use some glue on the outside edge.  If you have a nice fit it looks more professional without the glue and will keep water out if putting the feeder in an open area.

Now that you completed your DIY Automatic Chicken Feeder and other optional Accessories.  Enjoy the cheapest 6 foot by 6 foot DIY chicken coop on the planet using store-bought materials.

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