Pigeon feeder: top 4 types and how to do it yourself at home

Pigeon breeding is considered more fun than full-fledged poultry farming. However, this does not save bird lovers from problems. Pigeon young animals hardly switch to adult food. To make this process quick and easy, birds need feeders. The easiest way out is to purchase them at a pet store, but they are not specifically targeted at this type of bird. The best way to find the right feeder for your pigeons is to make your own.

Requirements and parameters of an ideal feeder

Proper feeder configuration is half the battle on the road to he althy birds and regular offspring.After all, the convenience of receiving food, sanitary cleanliness and the mode of cleaning the dovecote depend on its width, method of attachment and height. Of course, you can get by with some simple containers just to fill the grain. But this option is not suitable for chicks, because it will result in stress and even exhaustion. It is appropriate only when the owner needs to leave for a couple of days, and there is no one to entrust the care of the birds.

Feeders are divided into two types: automatic and box. The former are convenient in that they do not need to constantly add food, it is served as needed. Box ones are easier to make and more familiar to birds that feed from the ground.

Experienced pigeon breeders advise making two separate feeders for adults and young pigeons. The device should be comfortable in height for birds and have barriers. After all, pigeons do not disdain to stomp on the stern. In addition, the grain should not fall out of the structure. And it should be easy to disassemble and clean it at any time.

What equipment and materials will be needed

Before you start manufacturing, you should decide what the feeding device will be made of. There is where to turn around: metal, plastic, cardboard, wood. Metal feeders are considered the most durable, but making them at home is not so easy. Plastic is affordable, easy to use and clean, does not deform from temperature and lasts a long time. The downside is its lightness. In addition, some birds tear off pieces of plastic bottles (which are usually used to make feeders).

Cardboard is an environmentally friendly material, easy to find and process. But it has many downsides. The structures are short-lived, they are blown away by the wind, they get wet from rain and snow. The service life of such a thing is no more than a month. You will have to replace it with a new one regularly.

Wood is the obvious leader of the list as it is environmentally friendly, durable and reliable. The downside is that wooden feeders are more difficult to clean and disinfect.

Among other things, you will need:

1. Pencil.
2. Roulette.
3. Boards and plywood.
4. Stationery knife.
5. Nails and a hammer.
6. Carpentry tools.

How to make a DIY pigeon feeder

Production will take some time, depending on the type and material chosen.

Wooden feeders

You don't need to be an experienced woodworker to build this structure, but you do need some woodworking skills.

1. Assemble the plywood box with nails or glue so that it is high enough.
2. Next, build a pallet of thin plywood and bars. Insert it into the lower part, after sawing through one of the walls.
3. Attach the roof to size and place rigid ribs of thin lath or wire between it and the box.
4. Install a spinner on the roof or glue it with slippery material so that the pigeons do not sit on top.

Cardboard feeder

An option that even a child can handle.

1. Cut through two side walls completely in an old unwanted medium-sized box.
2. Build a roof from another box (any shape can be) and glue it to the base.
3. Attach a wire loop for hanging so that the structure does not deform from moisture.
4. For additional protection, the feeder can be glued on the outside with tape.

Plastic feeder

Building such a thing is also quite easy, and the materials can be found in almost every barn.

1. You will need a 2 or 3 liter bottle. Windows are cut out in it along the entire length.
2. The edges of the windows are pasted over with electrical tape or tape in several layers so that the birds do not get hurt.
3. The side of the bottle is nailed to the board so that the pigeons do not move it.

Bunker Automatic Feeder

This simple device will save the owner from the daily feeding of birds.

1. It will take two bottles. One has the top cut off. And in the other, small holes are cut from one edge for pigeons and one large one so that the first bottle enters there.
2. The feeder is filled with grain and turned over. The pieces should fit snugly into each other without additional duct tape.
3. As you peck, the food will be automatically replenished until it runs out.
4. The larger the feed storage, the less often you need to refill it.
5. It is easy to make a bird drinker of the same type.
6. It is recommended to calculate the size of the feeder based on the number of pigeons in the loft.

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