Home made feeders
12-18-2002, 12:35 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Lubbock Texas USA
Posts: 4,256
RE: Home made feeders
Well several things to ask here.
1. do the lids seal tight? Does the steel ones have the locking ring for the top? With the flat top I have found that somtimes water can still get into the drum and sour the corn. I dont remember where I got them but there is a plastic snap on lid that will fit the 55 gallon drum and works very well.
2. Find the center of the drum and depending on the timer you use, (I think the ontime feeder is great) you would cut a round hole the size recomended by the timer co. If you want to just use them as a gravity feeder all you need to do is make a fram to get it off the ground (about 3 to 4 ft) and cut a few U's in the bottom sides.
3. If you are going to use the timer you will need to attach legs to the bottom side of the drumb. You have to decide how high you want it from the ground (remember you will need to be able to get to the top to add feed some way). You do not want to crush the sides of the drum that can cause problems with the top fitting. I took some flat steel and shaped it to the drum then welded it to a peace of pipe my legs would slide in . I dont remember the angle maby 30 or 35. then drilled the plate and drum and bolted it in place. Took sealer and sealed around the inside holes.
4. Fit your timer to the bottom but put it on last. Just in case you drop somthing
5. Slid your legs in and bolt them in place.
6. Once up again check your timer placement and make adjustments if needed.
7. Paint and seal any holes
8. When you have finished take it apart and take it to where you want it and put it back together.
9. I use t post at about a 45 deg angle to my legs and drive them deep. Then chain or wire these to your legs. If you have cows out there you might want to make a pen around it.
Well hope it helps.
Rick
Lifes not about knowing the answers, its about asking the questions.
Edited by - Who on 01/01/2003 11:23:01
1. do the lids seal tight? Does the steel ones have the locking ring for the top? With the flat top I have found that somtimes water can still get into the drum and sour the corn. I dont remember where I got them but there is a plastic snap on lid that will fit the 55 gallon drum and works very well.
2. Find the center of the drum and depending on the timer you use, (I think the ontime feeder is great) you would cut a round hole the size recomended by the timer co. If you want to just use them as a gravity feeder all you need to do is make a fram to get it off the ground (about 3 to 4 ft) and cut a few U's in the bottom sides.
3. If you are going to use the timer you will need to attach legs to the bottom side of the drumb. You have to decide how high you want it from the ground (remember you will need to be able to get to the top to add feed some way). You do not want to crush the sides of the drum that can cause problems with the top fitting. I took some flat steel and shaped it to the drum then welded it to a peace of pipe my legs would slide in . I dont remember the angle maby 30 or 35. then drilled the plate and drum and bolted it in place. Took sealer and sealed around the inside holes.
4. Fit your timer to the bottom but put it on last. Just in case you drop somthing
5. Slid your legs in and bolt them in place.
6. Once up again check your timer placement and make adjustments if needed.
7. Paint and seal any holes
8. When you have finished take it apart and take it to where you want it and put it back together.
9. I use t post at about a 45 deg angle to my legs and drive them deep. Then chain or wire these to your legs. If you have cows out there you might want to make a pen around it.
Well hope it helps.
Rick
Lifes not about knowing the answers, its about asking the questions.
Edited by - Who on 01/01/2003 11:23:01
12-18-2002, 01:19 AM
#3
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Burleson TX USA
Posts: 15
RE: Home made feeders
For what its worth, one of my feeders is homemade and it needs a plastic funnel inside it. The last time it got down really low I could see all the old corn that had been in there too long and had gotten pretty nasty. I had to take the whole thing down and clean it out. When it goes empty this time I'm putting a funnel in mine. Also I've had pretty good luck with Kenco smart timer 2s. One of the timers went out but I called the company and they mailed another one right out for free. I like them because you never have to change the time when daylight wasting or saving time comes around. I used to have a really good feeder that was two 55 gallon barrels stacked and welded. It was really stout and held a lot of corn you might experiment with that idea if you have a welder.
12-18-2002, 11:07 PM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ferry Township, Michigan United States
Posts: 165
RE: Home made feeders
Hey Wholehog, How often do you hafta put feed in the drum, just curious, I know it would depend on the timer settings. How do you fill the drum with feed, is it low enough to do it from the bed of a pick-up? I have drop feeders now as the temperature up here hasn't been above freezing for a couple of weeks and the batteries don't last. terry<img src=icon_smile_clown.gif border=0 align=middle>
LIVE FREE OR DIE
LIVE FREE OR DIE
12-19-2002, 03:20 PM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Burleson TX USA
Posts: 15
RE: Home made feeders
Terry,
I like to do it differently than I did it this year. I like to keep corn in all the feeders year round and just turn down the duration and adjust the amount of corn by raising the timer closer to the feeder. During hunting season or really about a month before I set the to about 5 or 6 seconds per feeding and I set the timer as low as possible without spilling corn so it will throw as much as possible. I think this helps in keeping them acustomed to coming around a bit. This year I filled the feeders up around the first of October and they still have corn in them. I have 2 Kenco galvanized feeders and the one 55 gallon drum. In the homemade one I cut a 2 1/2 inch diameter hole in the side of the barrel about 3 inches from the bottom and siliconed and riveted a piece of clear plastic to cover the hole so you can monitor the corn level. The hole is still showing all yellow so I guess I still have corn. Thee legs of all the feeders are pretty long I dont know how long but I'm '5 9" and I have to reach over my head to set the timers. I have used a ladder to fill feeders before but I've also had the ladder and the empty feeder fall while I was on it with a sack of corn. Now I fill the front end loader of the tractor up with all the corn sacks I can fit in it and raise the bucket to the top of the feeder and then lean the ladder against the bucket, climb it and fill the feeder that way its a lot easier than climbing a ladder with a sack on your shoulder like I did for years. I dont have any cattle on the place so its easy to drive right up to the feeder without having to open up a feeder pen or move fence out of the way. Where are you that its that cold? Its in the 60's today here in Texas and I dont expect to change batteries for a long time. I use rechargeable batteries and solar chargers. They seem to work well and I'm happy with them.
I like to do it differently than I did it this year. I like to keep corn in all the feeders year round and just turn down the duration and adjust the amount of corn by raising the timer closer to the feeder. During hunting season or really about a month before I set the to about 5 or 6 seconds per feeding and I set the timer as low as possible without spilling corn so it will throw as much as possible. I think this helps in keeping them acustomed to coming around a bit. This year I filled the feeders up around the first of October and they still have corn in them. I have 2 Kenco galvanized feeders and the one 55 gallon drum. In the homemade one I cut a 2 1/2 inch diameter hole in the side of the barrel about 3 inches from the bottom and siliconed and riveted a piece of clear plastic to cover the hole so you can monitor the corn level. The hole is still showing all yellow so I guess I still have corn. Thee legs of all the feeders are pretty long I dont know how long but I'm '5 9" and I have to reach over my head to set the timers. I have used a ladder to fill feeders before but I've also had the ladder and the empty feeder fall while I was on it with a sack of corn. Now I fill the front end loader of the tractor up with all the corn sacks I can fit in it and raise the bucket to the top of the feeder and then lean the ladder against the bucket, climb it and fill the feeder that way its a lot easier than climbing a ladder with a sack on your shoulder like I did for years. I dont have any cattle on the place so its easy to drive right up to the feeder without having to open up a feeder pen or move fence out of the way. Where are you that its that cold? Its in the 60's today here in Texas and I dont expect to change batteries for a long time. I use rechargeable batteries and solar chargers. They seem to work well and I'm happy with them.
12-20-2002, 02:17 PM
#6
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: chiefland Florida USA
Posts: 5,417
RE: Home made feeders
I have one plastic 55 gal drum and 4 with 30 gal garbage cans.the 30 gal will last 4 weeks with the moultrie feeders set at 8 sec.mor. and night.the big one will last two mo.
all of mine have a cable and boat winch on them so I can let them down to fill.then crank them back to the height I want.the higher they are the farther they will sling corn.
I put a threaded rod through them at the top with nuts and washers on the inside and outside tightened down so they will not pull together when full.then I put my cable to the ends of the bolts to rase and lower them
I am not a hunter I am a whitetail population reduction specialest
remember keep your back to the sun, your knife sharp, and your powder dry.
all of mine have a cable and boat winch on them so I can let them down to fill.then crank them back to the height I want.the higher they are the farther they will sling corn.
I put a threaded rod through them at the top with nuts and washers on the inside and outside tightened down so they will not pull together when full.then I put my cable to the ends of the bolts to rase and lower them
I am not a hunter I am a whitetail population reduction specialest
remember keep your back to the sun, your knife sharp, and your powder dry.
12-29-2002, 06:32 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Waynesboro Georgia USA
Posts: 1,113
RE: Home made feeders
Where you guys get the feed spreaders.
Wal-mart has a Moultree feeder with a five gallon can. Thinking about buying it and adding my own barrel.
Also started working on a gravity type feeder. How far apart should the opening be for the feed? 1/2 gap to big?
Oh by the way, I found a peace of plastic pipe (left over from the Highway Dept's new road work going on infront of club house<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> )
Its about five foot long and 24 inches in diameter.
Found a old light in the shed yesterday. Has a nice metal shade that will work perfectly for a funnel (almost 24 inches too! ) A few brackets and all I'll have to do is find a lid for it. Then make some legs for the tri-pod set up. It will be ready by Wensday hopefully.
Edited by - mike bell on 12/29/2002 19:41:35
Wal-mart has a Moultree feeder with a five gallon can. Thinking about buying it and adding my own barrel.
Also started working on a gravity type feeder. How far apart should the opening be for the feed? 1/2 gap to big?
Oh by the way, I found a peace of plastic pipe (left over from the Highway Dept's new road work going on infront of club house<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> )
Its about five foot long and 24 inches in diameter.
Found a old light in the shed yesterday. Has a nice metal shade that will work perfectly for a funnel (almost 24 inches too! ) A few brackets and all I'll have to do is find a lid for it. Then make some legs for the tri-pod set up. It will be ready by Wensday hopefully.
Edited by - mike bell on 12/29/2002 19:41:35