In a quail cage, feeders must be installed to provide free access to feed. They can not only be purchased at the store, but also made with your own hands, given the number of heads in the farm. To do this, you need to choose a design of the appropriate type, prepare the appropriate materials and tools, and then proceed to collect the feeders according to the prepared drawings and step-by-step instructions.
Types of structures
Quail are not the cleanest birds, as they often scatter food and clog the cage. Properly designed feeders will help to partially prevent contamination. They should be selected individually depending on the characteristics of birds.
According to the type of feed loading, there are such options for feeding:
- Tray. A good option for keeping chicks up to 2 weeks of age. As a rule, they are installed inside the brooder, although such structures can also be attached outside the cage to prevent the spread of food. One type of feed is poured into the installed trays with small sides.
- Grooved. More suitable for feeding adult birds, although they can also be used for young animals. They can put several types of dry food. So that the birds do not scatter it, it is necessary for each of them to create a feeding front of 30-50 mm. As a rule, such equipment is installed outside the cage.
- Bunker. Suitable for adult birds. Most often located outside the cell, but there are also models for installation inside. In the hopper feeders you can fill only dry food, and this can be done once every few days. The feed will automatically enter the pan as it is consumed.
- Automatic. This is an improved version of the hopper feeders, which involves feeding the feed without human intervention. The design is equipped with a timer, which allows you to configure the feed. In addition, there is a dispenser that determines the portion of food delivered. As a rule, an automatic feeder is installed in large farms. This is a rather complicated design for DIY manufacture.
Feeders are also classified by design features. They may be:
- Hanging and floor. Many breeders choose outboard models because they can be installed outside the cage so that no dirt or food gets into them. So, the feed will always be clean. Floor models are more often used for the free keeping of chicks.
- Mesh and grooved. At the very beginning of the life of the chicks, cellular feeders are used, since they allow you to create free space for each individual and prevent crush during feeding. In the future, grooved inventory is used. In their manufacture, it should be borne in mind that the feed front for each head should be 17 cm.
- Buffered and open. The first models are equipped with a dispenser, which ensures the supply of the feed mixture in exactly the same volume. So, they need to be filled once every few days. The discovery of the same model is simpler and involves daily replenishment of fresh food.
Feeding requirements
To make a home-made feeder convenient and safe to use, it must meet the following requirements:
- It consists of materials that are safe for birds, do not emit toxic and poisonous substances, are easy to clean and clean, and are also durable and durable. These requirements are met by galvanized sheet, sheet steel (preferably stainless), plastic, wood, ceramics.
In the manufacture of the feeder in no case should you use copper and other toxic or potentially toxic materials.
- It has volumes, more sizes of feed, which is intended for feeding birds. It should be borne in mind that the box is not completely filled, but only by 2/3 of the total volume in order to prevent food spillage.
- It has dimensions corresponding to the size of the cage or brooder and the number of heads in the farm. As a rule, per 1 square. m. cells are settled by 15 birds, and the front of feeding provides 5-9 cm per 1 head. If an external structure is used, the feeding front for each bird is at least 1.1 cm along the length of the tray.
- Provides birds convenient and easy access to food. For this, the feeder should have low sides. In addition, it should ensure the cleanliness of the feed, assuming a protective device from getting into the litter, pieces of litter and other garbage.
- Easy to maintain. The design of the feeder should be such that the owner can easily fill it with food. In addition, it should be easy to clean. So, it is advisable not to make a strong fixation with screws, but to use hooks whenever possible. In this case, the feeders can be easily removed and cleaned.
Hopper Feeding Options
There are various options for this design, which will be considered in more detail below.
From chipboard
This option is considered one of the best, although it can be assembled in an hour using materials that can be found in bins or purchased for a small price.
Here are the necessary tools and materials:
- the CD-60 profile used in the installation of ceilings and walls with a width of about 20 cm (the recommended size of the feeder for adult quail is 2x2.5 cm);
- 2 sheets of particleboard 105x60;
- 4 mm plywood (or any fiberboard material, plastic, laminate) - 2 sheets of 20x10.5 and 20x8.5 cm in size;
- silicone or similar sealant for sealing gaps;
- 10 self-tapping screws measuring 1.6 x 2.5 cm;
- pliers;
- jigsaw;
- drill.
Having prepared everything you need, you can begin to manufacture the feeders:
- Cut 2 paper templates in the form of the number “7” under the CD-60 profile. The size of the bottom is 6 cm, and the side walls are 2.7 cm. Height is 10.5 cm (based on 1/2 the height of the brooder door).
- Attach templates to the chipboard sheet and make markup.
- Saw 2 parts of the “sevens” with an electric jigsaw to get the side walls. How they look can be seen in the photo below.
- Use a pair of pliers to squeeze the sidewall of the CD profile, which will be flipped to the cage. If this is not done, the quail may be injured in the future.
- On the contrary, straighten the second sidewall.
- Drill holes for self-tapping screws in the profile and ends of the chipboard, so that in the future the material does not crack. Next, you can twist the screws. As a rule, one on both sides and from below is enough.
Self-tapping screws should be used with a cast washer. They do not have a cone under the hat, so the likelihood of cracking the ends of the chipboard and plywood is significantly reduced.
- Measure the width and height of a half-finished structure. According to the dimensions obtained, cut the front and back walls. In this case, you can use not only plywood, since the sheet material does not have to be rigid. So, you can use plastic, laminate, MDF panel or thin plywood. However, if the feeder is higher than 20 cm, it is advisable to combine the use of “soft” material with a rigid profile for the second wall.
- Screw the walls and get a ready-made hopper-type feeder. It must be carefully examined. All identified irregularities must be removed with a sharpened knife.
- Walk with silicone or other hermetic material across all the cracks so that the feed does not spill out during operation.
- Attach the feeder with a self-tapping screw through the side plate of the brooder door. If it is installed in a galvanized steel mesh, then it is still easier. It is necessary to make 2 holes in the front wall, through which to pass the copper wire and make a kind of hook, and then hang the feeder at the desired height.
It is recommended that hopper feeders be filled so that the feed lasts for several days and the quail does not remain hungry.
From a plastic bottle
This design is simpler than the previous one and it will take no more than half an hour to make it. This is a great option for inexperienced craftsmen who do not have the skills of a joiner or locksmith.
To make it, you need to prepare:
- plastic bottle;
- sharp knife.
The feeder is made in this order:
- Cut a plastic bottle almost in half.
- In the lower part, cut openings with a sharp knife in a circle with a radius of 1 cm so that the quail can stick its head into them.
- Turn the top of the bottle over and insert into the bottom. Pour food into it and place it in a bird cage.
The resulting feeder is recommended to be placed in a pan and fixed with a self-tapping screw.
From metal
In the manufacture of feeders in no case should you use toxic materials like copper, but metal is a perfectly acceptable option. In addition, it is easily and quickly cleaned and disinfected. How to make the necessary equipment from it, we will consider in detail.
Here's what you need to prepare:
- Metal sheet;
- locksmith scissors;
- listogib;
- a hammer;
- drill;
- riveter;
- pliers;
- clamps;
- calipers;
- a ruler.
4 blanks must be cut out of a sheet of metal using ready-made drawings:
- main part - 340x940 mm;
- inner part or dispenser - 200x940 mm;
- 2 side walls in the form of a rectangular trapezoid with a height of 180 mm and bases of 150 and 100 mm:
The length of the feeder depends on the size of the cell and may vary. The size of 940 mm provides for the economical use of metal, since it is possible to make 2 such feeders and even 4 pallets without waste that can be useful in the household.
So, having cut out all the necessary details, you can start assembling:
- Tightly bend all the edges in the same plane by 1 cm, so that later the quail does not get injured. In order for the bends to be uniform, you must first bend both ends with a hammer, and then fix the part with a clamp and begin processing the entire edge.
- Give all the workpieces the desired configuration using the corner of the bending machine.
- On the sidewalls, bend the short side to 100 mm, and then the rest. Leave small loose tabs on top of the long side.
- Put the sides on the main part, and bend the tongues with pliers inward to fix the details.
- Insert the dispenser inside and fasten all the elements with rivets using a drill and riveter. In order for the dispenser to be firmly fixed and adjusted depending on the size of the feed, it is worth inserting 2 metal strips into the feeder. Their optimal width is 15-20 cm.
If you follow this instruction, you can collect a feeder, which can be filled with 7 kg of feed, which will provide birds with food for 5 days. In order to perform all the work correctly, we recommend that in the next video you can clearly see the entire process of manufacturing the feeder - from metal cutting to assembly of blanks:
Making tray feeders
Such designs can also be made of various materials, depending on which the complexity of the assembly will be determined. Let's consider several options.
From metal
To collect a primitive version of the feeder, the remains of a metal profile are used for the installation of suspended plasterboard ceilings.
The procedure is as follows:
- Cut off a piece of profile of the required size.
- Gently bend the edges of the sheet to get a trough. On the cut, the workpiece should have the shape of a trapezoid. To make it durable, the ratio of the width of the bottom to the height of the sides should be at least 2: 1.
- Make side caps to prevent food from spilling out. To do this, you can use galvanized metal, polystyrene or plywood.
- From above attach to the gutter a coarse mesh wire so that the quail does not get inside and does not spread the feed. To prevent birds from overturning the net, it should be screwed to the wall of the structure with a screw.
Such a feeder can be hung on a cage using attached metal holders.
Out of the pipe
To make a tray feeding trough from plastic, trimming of a water pipe is used. In addition to it, a cutting tool will also be required.
You can make feed inventory in several stages:
- Cut the pipe to the desired length.
- Cut a snake-like pattern in the pipe, as shown in the photo below.
- Put a plug on one end of the pipe, and a 87-degree bend on the other.
From wood
This is the most complex design, but it will also last much longer, and it will also not allow birds to spread food. It is interesting that it is universal because it has a removable partition. If you put it, then the feeder will become a bunker and can be used in case of feeding birds for fattening.
To make it, you will need:
- wood;
- plywood trimmings;
- jigsaw;
- a circular saw;
- hole saw;
- screwdriver;
- calipers;
- ruler.
The assembly is assembled in this order:
- To prepare the “foundation” - a wooden lath measuring 5x100 cm and a thickness of 1.5 cm.
- Cut 2 sidewalls and 1 jumper in the form of rectangular trapezoid. Their height is 11.5 cm, and the length of the bases is 9.5 cm and 5 mm. Make grooves in the middle to insert plywood, which will serve as a bunker feeder.
- From plywood 6 mm thick, cut out 2 side parts with dimensions of 14x100 and 13x100 cm.
- In the larger sidewall, cut 15-16 holes with a diameter of 3.5 cm and a distance of 3 cm. It is advisable to use a hole saw.
- Connect the bottom and side to the holes using a screwdriver.
- Lubricate the sidewalls and the lintel with glue and also attach with a screwdriver, aligning with a metal corner.
- Attach the last part - a solid sidewall.
If you insert plywood partitions that do not reach the bottom by 2-2.5 cm, you can get a hopper-type feeder.
How to make a fluted mounted feeder?
This is a simple construction that is easiest to make from galvanized sheet. If not at hand, aluminum can be used.
It is necessary to prepare in advance:
- galvanized sheet with a thickness of 0.5 mm;
- pieces of plywood;
- jigsaw or handsaw for wood;
- scissors for metal;
- small cloves.
It is made according to such a drawing:
The sequence of actions is as follows:
- From the plywood sheet cut the sides.
- Mark with a pencil the bending lines of the metal sheet 18 cm wide. 5 cm should be drawn back from the wide edge, draw the first line, after 3 cm - the second, after 5 cm - the third, and after 4 cm - the fourth.
- Bend the side that will be parallel to the cage at an angle of 30-45 degrees for convenient feeding. The remaining sides must be bent at an angle of 90 degrees.
- Wrap the side that is adjacent to the cage 1.5 cm outward to prevent feed from entering the cage.
- Secure the plywood sidewalls with studs.
- Attach steel strips with a width of 4 mm to the end sides. Bend them, and on the hooks obtained, hang the structure in the right place.
- Bend the edges of the feeder so that the quail is not injured.
Inventory of the flute type should be covered with a net like tray feeders so that the quail would not be able to spread valuable feed.
There are various types of feeders that a home craftsman can make. Some options are simpler, while others are more complex, so everyone can choose the right feeder based on their skills. In this case, it is necessary to observe a number of requirements so that the equipment is easily maintained in the future and does not pose a threat to birds.