Proudly Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 Has anyone made their own? Looking at having a go making a few & just wondering what parts people used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsonicnat Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 I had a local television repair man knock me one up years ago, worked a treat till the other blokes looking after it started messing with the timer, and did not know what they were doing, ............ it up in a fortnight,,,,, never bothered with having any more made, yes they work great if left alone. it had whistle on too, you should have seen them running to the timer. magic.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 Unless they are for ducks spreading feed in shallow water then I would use simple barrel feeders with side slots. I have been using springs for about 15 years but have had enough of losses, even pigeons are working them, plus rats, squirrels etc and badgers and deer despite being fitted with spikes are bending them. Got 4 barrels in one drive, 2 springs, 2 slots. One of the spring feeders have been emptied by badgers bending the spring. Overall the spring feeders use 3 times the wheat volumes of the slot ones. A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proudly Posted December 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 They will be for feeding wild duck on ponds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 (edited) U can buy them for 50ish quid and just bolt them onto the bottom of a barrel. I have tried to adapt bought ones to put whistles on and got a bit more complicated. I have thought about feeding our ponds this way but wot puts me off is if it either blocks/breaks or runs out of batteries ur duck will not be getting feed. I just chuck plenty in the shallows then a i know they are gettin fed Edited December 19, 2014 by scotslad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proudly Posted December 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Its too far to visit our shoot daily mate & with the pond being just off a river any excess feed gets eaten quickly thats why we're looking to make autofeeders. We've been working on one at work last night & just need to order a timer. Will quiz the electrical engineer at work about best way to do it. Will post a thread up once its working properly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Well throw enough in for 1 or even 2 weeks. Might not be ideal but does work. Have seen me in the past putting 1/4 to 1/2 a tonn in at a time. That shoot had quite a few ponds along a river valley and shot well for it. The ponds we shoot now are generally feed once a week/fortnight, at this time of year any excess doesnae go of the way it does in the summer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proudly Posted December 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 We put 2 sacks in on a monday for shooting sat, it was all gone by then & its only a small flooded area. Maybe 10ft wide/20ft long & "6/8 deep. We put 30+ ducks off it when doing the pheasants, then shot a few that night. Theres plenty of wild duck but we're gonna have to look at putting some hides in & clearing branches for next season Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted December 20, 2014 Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 I was looking forward in anticipation for replies to the OP . Auto feeders seem an ideal solution for the unkeepered small shoot, their expense being the main barrier to their more frequent use. It is very much a surprise that some of the cracking engineers on PW dont have at least plans for such a device. Suggest try google. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proudly Posted December 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 I work in engineering, unfortunately in the unskilled department but I guarantee I'll have the lads come up with a solution & will post our build details on here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted December 21, 2014 Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 Personally i'd just throw 3 or even 4 bags in if 2 are being ate until u just have a wee bit left wen u feed it next, ideally u want pond to have food on constantly from when u start feeding (Aug time).If u over do it 1 week put a bit less in next time. If ur just wanting a basic auto feeder i'd just buy some already on the market, plenty around for 50ish quid if not cheaper,would imagine u possibly can make them cheaper but a lot of hassle for it, these are pretty tidy units ansd everything is weather proof etc. We tried 2 different ones (Game & Country, Selkirk and Gamekeepa feeds, folk that do the spice) i think the gamekeepa one is slightly better. I have tried to adapt/bodge a buzzer/whistle on to them or feeding pheasants as the only one that oes that is over 400 quid. Still work in progress but almost there Personally i'd csrry on pouring feed in the shallows, usually the down side with this for a flight pond is ducks may sit on all day, but if ur knocking them off during the day that would be a bonus i'd definately 'batch' feed once a week/fortnight. That shoot i worked for could have literally thousands of teal and wigeon get off some of there ponds when we drove them and not unusual for guns to shoot 20 or 30 of a flight and thats with them not being able to see them. All those ponds where just feed either onc a week/fortnight depending on the volume of duck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proudly Posted December 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 Thanks for the advice mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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