The Household / Homesteading notes
Chicken-Keeping Research · Planned, Not Confirmed Built · Printable
Chicken-Keeping Plans: Bucket Feeder, Waterer and Poultry Mix
Research notes gathered while planning to keep chickens, including two bucket projects and a bulk feed blend.
Bucket feeder: notebook supplies
- Two 5-gallon buckets (as written)
- Drill with 1-inch bit
- Roasting pan or similar tray
- Chicken feed
- Drill 1-inch holes around the bottom of a bucket, approximately 2 inches apart.
- Set the bucket inside a roasting pan.
- Fill with chicken feed and cover.
Bucket waterer: notebook instructions
- Drill two 1-inch holes on opposite sides of a bucket near the lower edge.
- Set the bucket inside a pan.
- Fill with water and quickly replace the lid. The original note says an airtight lid makes the water stop flowing once its level is established.
Poultry mix: parts-based notebook list
- 2 parts corn
- 3 parts whole wheat
- 1 part hulled barley
- ½ part peanuts
- 1 part lentils
- ½ part kelp
- 3 parts hard red winter wheat
- ½ part food-grade diatomaceous earth (recorded historically; not recommended as feed)
- 1 part oat groats
- 1 part wheat bran
- 1 part quinoa
- 2 parts sunflower seeds (partially obscured in photo)
- 1 part split peas (reading uncertain)
- 1 part sesame seeds (reading uncertain)
Notebook storage: “Store in an airtight container. Mix as needed.”
Other margin notes
The page mentions a brooder and incubator as needs, along with additional scraps or greens, including oyster shell, cucumber and kale (some margin handwriting is faint). The research website recorded in the notebook is BackyardChickens.com, as confirmed by the creator.
Project status
The creator collected this information while planning to raise chickens. She confirms that the chicken-keeping project has not yet been started and these feeder, waterer and feed plans remain research rather than tested instructions. She gathered this information because she wants a more self-reliant way of living, relying less on supplies and systems commonly taken for granted in case they are not available in the future.
Practical husbandry note
The feed mixture above is a historical research note, not a nutritionally complete or verified poultry ration. Chickens have stage-specific protein, amino acid, calcium and vitamin requirements; a formulated complete feed is the safer baseline. Food-grade diatomaceous earth can be irritating when inhaled and its inclusion as feed is not endorsed here. Likewise, a bucket waterer should be tested for leaks, cleanliness and safe water access before use with live birds.