Chickens are not picky about food. However, they need a sufficient amount of green fodder. Simply plucking grass and putting it in the feeder is not enough. It must be chopped before feeding. For these purposes, a self-made or purchased shredder is used. Let’s take a look at how to make a grass chopper for chickens with your own hands.
Do you need a chopper for feeding chickens?
Various herbs in the warm season make up at least 50% of the diet of laying hens. Therefore, such a device is simply necessary. It is allowed to feed chickens with grain, special feed, but it is impossible to replace greens. After all, it contains vitamins, minerals, and protein.
It is necessary to give green fodder to laying hens every day. But not everyone has the strength and time to cut herbs by hand. In addition, chicks like crushed plants more. It is easier for them to peck at chopped greens than to tear off pieces of leaves and stems themselves.
If the herd is large, then you cannot do without a root crop and grass crusher.
Types and popular models
The assortment of grass cutters is large, which makes it easy to choose the necessary device. They can be with an electric motor or mechanical. However, experienced farmers recommend buying:
- “Boche”. The unit is capable of processing up to 230 kg of hay and grass per hour. Equipped with a grass collector.
- “Kubanets”. Suitable for chopping green grass, leaves, hay, fodder roots. An electric device can process up to 300 kg per hour.
- “Viking”. The shredder processes not only grass and hay, but also branches. The electric motor produces up to 2500 W of power.
- Worx WG 430 E. Equipped with a powerful engine. The device is able to process up to 2 cubes of dry or fresh grass, as well as leaves.
Principle of operation
Grass cutters are used to chop grass. This is a kind of combine harvester. It finely chops what falls into the area of the location of the blades. Aggregates consist of:
- containers where raw materials are placed;
- knives;
- engine.
Thanks to the simple design, there are no difficulties in caring for the garden area with the help of such a device. After all, weeds can be chopped and then fed to poultry. The unit can be equipped with a motor with an electric drive. This allows you to automate the process. The design of similar models is complemented by:
- protective cover;
- shaft with sharp blades;
- power cable;
- belt and pulley.
There are mechanical varieties that involve manual cutting with a knife lowered onto a stable platform.
Homemade grass chopper
Grinding weeds is a time-consuming process that can be made much easier by making a device. The basis of the unit can be from a bucket, household appliances, power tools.
From a bucket
The bucket is fixed with bolts on the tabletop. To fix the motor and output the shaft, where the knife is installed, holes are drilled in the bottom. A hole is made on the side of the container and closed with metal plates. This is an outlet for chopped grass.
When connecting the motor to a power source with 220 V, the blades will rotate quickly, so it is recommended to connect to 40 V. The power source is a car battery.
From a vacuum cleaner
It is a complex design, so you can’t do without a tool. The device is made from Typhoon vacuum cleaners. The electrical device is easy to use. The design of the vacuum cleaner provides for the output of chopped greens without turning off the power.
If there is no Typhoon, install a 180 W motor. The saw blade is used as a blade. A sleeve for mounting blades 4 cm long is cut into the wall of the case.
Holes are made in the case for the platform, where the finished unit is installed. The engine is mounted from below the structure. Knives are fastened with nuts.
From the washing machine
The unit is identical to the one made from a vacuum cleaner. First, the tank of the washing machine is cut. The height of the container in which the raw materials are placed should be up to 60 centimeters. The upper opening of the tank needs a cover or a rubber cover. Otherwise, the grass will fly in different directions.
A metal corner 50 cm long will be needed to install the legs. Holes for bolts are made in it. Knives are attached to the axis. They can be installed in several rows. They are fixed with bolts or screws.
Several holes are drilled on the sleeve. Their diameter should be at least 7 mm. The sleeve is connected to the engine with bolts. To install the engine, the case is turned over and several pins are prepared. It is necessary to make several holes in the case (depends on the number of fasteners). The blades are put on the sleeve, being sure to fix it. This can be done with ordinary nuts.
The blades must not touch the inside of the container or dangle.
The power supply cable is connected to the contacts of the motor. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the color of the insulation of the conductors matches. The connection is closed with insulating tape or a silicone tube.
A hole is cut in the container for the ejection of chopped greens. The exit is placed below the level of the knives by 20 mm. At the end, the device is installed on a stand, and legs are attached to the metal axis.
To use such a unit, grounding is required.
From Bulgaria
They take a grinder with any power indicator.
- First, the platform is assembled from the box. I use wood or metal to make it. In one of the sides of the structure, a cutout in the form of an arch is made.
- A hole is cut in the bottom of the box. It should be 50-70 mm larger than the working part of the power tool.
- The Bulgarian is fastened from the inside of the box. At the same time, the blades are placed above the bottom. For fixation, it is recommended to use flexible clamps or clamps.
- The bottom is cut out of a metal bucket. It is installed above the knives. The bucket is fixed with staples and metal corners, fixing with nails, such as bolts and nuts.
The principle of operation: weeds are placed in the container, the grinder is started. Rotating knives cut weeds, which fall into the box after grinding. Chopped fodder is pulled out with a shovel.
With a drill
They create grass cutters based on a steel body or a hopper. The design is supplemented with a protective cover, knives, a shaft, a stool, bearings with a housing.
- A hole is drilled in the stool. Its diameter should be 12 cm. The body is fixed from the inside of the stool, and then the bearings.
- Holes (12 cm in diameter) are drilled in the old bucket. It is placed on a stool and fastened with nails.
- P18 steel is used to create a diamond-shaped blade. It cuts fresh grass better. It is recommended to sharpen at an angle.
- The blades are fixed on a shaft inserted into a bearing.
- In the lower part of the stool, a drill is connected, which is connected to the shank of the shaft with the help of a clamping chuck.
The grass is placed in a bucket, and then the drill is turned on. After grinding the raw material, the tool is removed.
What grass to give chickens
After making the grass cutter, you can start harvesting fodder. A natural question arises – what herbs can be given to chickens. The list of allowed plants is long:
- alfalfa;
- sorrel;
- clover;
- musk;
- woodworm, etc.
The main thing is not to feed the birds with poisonous herbs. Chopped greens can be given in their pure form or added to mixtures. Chickens eat it with pleasure.