In Praise of the Traditional Hanging Feeder

With the hanging feeders like these, I had to hang them higher to avoid the food waste. The lower they hang, the easier it is for the hens to bill it out onto the ground. I raised mine high enough that this happens far less than before. Took a few changes to figure out the best height. I also have the cover at the top, which prevents them from trying to get on top of it.

Here's how mine is, which shows the height compared to a fairly large 8lb Orpington!
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If you ever use it for chicks, or when poults are small, I'd put a cardboard cover on that. One time, I pulled two amberlink chicks out of the feeder! They were fine.
Ha Ha...yep...can confirm that they will get on top! You can see the cardboard I put on mine, though this one was big enough that she could not fall in. She is blind, and couldn't figure out how to get on the roost, but somehow managed to get on top of the feeder, every single night......

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If you ever use it for chicks, or when poults are small, I'd put a cardboard cover on that. One time, I pulled two amberlink chicks out of the feeder! They were fine.
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Yes, I do use those plastic feeders for my turkey poults. But I put a slice in 5 gal. plastic bucket lids 1$ a piece to slide over wire hanger to cover top when hanging or wad up a plastic bag to shove in top to keep them from falling inside when small and roosting on and pooping inside feeder. As I have many feeders being used, I Like the price on plastic as like I said I have many different pens and separate breeding pens, so I use the plastic and have not had much trouble with them in last 6 years. But I do have a few larger metal feeders that I do like in my large outdoor pens that I have had for about 6 years now and work great.
 
View attachment 2965994Yes, I do use those plastic feeders for my turkey poults. But I put a slice in 5 gal. plastic bucket lids 1$ a piece to slide over wire hanger to cover top when hanging or wad up a plastic bag to shove in top to keep them from falling inside when small and roosting on and pooping inside feeder. As I have many feeders being used, I Like the price on plastic as like I said I have many different pens and separate breeding pens, so I use the plastic and have not had much trouble with them in last 6 years. But I do have a few larger metal feeders that I do like in my large outdoor pens that I have had for about 6 years now and work great.

My issue with that particular feeder is that it's so light that it gets knocked over very easily if it's not hung.
 
Mine don't have that. (This is one of them)View attachment 2581924

How has this type of feeder worked for you? I'm thinking this should be okay to hang with a small chain from the overhead supports in a chicken tractor that I'm building. With it hanging, there shouldn't be room for the chickens to try to roost. Do you feed crumbles or pellets?
 
How has this type of feeder worked for you? I'm thinking this should be okay to hang with a small chain from the overhead supports in a chicken tractor that I'm building. With it hanging, there shouldn't be room for the chickens to try to roost. Do you feed crumbles or pellets?

My experience is that this feeder feeds crumble better than it feeds pellet. It does feed pellet, but sometimes needs a shake to clear a logjam.
 
How has this type of feeder worked for you? I'm thinking this should be okay to hang with a small chain from the overhead supports in a chicken tractor that I'm building. With it hanging, there shouldn't be room for the chickens to try to roost. Do you feed crumbles or pellets?
It worked fine. I have since changed to the metal hanging ones only because they hold more feed. (I also no longer have the turkeys, but do have chickens.) I feed pellets.
 

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