Best weatherproof auto feeder for 6 week old flock

[Tracyree]

We are going out of town for 4 days and I’d like a feeder i can keep in the run that is weatherproof and safe for 6 week olds. A lot of auto feeders say for 12 weeks and up because they ports are big enough to get inside and get stuck.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Way too young for any kind of port feeder or treadle feeder. Unsafe.

Someone posted about a deer feeder for under $100, spews out feed for a set time on a set schedule. Might be an option for you.

 

[Tracyree]

Way too young for any kind of port feeder or treadle feeder. Unsafe.

Someone posted about a deer feeder for under $100, spews out feed for a set time on a set schedule. Might be an option for you.

That sounds interesting. I’m fine with having someone one full feeder, but i need one that will keep it dry.

 

[Roheline]

Try a port feeder intended for quail? There are options for premade feeders or just the ports - check on Etsy. I was getting really tired of cleaning poop out of feeders and having food spilled everywhere so I started looking for options.

My husband has a 3D printer and made me some 2" diameter ports that I stuck into a container from the Dollar Store. The 2" size is perfect, chicks can stick their heads in but can't fit anything else in. They had no problem figuring it out either. It's not really rodent proof like the bigger port feeders due to the design (holes are rather shallow). I think if you picked a larger container it would get them by for a few days even if some there's some loss to mice.

I'll try to grab some pictures of mine tomorrow and post them.

 

[Al Gerhart]

No pvc pipe style feeder is ever going to be rat proof, you need a door that closes tight, a material that rats cannot chew through, and a big enough difference between the weight and reach between the chicken and the rat to make it physically impossible for the rat to get to the feed. Reach in how far the hen can stretch out to eat, not in how far the feed tray is off the ground as rats can jump many, many times their body length.

That said, IF you start off with a properly designed treadle feeder with your adult hens you are far less likely to have a rodent problem during the few weeks your annual batch of meat bird chicks are growing to size.