bird proof chicken feeder plans

[BantamLover21]

Glad you joined us!

 

[seadrift]

Thanks for the welcome! I tried feeding the 'girls' inside am/pm, but it just encouraged the birds to go into the coop more. I have to leave the small door open so the hens can enter to lay eggs (which they seem to do all day). Guess I could put landscape mesh or orchard mesh over the whole thing and only let them out in the evening?

 

[seadrift]

I meant 'plans'. Only found this site as it was the link for the 'plans' from a search engine. Glad I found it, but doesn't seem to link me to the plans?

 

[drumstick diva]

welcome to the flock, I hope some of the former suggestions and links will be of good use to you. Wild birds also spread mites and lice which you surely don't want your chickens to get.

 

[Chickenpen]

Welcome to BYC! I having the same problem.

 

[seadrift]

I'm back. Just been really busy on the ranch. We are having more rain and wind than is usual, so lots of storm cleanup. Also can't find my login info and already passwords, etc. forgotten! Surprised I got on here without them! We are experiencing unusually cold weather and have the woodstove going most nights. This is Hawaii, right? Better get out a GPS and check! I am at 2000 ft. Glad my hens have a dry cozy place to go at night. I keep deep pine chip bedding in the coop and clean the 'leavings under the roosts every morning. I keep cedar chips in the coop run and outside run. Keeps it dry and when you change it, it makes the best compost/mulch for the garden. I am going to rid a solar light to shine in the coop and extend the daylight hours 6 hours at least for better egg production at no power cost. Every week I go to the market and collect papaya and other fruit rejects (scars, soft spot, etc.) to keep my hens in fresh fruit all week. We find plenty good ones for us too with just a scar. Hope everyone is surviving the winter o.k. At least I don't need a heat lamp in the chicken house like I did in South East Ohio.

 

[Kehaulani]

Aloha,

I live in Kaneohe and am tired of feeding all the wild pigeons I wanted something that only my girls could access during the day when I am gone and didn't want to spend lots of money for a treadle feeder and the shipping to Hawaii I looked at all the wood designs and thought about making one but I really wanted it ASAP. I made my own treadle feeder out of a small step on plastic rubbish can since I didn’t want to spend a lot of money or build one out of wood that would get wet. I just attached a flat piece of wood to the pedal (drilled a hole and attached with a screw) so they would have a bigger step pad. I covered the pad with tin foil and may paint it or seal it later. I made the inner can smaller by cutting it and making a new floor that the girls can reach. The lid is made of plastic so if comes down, it won’t hurt them, but heavy enough to stay down and keep out rats and wild birds. Total cost $15

 

[seadrift]

Sound inventive. I love it! Where did you find the small rubbish can? the smallest one I have seen was in walmart, stainless steel, and still a foot high. Wish I could see a picture of what you made.

 

[Kehaulani]

Here's the size of the can.. Plastic is best since the lid is light and the hinge is non-metal.. I put a rock on the pedal for the picture

 

[seadrift]

That is so cool! I will try look for a can that size in town (Kona). Much better than the complicated wooden one I was going to try and make, or like you said, paying $70 something bucks + postage for one off ebay. I figure it will take a while to train the chickens to use it. Much Mahalo's !