Grandpa's Treadle feeder vs. chicken condo feeder

[runway36]

I have the large 44lb Feed o Matic.....2 Days old and not once will my hens (9) go near the feeder. Even with a rock in place to hold it open. Tomorrow I am taking the rock away. When they get hungry enough I hope they try it. Not impressed so far. I will update when I have success

 

[HeidiSnow]

Any luck runway36?

 

[Sylvester017]

All 4 hens aren't scared of the Feed-O-Matic any more as long as the treadle foot has a brick on it to keep it open for them. I took the brick off the pedal to close the bin from the mooching Sparrows but our spooky kooky Ameraucana stepped on the foot walking over it and when the lid closed it clanked and scared her. She's a spooky wary bird anyway and she's always the last to learn how to trust nipple waterers and treadle feet. Now I've got mooching Mourning Doves coming around to look for tidbits - sigh.

Here's another reply from Tyler at Rent-A-Coop about the smallest Feed-O-Matic I'm having problems with:
_______________________________

We will convert the chart to pounds and give suggestions of setting based off bantams and regular sized hens. Thanks for the idea.

There should be no gap in the lid at all, that would of course defeat the purpose. If you can send a picture I can let you know what I think is wrong. Email here or text to 202-412-4232.

You do not need to use mealworms to entice them. You can put regular feed on the pedal close to the feed port and it will work just as well. You're just attracting the hens towards the food source so they're able to see it then eat from the feeder.

Video instructions are coming this evening. We will send a link to the setup and training of the hens. This might also solve your gap problem.

Training has taken us between one day and 2 weeks to train a group to use the feeder. Don't give up just yet. You have a 30 day return policy if you purchased with prime.

Please keep us updated on your progress as we're here to help every step of the way,

Tyler

I have the large 44lb Feed o Matic.....2 Days old and not once will my hens (9) go near the feeder. Even with a rock in place to hold it open. Tomorrow I am taking the rock away. When they get hungry enough I hope they try it. Not impressed so far. I will update when I have success

Any luck runway36?

Well, I've had the Feed-O-Matic (10-lb small) for a while now. While we had the spooky Ameraucana we kept a brick on the treadle foot to keep open. She was euthanized last month because of illness that the vet couldn't help. She was a kooky spooky skittery jittery bird but our sweetest hen and it was sad to lose her. However, she WAS the spookiest one to use the Feed-O-Matic and avoided it and she spooked the Silkies from using it.
BRICK ON TREADLE FOOT TO KEEP IT OPEN



Since the Ameraucana is gone we now keep the brick off the Feed-O-Matic treadle foot and our one smart Breda chicken has no qualms about using it - clanking lid or not! Our Silkies are still not accustomed to the movement of the lid opening and if the brick is not holding down the treadle foot they absolutely will not approach the Feed-O-Matic. The noise of the clanking lid annoys them but we've come to realize the quick MOVEMENT of the lid opening and closing is much more of a turn-off for them than the noise. Silkies are aware of their diminutive size and any quick sudden movements or noises spook them. It's too bad the Feed-O-Matic feeder lids don't open hydraulically/slowly and close slowly like those toilet seats that close slowly!!!!

BLUE WHEATEN AMERAUCANA AFRAID OF THE FEED-O-MATIC BUT NOT THE BREDA WHO IMMEDIATELY GOT HER BODY INTO THE FEEDER!!!! LOVE THE BREDA'S DOCILE OUTGOING UNAFRAID CURIOUS SMART TEMPERAMENT SO MUCH THAT I HAVE ANOTHER BREDA ON ORDER!!!



Meanwhile my large fowl Breda uses the Feed-O-Matic without having to put the silencing strip on the clanking lid ~ my lid did not close straight properly, it had about a 3/8-inch gap opening on one side so I had to devise my own napkin and tape as a silencer. The company said there shouldn't be a gap but I had to tell them that their quality control is poor then because my feeder came with uneven closure. There always seems to be something great and not-so-great with purchases today. Even my new Barn Coop has things I absolutely love about it and things I don't like as well.
BARN COOP FROM CHICKEN CONDOS.



I do LUV the Feed-O-Matic (easy to clean, attractive, easy to fill, locking lid that won't blow open in heavy wind) but the Silkies will not use it. We have to keep our ChickenCondos brand treadle feeder for them using a light-tension foot setting. Why they will use the tall 20-lb ChickenCondos feeder and not the smaller 10-lb Feed-O-Matic is a puzzler but I can't have them starving from fear of using the Feed-O-Matic. So, both feeders are out in the yard.
SILKIE DIGGING INTO THE CHICKENCONDOS TREADLE FEEDER.


CHICKEN CONDOS TREADLE FEEDER (IT'S A CONVERTED DOG FEEDER) ~ CHICKEN CONDOS IS A SUBDIVISION OF K-9 DOG KENNELS SO IT MAKES SENSE THEY CONVERTED DOG FEEDERS INTO CHICKEN TREADLE FEEDERS. I THOUGHT THIS SIZE WOULD BE INTIMIDATING TO THE TINY SILKIES BUT THEY PREFER THIS QUIETER LARGER TREADLE FEEDER TO THE NOISIER FEED-O-MATIC. BOTH FEEDERS HAVE PROS/CONS FOR US. JUST DEPENDS ON WHICH CHICKENS LIKE WHICH FEEDER!!!



All I can say is either a chicken catches on right away the first day how to use the Feed-O-Matic or else a chicken spooks so much that it will never use the Feed-O-Matic. My Breda is a very curious, outgoing, unafraid, food-driven breed and catches onto everything fast as long as treats/feed is involved. Breda are extremely food-driven. Neither our Ameraucana or our older skittery Silkies step on the Feed-O-Matic treadle - the Silkies will step on the foot but the lid movement scares them off again. As a consequence we have ordered another Breda pullet to add to the flock since they don't seem to have a fear of treadle feeders or anything else ~ our Breda has chased off feral cats in the yard!
BREDA WALKING AWAY FROM THE FEED-O-MATIC AFTER A LONG TIME SNACKING!!!



I can't say enough about the great lengths Tyler at Feed-O-Matic has gone to in helping us with our flock's adjustment to the feeder ~ 5-Stars treatment! I think it is a fabulous feeder and I would recommend the next size up from our smallest version for a Large Fowl flock ~ our smallest Feed-O-Matic only accommodates one chicken at a time on the treadle foot. All I can say is that you never know what chicken will take to the treadle feeder right away and which chicken will absolutely refuse to use it except that my experience says spooky Ameraucanas and Silkies will avoid them and smart Breda's will use any and all feeders!!!
OPENING THE SMALLER-SIZE FEED-O-MATIC PACKAGE ~ NOT THE BEST INSTRUCTIONS BUT TAKE YOUR TIME AND IT WILL ALL MAKE SENSE. HOWEVER, THE TENSION ADJUSTMENTS CHART MADE ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE WHATSOEVER SO EITHER EMAIL/CONTACT THE COMPANY (I EMAILED AND GOT AN IMMEDIATE REPLY) OR EXPERIMENT WITH THE TREADLE FOOT TENSION ROD SETTINGS UNTIL YOU LIKE IT.



My personal conclusion and only from my experience: The Feed-O-Matic is sturdier than ChickenCondos treadle feeders and certainly better than Grandpa's head-chopping feeders. I would recommend Feed-O-Matic first, the Rat-Proof treadle feeder on eBay 2nd if you feel confident in DIY assembly, ChickenCondos 20-lb treadle feeder 3rd (nice feeder but the wood treadle foot doesn't weather outdoors very well so keep it out of direct sun or winter rains), and Grandpa's head-chopping lid feeders are a last resort. JMHO but you and your flock all can make up your own minds. Having treadle feeders keeps the wild bird population way down in the chicken yard.

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[lynnehd]

My personal conclusion and only from my experience: The Feed-O-Matic is sturdier than ChickenCondos treadle feeders and certainly better than Grandpa's head-chopping feeders. I would recommend Feed-O-Matic first, the Rat-Proof treadle feeder on eBay 2nd if you feel confident in DIY assembly, ChickenCondos 20-lb treadle feeder 3rd (nice feeder but the wood treadle foot doesn't weather outdoors very well so keep it out of direct sun or winter rains), and Grandpa's head-chopping lid feeders are a last resort. JMHO but you and your flock all can make up your own minds. Having treadle feeders keeps the wild bird population way down in the chicken yard.

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My 4 chickens use the Feed-O-Matic.
I took your experience to heart , @Sylvester017 , about the clanging noise scaring them, and put some 1/8" foam insulation along the edge, so the door shuts a bit more quietly.
To help my chickens adapt, I used pieces of wood to prop the door open partially. At first, mostly open.
About every week, I put a slightly smaller piece of wood in. I probably used about 4 sizes. After the last small piece was removed, they didn't seem to have an issue.
I love the Feed-O-Matic because mine are exposed to rain, and stay dry inside. No sign of rust.

 

[Sylvester017]

My 4 chickens use the Feed-O-Matic.
I took your experience to heart , @Sylvester017 , about the clanging noise scaring them, and put some 1/8" foam insulation along the edge, so the door shuts a bit more quietly.
To help my chickens adapt, I used pieces of wood to prop the door open partially. At first, mostly open.
About every week, I put a slightly smaller piece of wood in. I probably used about 4 sizes. After the last small piece was removed, they didn't seem to have an issue.
I love the Feed-O-Matic because mine are exposed to rain, and stay dry inside. No sign of rust.

I have a silencing cushion strip Tyler at Feed-O-Matic sent to me to try ~ but I have an uneven lid closure with a gap on one side of the lid not closing all the way. I suppose I could've returned the feeder in the 30-day trial period but didn't bother with the hassle as long as all the other features were okay. Thanks for the tip on the graduating wood sizes. We went nuts trying to get the Silkies to use the treadle foot. They would get on it but jumped off it again as soon as either the lid or the treadle foot moved. They are old skittery hens but thankfully the Breda gets a LOT of use from ALL the feeders in the yard ~ she's my dream breed if you haven't guessed by now and the reason we have another on order!!!

I'm going to try the wood trick and let you know how it goes after a while. Those Silkies are old skittery hens and spend every waking minute guarding themselves from sudden movements and noises. They will crowd around my feet at treats time but if I have a camera in my hand they go running before my lens can auto focus ~ I don't think they like the camera clicking or the flashes. My Breda on the other hand photo bombs and LUVS the camera lens ~ I think she likes seeing the "other" chicken in the camera lens LOL! I need a better faster shots-per-second Canon!!!!

BREDA PHOTO BOMB ~ WHILE SILKIES AVOID THE CAMERA CLICKS!


I THINK "PHAEDRA" WOULD SMILE FOR ME IF SHE HAD TEETH!


THIS CURIOUS BREDA COCKEREL GOT SO CLOSE TO THE CAMERA I HAD TO BACK UP TO SNAP THE PHOTO! NOTHING NEW EVER FRIGHTENS THESE BREDA'S. THEY STEP OUT OF THE SHIPPING CRATE AND COME UP TO US AS IF THEY'D KNOWN US FOREVER!

 

[lynnehd]

I have a silencing cushion strip Tyler at Feed-O-Matic sent to me to try ~ but I have an uneven lid closure with a gap on one side of the lid not closing all the way. I suppose I could've returned the feeder in the 30-day trial period but didn't bother with the hassle as long as all the other features were okay. Thanks for the tip on the graduating wood sizes. We went nuts trying to get the Silkies to use the treadle foot. They would get on it but jumped off it again as soon as either the lid or the treadle foot moved. They are old skittery hens but thankfully the Breda gets a LOT of use from ALL the feeders in the yard ~ she's my dream breed if you haven't guessed by now and the reason we have another on order!!!

I'm going to try the wood trick and let you know how it goes after a while. Those Silkies are old skittery hens and spend every waking minute guarding themselves from sudden movements and noises. They will crowd around my feet at treats time but if I have a camera in my hand they go running before my lens can auto focus ~ I don't think they like the camera clicking or the flashes. My Breda on the other hand photo bombs and LUVS the camera lens ~ I think she likes seeing the "other" chicken in the camera lens LOL! I need a better faster shots-per-second Canon!!!!

BREDA PHOTO BOMB ~ WHILE SILKIES AVOID THE CAMERA CLICKS!


I THINK "PHAEDRA" WOULD SMILE FOR ME IF SHE HAD TEETH!


THIS CURIOUS BREDA COCKEREL GOT SO CLOSE TO THE CAMERA I HAD TO BACK UP TO SNAP THE PHOTO! NOTHING NEW EVER FRIGHTENS THESE BREDA'S. THEY STEP OUT OF THE SHIPPING CRATE AND COME UP TO US AS IF THEY'D KNOWN US FOREVER!

Haha! What characters the Bredas are! They do sound ideal for back yard chickens. Do they 'play' well with others?

 

[Sylvester017]

Haha! What characters the Bredas are! They do sound ideal for back yard chickens. Do they 'play' well with others?

Yes! Breda are characters! Not that all chickens aren't funny because I love our little Teddy Bear Silkies too! But Breda was such a surprise to us. I was looking for a white egg-laying docile lightweight breed to get along with the Silkies and our timid Blue Wheaten Ameraucana. I was going to get a docile 4-lb Polish but from research and talking to other Breda owners I decided to experiment with a 4-lb Breda.

Bredas are outgoing, unafraid, curious, people-friendly, flock-friendly, non-combative, active, funny, alert, smart, egg-laying machines, willful to train but learn/train very quickly, and so much more! When we had the chainlink fence the neighbor's dog and Breda would run along the fence with each other back-and-forth for fun or else they'd touch curiously beak to snout through the chainlink! Only our little Black Silkie can keep up with her foraging/running pace! She has impressed us so much this past year that when we lost our sweet Ameraucana I decided to order another Breda to take the missing spot in the flock ~ a Cuckoo Breda is on order. From what the breeder said she thinks the Cuckoo Breda are the shyest variety and that the Mottleds have the best conformation. She no longer is breeding the Blue/Black/Splash variety which saddens me because we love our Blue Breda so much. But we are looking forward to the Cuckoo variety this fall.

For a Blue, Black, or Splash Breda @chicken danz in KS would be the only other breeder I would trust ~ she is a large and reputable breeder of many birds in her state ~ game birds (pheasants,quail?), Brahmas, Bredas, Sebastopol geese, etc. and she has at least two return customers I've posted with who say she has great birds!

OUR BLUE BREDA GIRL LOVES TO HOG THE CAMERA SHOTS!


BREDA ARE CHOW HOUNDS AND YOU'LL FIND THEM AT THE FRONT OF THE TREATS LINE!


BREDA ARE EXCELLENT HOUSE CHICKENS TOO! NEVER HAD A CHICKEN THAT SOUGHT MY COMPANY AND CUDDLES BEFORE!


THE SILKIE LITTLES ARE NOT AFRAID TO BE NEAR BREDA THE WAY THEY WERE AFRAID OF OUR OTHER LARGE FOWL.


OUR BREDA THINKS SHE'S ONE OF THE SILKIES


I LOVE HOW CLOSE THE SILKIES HAVE BONDED WITH THE BREDA AND HOW NON-CONFRONTATIONAL SHE IS WITH THEM. THE BREDA IS OVER 11/2 YRS OLD AND HAS NOT DISPLAYED AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR TOWARD PEOPLE OR FLOCKMATES.


THIS IS OUR BLUE BREDA AS A PULLET. SHE HAD SUCH FLUFFY FEET ~ WORN DOWN TODAY FROM OUTDOOR FORAGING


THIS PIC CRACKS ME UP ~ WHILE THE OTHER CHICKENS ARE FORAGING NORMAL THE BREDA IS STANDING SPREAD-EAGLE WITH HER HEAD DOWN IN THE POT FORAGING FOR WEED SPROUTS!!


BREDA WHITE EGG 1.75-OZ IN THE MIDDLE NEXT TO AMERAUCANA 2.25-OZ BLUE EGG AND SILKIE 1.25-OZ TINTED EGG. OUR BREDA STARTED LAYING NOVEMBER LAST YEAR AND IS STILL LAYING 4 TO 5 EGGS WEEKLY IN OUR CURRENT HEATWAVE! OUR 3-YR-OLD AMERAUCANA LAYED FOR LESS THAN 4 MONTHS THIS YEAR AND OF COURSE SILKIES ARE NOT KNOWN TO BE CONSISTENT LAYERS AT ALL ~ ALTHOUGH THEIR EGG SIZE IS DECENT FOR A BANTAM.


Talking with other Breda owners they have the same type of experience with their Bredas. The cockerels/cocks are a bit randy and can be rough on hens but they are every bit as much a crack-up at entertainment as the hens. I don't know if it's because they are so outgoing curious or if it's watching them walk with those feathery-flippered feet or if they are just naturally clowns but a sweeter or friendlier personality is hard to find in a chicken breed. Our Breda would jump up on the kitchen bench with visitors and sit next to them. Totally unafraid to be a pesty pet!

Do you have a favorite breed(s)?

 

[lynnehd]

I haven't had much experience with different breeds. I love my Naked Neck Turkens; they are also very sweet and friendly. Just not pretty! They are very good at back yard foraging.
The Breda sounds like a wonderful back yard chicken choice, also very good at foraging, judging by that picture of her upside down in the flower pot!

 

[Sylvester017]

I haven't had much experience with different breeds. I love my Naked Neck Turkens; they are also very sweet and friendly. Just not pretty! They are very good at back yard foraging.
The Breda sounds like a wonderful back yard chicken choice, also very good at foraging, judging by that picture of her upside down in the flower pot!

Oh, I believe you mentioned Turkens on another thread before. I have never heard a negative thing about them and some even like their cool-looking unique appearance! I mean, they're getting crossbred into Silkies to become Showgirls now! There must be something great about Turkens! All my breeds (with the exception of our very lazy Marans) have been busy foragers, even the little Silkies, but none so active and persistent as the funny Breda. It's also very hard to take pictures without her running to me from across the yard and photo bombs my shots every time! I swear someone winds her up every morning and she doesn't stop until roost time! Notice who's following the human hand first? ~ a very food-driven breed which makes training very easy using food. We've trained the girls to wait until they hear their name before they jump for the treat. It took a few consistent days but the Breda understands it now!



While getting pics of working on the backyard I noticed I got a shot of our small 10-lb Feed-O-Matic standing next to our 20-lb ChickenCondos treadle feeder under the pop-up canopy. The Breda mostly uses the Feed-O-Matic and the Silkies prefer the quieter ChickenCondos. Ugh! It's taking so long to get this yard done in 100o temps! Guess next you'll hear me complaining about how cold it is to work in the winter months

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[lynnehd]

Oh, I believe you mentioned Turkens on another thread before. I have never heard a negative thing about them and some even like their cool-looking unique appearance! I mean, they're getting crossbred into Silkies to become Showgirls now! There must be something great about Turkens! All my breeds (with the exception of our very lazy Marans) have been busy foragers, even the little Silkies, but none so active and persistent as the funny Breda. It's also very hard to take pictures without her running to me from across the yard and photo bombs my shots every time! I swear someone winds her up every morning and she doesn't stop until roost time! Notice who's following the human hand first? ~ a very food-driven breed which makes training very easy using food. We've trained the girls to wait until they hear their name before they jump for the treat. It took a few consistent days but the Breda understands it now!



While getting pics of working on the backyard I noticed I got a shot of our small 10-lb Feed-O-Matic standing next to our 20-lb ChickenCondos treadle feeder under the pop-up canopy. The Breda mostly uses the Feed-O-Matic and the Silkies prefer the quieter ChickenCondos. Ugh! It's taking so long to get this yard done in 100o temps! Guess next you'll hear me complaining about how cold it is to work in the winter months

.

Cute chicken pics! The Breda sounds like a breed to remember.

Your back yard is really coming along! I feel your pain about the heat; we're having a few days at 100d and it can be brutal in the sun.