Hanging feeders?

[Al Gerhart]

I am looking for a bucket that will fit over my bigger (30#) feeders.

My 7# feeder fits inside a 5 gallon bucket. At night I am dropping it and putting an upside down bucket on it.

That will work the first night. After that the rodents will just start eating more during the day.

Do this, empty your feeder and weigh the feed. The next day at the same time of day re weigh the feed. If you are feeding more than 1/4 pound per day per hen (ignore the roosters) you are feeding rodents or wild birds. Now figure out the savings each day and see how long till you pay for a good feeder. Plus a healthier flock with fewer lice infestations from the vermin bringing it and disease into the coop.

 

[21hens-incharge]

That will work the first night. After that the rodents will just start eating more during the day.

Do this, empty your feeder and weigh the feed. The next day at the same time of day re weigh the feed. If you are feeding more than 1/4 pound per day per hen (ignore the roosters) you are feeding rodents or wild birds. Now figure out the savings each day and see how long till you pay for a good feeder. Plus a healthier flock with fewer lice infestations from the vermin bringing it and disease into the coop.

You come across as rather harsh there. Not 100% sure your reply was directed at me or not either. I never said I was not willing to buy quality feeders.

Any mouse willing to stick it's neck out during the day here is highly likely to get eaten by my tiny dinosaurs.
Between the chickens, my traps, and the neighborhood cats mice are kept in check.
Feeders being inside my coops accessible only through the roofed runs wild birds have not been an issue.

 

[Al Gerhart]

You come across as rather harsh there. Not 100% sure your reply was directed at me or not either. I never said I was not willing to buy quality feeders.

Any mouse willing to stick it's neck out during the day here is highly likely to get eaten by my tiny dinosaurs.
Between the chickens, my traps, and the neighborhood cats mice are kept in check.
Feeders being inside my coops accessible only through the roofed runs wild birds have not been an issue.

You took it as "harsh" because my opinion is different than your opinion. BTW not every answer is directed at you personally, it is likely directed at people that might read advice and think it is good advice and not think that rodents do eat during the day in a protected coop.
If we all worried about how others might interpret our advice few would give advice and the community would be worse off.

Head over to the Pest and Predator forum, just a matter of time before feeding like this attracts the rats and even the mice draw in predators like birds of prey, foxes, snakes, all manners of predators that like to eat chickens too. As for cats, mice are prey animals and very good at keeping their population intact even with heavy predator losses.

 

[21hens-incharge]

That will work the first night. After that the rodents will just start eating more during the day.

Do this, empty your feeder and weigh the feed. The next day at the same time of day re weigh the feed. If you are feeding more than 1/4 pound per day per hen (ignore the roosters) you are feeding rodents or wild birds. Now figure out the savings each day and see how long till you pay for a good feeder. Plus a healthier flock with fewer lice infestations from the vermin bringing it and disease into the coop.

What I thought came across as harsh is what I bolded above.

Since you quoted me I took it as directed to me.

I have had chicken since 1995 so am not an inexperienced keeper. I am good with my chicken housing, fencing, skirting, and feeding thanks.

I am also fine with others having different opinions than mine. There is more than one way to keep birds.

 

[Al Gerhart]

What I thought came across as harsh is what I bolded above.

Since you quoted me I took it as directed to me.

I have had chicken since 1995 so am not an inexperienced keeper. I am good with my chicken housing, fencing, skirting, and feeding thanks.

I am also fine with others having different opinions than mine. There is more than one way to keep birds.

Just so I understand, pointing out that feed waste eventually pays for a decent feeder is somehow harsh? And yes, I was remarking on the advice to put a bucket over a feeder and think a problem was solved. So many newbies, old timers like you and I (first chickens were 1964) need to consider the newbies when giving advice, they might think that vermin only feed at night. But that is the beauty of free speech is it not? To let ideas be criticized and defended so the best advice rises to the top?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Just so I understand, pointing out that feed waste eventually pays for a decent feeder is somehow harsh? And yes, I was remarking on the advice to put a bucket over a feeder and think a problem was solved. So many newbies, old timers like you and I (first chickens were 1964) need to consider the newbies when giving advice, they might think that vermin only feed at night. But that is the beauty of free speech is it not? To let ideas be criticized and defended so the best advice rises to the top?

I felt it was insinuating that I was somehow to cheap to buy a "decent" feeder.

My post about the bucket is what I found works for me. It keeps any potential night time raiders out of the feed. Basically "secure the feed at night".

I am sure it can work for others too. Just as other feeders work for more than one person.

 

[ackie]

Someone mentioned the plastic hanging feeders being easier for feed to slide down- idk if this is just the particular one I have, but it's got a lower lip on it than my metal ones which are 90 degrees so the birds can practically shovel feed out it onto ground, so I've been sticking with the metal ones. They're not in very good condition right now (inherited the equipment along with the coop) so in suspect they will eventually give out and ill make some type of fancy something. But water first! Because carrying water around sucks.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Al is the designer, manufacturer, and purveyor of a good treadle feeder.
Tho he is careful not to link or mention that too often.
Looks at all his posts, same message most every time.

Same message every time because it is the best solution to many of the complaints on this forum section.

Mites and lice, brought in by wild birds and rodents.

Predators, brought in by the wild birds and rodents.

And the rats and wild birds are attracted by.....cheap feeders.

Stop feeding the rats and wild birds and many of the pest and predator problems will go away.

One would think that people would first do a forum search before posting the fifty third post of the month on mites and lice and learn that you have to stop the cause of the infestation along with the infestation. Ditto on the rat and mice solutions, hundreds of threads where the problem and solutions are beaten to death but every week are a few more new threads where the poison and no kill fans battle it out and umpteen old wives tales are told all of which have been thoroughly discredited.

Saw a story yesterday about the AW root beer marketing where they came out with a 1/3 pound burger only to find out that most of the population thought a 1/4 pound was bigger than 1/3 pound. Makes you wonder, then you get a phone call from a panicked customer, the instructions were all torn up and unreadable (shredded paper for packaging) and that one end of the 3/4" x 1/8" thick steel treadle bar was "snapped" off during shipping despite no damage to the box during shipping (one leg is shorter than the other leg of the treadle). So you begin to understand that most people simply do not think to search and find it easier to have someone tell them what to do to solve an infestation of rats or pests.

 

[Guernsy]

Put a steeper cone in it and hang it . Hanging will allow the chickens to "shake it" for you as they peck away at the food . Since I started with chicken and ducks this year I made my own feeders and waters . I have worked and reworked them several times to get the bugs out and these are some things I have found . Crumb will lock up if given a flat surface to land on . The more weight you have the worse it is (the fuller it is ). Hanging helps with critters and allow for a rain hat to be installed above the feeder on the chain (an old garbage can lid works great for this) .

Could you please post some pictures. I would like to see your set up. I have a hard time visualizing it. I have the same problem and would like to improve my system. Thank you