hunger strike?

[chachie]

I switched my feeder to one of these http://www.tscstores.com/20-PLASTIC-YELLOW-FEEDER-P29011.aspx
It seems like they don't care for it as they hardly touched their food. Could it be they don't like the feeder and therefore are not eating?

 

[Den in Penn]

Change is scary. If they know the food is there and the feeder hasn't attacked them, they will eat when they get hungry.

 

[chachie]

thanks I'll keep an eye on it. Has anyone had any experience with these types of feeders? Good? Bad?

 

[Spikes Chooks]

I haven't used them myself but my parents had chickens way back and swear by this style of feeder. I am sure it is not a problem with the feeder - just the change as Den said.

When it started getting hot here last summer I brought an extra water container in. It is white, plastic and the other ones were metal. From their reaction, you'd have thought I brought it an idling chainsaw with chicken guts hanging off of it. Honestly, they were terrified of it. Wind on 2 days and they worked out it's just another container.

They'll get used to it!

Good luck

 

[chachie]

Thanks. Did they use these for chicks or full grown hens?

 

[Spikes Chooks]

Both, I think. If yours are young, it may help to sprinkle a little of the food on the ground around the feeder, even on top of it. They will recognise the food and become bolder at pecking inside the compartments, I think.

 

[chachie]

My hens are older...I was hoping this system would be better than what I previously had. I had a dog dish in the coop portion of my tractor. The hens enjoyed sitting in it and kicking all the feed out. I was hoping this feeder would reduce waste.