is it really worth buying? or not?

[misschickenlover]

i only own a handful of hens atm (with high hopes of getting some more in the future) and i seem to be going through a lot of feed. one of my church friends said that getting a treadle feeder actually quartered their feed bill? is it worth buying or does it just waste time and effort?

 

[Hdghawg]

I can't answer your question but if somebody is familiar with these I wonder if a squirrel would generally be heavy enough to activate it. They and the local birds are eating more than my hens (I bet the cardinals this year had the healthiest chicks ever).

 

[jreardon1918]

I built PVC feeder. It is 3" x 3'. The end cap is 6" and rather deep. The chickens have to reach down deep to eat the feed. There is very little waste. You will also notice a bit of duck tape. I cut the notch in the tube a bit too deep. I plan to remake it and do a much longer tube, to allow for less frequent filling.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

A treadle feeder can definitely help with reducing feed loss to waste and pests. There are other "no waste" feeders that can also be used. Which is right for you will depend on your flock (ie if you intend to raise chicks in the flock they will not have enough weight to activate the treadle step to open the feeder), your budget, etc.
Are you losing feed to billing of feed into the bedding/onto the ground? Are you losing feed to pests such as wild birds, squirrels, etc? Are you not so much losing feed as just seeing more consumption than you had expected?
Other ways to reduce the feed bill that are not associated with reducing feed waste are fermenting the feed, feeding a higher quality feed that requires less total feed to provide the same, or better, nutrition, etc.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Hanging a simple bucket feeder at about chest high will help with a lot of billeting during feeding which wastes feed.

Also taking feed up at night or covering it in a way to prevent night visitors really helps.

If you are leaving feed out at night, it is probably being eaten by rodents. If you have a lot of rats, they will even feed during the day as will squirrels.

I lose far more feed to squirrels and rats than chickens.

I've considered treadle feeders, but they are expensive, and I've read some hens have problems if the mechanism allows the lid to come down on them. It also requires a certain weight, and I often have chicks that would not trigger it. And sadly, my rats would figure a way into it too no doubt.

So I hang a simple metal feeder during the day, then set it on a cinder block and place a heavy 5 gallon bucket over it (it sets nicely into the metal lip). That keeps the rats out at night.

Just what I've done.
LofMc

 

[lazy gardener]

Ditto what OGM said. I am a huge advocate of fermented feed b/c it eliminates waste, makes it nearly impossible for rodents and other pests to carry it off, and the birds benefit from the improved nutrition it imparts. It has been proven over and over again, by many flock owners to decrease feed bill while improving flock health.

 

[misschickenlover]

A treadle feeder can definitely help with reducing feed loss to waste and pests. There are other "no waste" feeders that can also be used. Which is right for you will depend on your flock (ie if you intend to raise chicks in the flock they will not have enough weight to activate the treadle step to open the feeder), your budget, etc.
Are you losing feed to billing of feed into the bedding/onto the ground? Are you losing feed to pests such as wild birds, squirrels, etc? Are you not so much losing feed as just seeing more consumption than you had expected?
Other ways to reduce the feed bill that are not associated with reducing feed waste are fermenting the feed, feeding a higher quality feed that requires less total feed to provide the same, or better, nutrition, etc.

i think its just mainly using more feed than i expected... we have had chickens once b4 in my life, i can remember them but wasnt old enough to judge how much feed we used - so im quite new to that side of it... the feeders are in my secured cage (due to one v annoying and perseverant fox!!) so i dont lose that much feed to wild animals, and i bring the feeders in at night, so atm ive just got the portable plastic ones...
also i find it very hard to find feed where i live as ive not got much storage space to put it in and everywhere i go just seems to sell the same stuff... atm im feeding them the heygates layers pellets...

 

[Cindy in PA]

If you don't know how much food you should be going through, then you don't know if a new feeder is warranted. So many on here think their chickens are eating too much only to find chickens do eat quite a lot. Figure out how much feed your "handful" should go through by multiplying the # of hens by .25 or .33 lbs. to get the feed per day. HTH

 

[auroaSfarm]

What should I feed my 5 month old hens and rooster? I have scratch but that's it do I need layer feed and grit?? And oyster shells?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

What should I feed my 5 month old hens and rooster? I have scratch but that's it do I need layer feed and grit?? And oyster shells?

You don't need grit if your birds have access to the ground, they did dust baths and find grit in soil. You don't need oyster shell if your feed is for layers. Layer feed has the added calcium already added to it. At 5 months of age you can simply start feeding layer. Layer feed is low in protein so you would need to be very sparing with scratch grains from now on, a treat only as in a handful or two not as a feed.