MJ's little flock

[RoyalChick]

How long did it take for the hens to learn how to use it?

Fascinating experience - they are all individuals.

Pooh got it in an hour or less and loved being the only one to know how to do it. She is low in the pecking order and I think maybe this was the first time she could snack without paying attention to anyone else. It is physically hard for Pooh because she is small, so she can only just reach the food. But reach it she does!
Piglet copied Pooh, got it once and then went broody and didn't emerge again. I worried she had forgotten how, but she got it.
Tassels was already broody (of course) so didn't get any training at all, but when I take her off the nest to stretch her legs she always stops by the feeder on her way back. No idea how she learned, but she did.
Sylvie however would have absolutely nothing to do with it. For 3 whole days she had no feed and lived off spiders in the coop and then dug holes deep enough that she found worms even in the coop. I finally managed to get her to use it by providing sunflower seeds in the feeder. I still worry she hasn't totally got it in her brain but she does join Pooh when she opens it up - and as Pooh does that every few minutes I don't think Sylvie will starve.
Calypso uses it but seems to forget every day until Pooh reminds her.
It is definitely easier for the bigger chickens, but both Pooh and Piglet are totally capable now.

And in big news, I think the rats may be gone!
It is really a game-changer.

 

[MaryJanet]

Fascinating experience - they are all individuals.

Pooh got it in an hour or less and loved being the only one to know how to do it. She is low in the pecking order and I think maybe this was the first time she could snack without paying attention to anyone else. It is physically hard for Pooh because she is small, so she can only just reach the food. But reach it she does!
Piglet copied Pooh, got it once and then went broody and didn't emerge again. I worried she had forgotten how, but she got it.
Tassels was already broody (of course) so didn't get any training at all, but when I take her off the nest to stretch her legs she always stops by the feeder on her way back. No idea how she learned, but she did.
Sylvie however would have absolutely nothing to do with it. For 3 whole days she had no feed and lived off spiders in the coop and then dug holes deep enough that she found worms even in the coop. I finally managed to get her to use it by providing sunflower seeds in the feeder. I still worry she hasn't totally got it in her brain but she does join Pooh when she opens it up - and as Pooh does that every few minutes I don't think Sylvie will starve.
Calypso uses it but seems to forget every day until Pooh reminds her.
It is definitely easier for the bigger chickens, but both Pooh and Piglet are totally capable now.

And in big news, I think the rats may be gone!
It is really a game-changer.

Did you remove all the other feeders on the same day as introducing the new one?

 

[RoyalChick]

Did you remove all the other feeders on the same day as introducing the new one?

Yes. And I didn’t let them out to forage. Sylvie did all her foraging inside the coop.
I waited until they were hungry and then showed them the food by tripping it with my toe.
It isn’t finding the food that is hard to learn, it is not getting spooked by the movement and clanging.

 

[Shadrach]

I have a question for everyone.

The hens at my house definitely eat less in winter, but I've not measured it.

I've already done the googling and AI-ing.

Trouble is, you never really know if those are reliable sources of information, so I'm asking if your flock eats less in winter.

It's a bit complicated. Usually in winter the hens past a year old don't lay for a month or more and they eat a lot less.
Also, for ranging hens there is less to forage in the winter so those that are laying eat more of the supplied food.

 

[MaryJanet]

Yes. And I didn’t let them out to forage. Sylvie did all her foraging inside the coop.
I waited until they were hungry and then showed them the food by tripping it with my toe.
It isn’t finding the food that is hard to learn, it is not getting spooked by the movement and clanging.

Yeh, that's been Katie's problem with the treadle feeders at my place.

 

[RoyalChick]

Yeh, that's been Katie's problem with the treadle feeders at my place.

I have to say most of mine are now very casual about it. Sylvie still doesn't like it if someone else jumps on and makes it clang, but the others don't give it a second glance as they jump on and off the treadle.

 

[MaryJanet]

I have to say most of mine are now very casual about it. Sylvie still doesn't like it if someone else jumps on and makes it clang, but the others don't give it a second glance as they jump on and off the treadle.

That's good. Unfortunately Katie never adjusted and still finds the treadle feeders startling.

 

[RoyalChick]

That's good. Unfortunately Katie never adjusted and still finds the treadle feeders startling.

I have been playing around with bricks and pavers and logs. It seems like it is less scary if they step on it from close to the same height rather than stepping up onto it. So I am making sure there is a step available for Sylvie and it definitely helps.
Pooh and Tassels don't care at all and will even leap up or fly down directly onto the treadle. But Sylvie definitely prefers a more controlled process.

 

[kattabelly]

This either means they were wasting a lot of feed by scooping it on the ground (which they certainly were, but I didn’t think to that extent), or that I am now starving my hens with the new feeder (which I worry about of course).

... or that the rats were eating a lot of feed from the old feeder.

 

[RoyalChick]

... or that the rats were eating a lot of feed from the old feeder.

The rats I think were eating what the chickens threw on the ground.