LOL!!!I had one but my girls couldn't really figure it out. I had one hen actually get it and the others would just crowd in. This wasn't a huge issue, but alot of my ladies got smacked in the head by the lid. You might have better luck, as I'm not raising geniuses.
Plus you keep all the wildlife out of it. They are a great idea I just wish the commercial versions didn't cost as much as it would cost to replace a small flock that you can lose from disease or illness.I bought one, it's Dutch (I've just woken up, can't think of the name, but I have posted before about it) and it was quite (very) expensive, but it was worth every penny. I'd like another for my little girls (bantams) but I'm saving up, because I'd really like 2 in their run instead of just one.
What's so great about it? I open that thing up when I'm cleaning up and there's food in there. Lots of food. I don't know where it was all going before (all kicked into the dirt, I expect, or eaten by other critters who now can't get to it) but the amount of feed the big girls get through has been substantially reduced (I never really paid enough attention to say for sure, but I suspect that I've probably recouped the cost of it in having had to buy fewer bags of crumble)
It was easy to show them what to do. My big girls are quite greedy, the motivation to use it was quite high.
EDIT: mine is big, it holds like 20kg or something, so I don't have to refill it often.
Yes it is amazing some of the things you can get in Europe. Our air transport dog kennel is from Italy we bought it in Germany and so many people here in the US admire it for its durability and wheels. I think we have had it since 2005 and it is still going strong. The last time it was complimented was late last summer when I was transporting a badly mauled dog to the vet's office for surgery.I bought one, it's Dutch (I've just woken up, can't think of the name, but I have posted before about it) and it was quite (very) expensive, but it was worth every penny. I'd like another for my little girls (bantams) but I'm saving up, because I'd really like 2 in their run instead of just one.
What's so great about it? I open that thing up when I'm cleaning up and there's food in there. Lots of food. I don't know where it was all going before (all kicked into the dirt, I expect, or eaten by other critters who now can't get to it) but the amount of feed the big girls get through has been substantially reduced (I never really paid enough attention to say for sure, but I suspect that I've probably recouped the cost of it in having had to buy fewer bags of crumble)
It was easy to show them what to do. My big girls are quite greedy, the motivation to use it was quite high.
EDIT: mine is big, it holds like 20kg or something, so I don't have to refill it often.
FURTHER EDIT: https://www.olba.com/en/feedomatic-automatic-feeder-20kg
Here it is. I have this thing out in the run, the crumble stays dry inside, the rain doesn't get in. It doesn't clog up or anything. All I do is open the lid and add crumble when needed.
The feeder was great,my chickens were faulty.
I just said "here's where your dinner is now" and they quickly decided to get clever and figure it out. They were so clever that the 2 little girls who weren't heavy enough by themselves figured out that if they both jumped on together, they could open it.... As long as one chook "gets it", the others will learn from her. The door on mine opens inwards, so nobody can get smacked on the head or anything like that.
To teach them, you just put a line of kibble on that yellow strip and they soon learn that the 'magic yellow strip" is where the food is. They have to step up on the plate to get to the yellow strip, it sort of teaches them by the design of it, they don't have to figure too much out to get the food, just that the yellow strip is where to look. I don't know how it compares to other designs, but it's very good.
The open grid plate is also brilliant, any bits of poo or spilt kibble just fall through, it keeps itself clean.
