Rooster doesn’t like feeder

[NDchickenlady]

Now that my rooster has a full grown comb, which is quite large he doesn’t like to stick his head in the rent a coop feeder with the holes. Is this a normal behavior? I like these feeders because it’s covered and holds a lot of feed.

 

[nuthatched]

Can the port covers be removed?

 

[Beaus plus baby Bunny]

Now that my rooster has a full grown comb, which is quite large he doesn’t like to stick his head in the rent a coop feeder with the holes. Is this a normal behavior? I like these feeders because it’s covered and holds a lot of feed.

yea sounds like a classic case of roo drama

 

[Yardmom]

Yes it is normal. Sometimes their combs don't even fit in the holes, but sometimes roosters don't want to sick their head in places instead of being on the lookout for predators. My roosters pick at the bits the hens spill and I have an oops hole smaller but no port from making my own feeder. In my other coop I put a small amount in a rubber dish to make sure the roos have a chance at some feed.

 

[NDchickenlady]

Can the port covers be removed?

Yes. I think so

 

[NDchickenlady]

yea sounds like a classic case of roo drama

He sure is!!

 

[Beaus plus baby Bunny]

He sure is!!

roosters are drama kings, dont be to loud around mine or else he growls

 

[NDchickenlady]

First timer!

 

[Al Gerhart]

Once again, this is one of the huge design flaws of these pvc elbow type feeders. There is the physical, the rooster's comb is large enough that he has trouble sticking his head down into the feed level without banging into the elbow. Now imagine you had to eat out of a human sized pvc elbow feeder.

A toilet would be about the same size comparing a chicken head to a human head, except the toilet would need to be mounted on the wall with the drain being at a 90 degree angle downwards. Stick your neck in up to your shoulders, then crank your neck down 90 degrees to eat.

When you go to remove your head, your beehive hairdoo and ears whack against the toilet rim.

How excited are you going to be when it comes time to eat?

Now, the second reason, fear and ingrained, down into the bone instinct that forces you to keep your head on a swivel because everything likes chicken for dinner.

You have your head jammed down that wall toilet, up to your shoulders, and are completely blind to everything around you. Nature gave you eyes on the side of your head for near 360 degree vision so you might survive a bit longer and warn your hens and chicks of incoming danger. During most of your time on this earth, your biggest blind spot is straight ahead so you constantly bob your head back and forth to clear the blind spots.

You can't see anything, peck for food by feel, while every bone in your feathered body is screaming "Check your six, rooster!"

The first attempt I made at fixing the rodent problem in my coop was a large U shaped 4" diameter pvc pipe system with 3" holes drilled every eight inches on the bottom length. A matching PVC lid cut from more pvc pipe on hinges to close the feeder at night. Didn't stop the rats, they just kept eating and stealing feed to store during the day. My two roosters had bloody combs. The hens were fine with it. Fine with the feeder, not the bloody combs, then again I didn't ask about that.....

Now, look at a well designed feeder. Huge opening side to side and front to back. 8 5/8" wide, side panels wrap around to the front for strength and to stop feed flinging and raking, edges seamed or rolled over for safety. The chicken has most of it's side and rear vision intact, plenty of room for several birds to eat at the same time. No bumping a frost bitten comb, no being terrified that you can't see to the side and behind, very unlikely to snag that comb on the edges and start bleeding again.

Now the price, that monstrosity pictured seems to be the six port $159.99 rent a coop model. Made in China, plastic parts that rats could chew through but why bother when they can just hop up into the elbow and chow down? Not rodent proof, not wild bird proof, cannot trap squirrels if they get to the feeder so it isn't squirrel proof either. And it is 53% more expensive than a U.S. made all metal feeder that is actually rodent proof and wild bird proof.

The size of the ports and the poor rooster's discomfort are small problems compared to the overall picture.

Folks, think. Force these bad products off the market. Don't shop on Amazon and think that is all there is because Amazon is for companies with huge, huge, markups so they can give away 35% of the selling price and still make money. Force these companies to improve their products and compete with the good products on the market. If you have only hens with no roosters and a fort knox tight coop, this might work. Otherwise you wind up spending too much on a feeder that is pretty and looks polished but you gotta think like a chicken and ask yourself if this is how you want to spend your eating time for the rest of your life.

 

[NDchickenlady]

Once again, this is one of the huge design flaws of these pvc elbow type feeders. There is the physical, the rooster's comb is large enough that he has trouble sticking his head down into the feed level without banging into the elbow. Now imagine you had to eat out of a human sized pvc elbow feeder.

A toilet would be about the same size comparing a chicken head to a human head, except the toilet would need to be mounted on the wall with the drain being at a 90 degree angle downwards. Stick your neck in up to your shoulders, then crank your neck down 90 degrees to eat.

When you go to remove your head, your beehive hairdoo and ears whack against the toilet rim.

How excited are you going to be when it comes time to eat?

Now, the second reason, fear and ingrained, down into the bone instinct that forces you to keep your head on a swivel because everything likes chicken for dinner.

You have your head jammed down that wall toilet, up to your shoulders, and are completely blind to everything around you. Nature gave you eyes on the side of your head for near 360 degree vision so you might survive a bit longer and warn your hens and chicks of incoming danger. During most of your time on this earth, your biggest blind spot is straight ahead so you constantly bob your head back and forth to clear the blind spots.

You can't see anything, peck for food by feel, while every bone in your feathered body is screaming "Check your six, rooster!"

The first attempt I made at fixing the rodent problem in my coop was a large U shaped 4" diameter pvc pipe system with 3" holes drilled every eight inches on the bottom length. A matching PVC lid cut from more pvc pipe on hinges to close the feeder at night. Didn't stop the rats, they just kept eating and stealing feed to store during the day. My two roosters had bloody combs. The hens were fine with it. Fine with the feeder, not the bloody combs, then again I didn't ask about that.....

Now, look at a well designed feeder. Huge opening side to side and front to back. 8 5/8" wide, side panels wrap around to the front for strength and to stop feed flinging and raking, edges seamed or rolled over for safety. The chicken has most of it's side and rear vision intact, plenty of room for several birds to eat at the same time. No bumping a frost bitten comb, no being terrified that you can't see to the side and behind, very unlikely to snag that comb on the edges and start bleeding again.
View attachment 4315604

Now the price, that monstrosity pictured seems to be the six port $159.99 rent a coop model. Made in China, plastic parts that rats could chew through but why bother when they can just hop up into the elbow and chow down? Not rodent proof, not wild bird proof, cannot trap squirrels if they get to the feeder so it isn't squirrel proof either. And it is 53% more expensive than a U.S. made all metal feeder that is actually rodent proof and wild bird proof.

The size of the ports and the poor rooster's discomfort are small problems compared to the overall picture.

Folks, think. Force these bad products off the market. Don't shop on Amazon and think that is all there is because Amazon is for companies with huge, huge, markups so they can give away 35% of the selling price and still make money. Force these companies to improve their products and compete with the good products on the market. If you have only hens with no roosters and a fort knox tight coop, this might work. Otherwise you wind up spending too much on a feeder that is pretty and looks polished but you gotta think like a chicken and ask yourself if this is how you want to spend your eating time for the rest of your life.

Is this rain proof? Where did you buy it? I have the older version of the rent a coop that is not plastic.