Sparrow feeding problem

[Bryce Thomas]

So I recently bought one of those chicken feeders that lifts open when the chicken stands on a platform. I have had a really annoying problem with sparrows and other large birds getting to the chicken food and eating all of it. The problem with this feeder is that my chickens haven’t gotten use to it and it’s been months. They still don’t know how to get feed and they’ll just end up starving themselves. Any advice would be great.

I have the same feeder and its 100% effective at controlling those nasty pest. But a brick on the treadle for 3 days to a week then take it off and put a much lighter brick so its only a little open then just remove it after a couple of days using the light brick. Its called treadle training and the birds will remember it always given that they are using the treadle/grandpa's feeder

 

[Maggies chickens]

The guillotine style Chinese made feeders like the Grandpa feeder do have a long learning curve, weeks at least. It sounds like you are following the directions using the training bolts and the feeder is on the ground so the treadle bottoms out. If you read the negative reviews on Amazon there are some flocks that just don't take to their feeder.

The problem with blocking a treadle feeder open is that you first teach the hens that the lid isn't supposed to move when used and then you move the training bolts and it does move a bit. And it tells the rodents and wild birds exactly where the feed is stored and how to get to it. Plus that huge treadle step that can be easily overwhelmed with large rats.

You might try clearing out the deep liter around the base of the feeder so you know the feeder lid is going all the way up. And spending some time showing the birds by using your toe to trip the treadle. Don't pick them up and set them on the treadle, let them get hungry enough to get up there on their own.

And watch the return period if you bought off Amazon and get that sucker boxed up and in an Amazon return locker before the end of the return period if it isn't working for you. One thing that teaches us manufacturers to improve our products is returns. It sounds like you did your part and followed the directions and Amazon has a liberal return policy and the cost is built into their sales so send that thing back and buy a different kind of treadle feeder it it isn't working.

Ok I’ll give that a try. Hopefully the chickens will learn not to be to scared of the feeder. My flock of six is extremely skittish, one reason being the sparrows.

 

[maryn7]

We had a very similar feeder to combat a very similar sparrow problem (our girls were free ranging in the yard with their feeder out and I was mostly running a small bird sanctuary).

We worked with the girls for weeks on the feeder, just absolutely no dice. I hope your girls get it.

We gave up and switched to the Revolutionary Chicken feeder (there are other sizes on the site, too). It's been - as the seller says - rain-proof and mouse-proof thus far. And the girls got the hang of it the same day. I don't know what your budget is, but I felt a big sense of relief not having to go back out to the run to once again show my irritated, hungry chickens how the feeder worked.

It also keeps my food-guarder from being able to see that her sister is eating, since the tubes act like blinders. Honestly, it's the best thing I've bought for the birds. Good luck!

 

[Maggies chickens]

We had a very similar feeder to combat a very similar sparrow problem (our girls were free ranging in the yard with their feeder out and I was mostly running a small bird sanctuary).

We worked with the girls for weeks on the feeder, just absolutely no dice. I hope your girls get it.

We gave up and switched to the Revolutionary Chicken feeder (there are other sizes on the site, too). It's been - as the seller says - rain-proof and mouse-proof thus far. And the girls got the hang of it the same day. I don't know what your budget is, but I felt a big sense of relief not having to go back out to the run to once again show my irritated, hungry chickens how the feeder worked.

It also keeps my food-guarder from being able to see that her sister is eating, since the tubes act like blinders. Honestly, it's the best thing I've bought for the birds. Good luck!

Ok I’ll check that out maybe it’ll be a better fit for my girls. Did the sparrows figure out that all they had to do was go down the tube to reach the food?

 

[maryn7]

We moved and the girls are in a run now - and there sort of aren't any sparrows here?! - so I can't say for sure, for sure. But previously, I was finding them just eating from the treadle feeder since we could never get the girls to use it without the brick. We traded our previous rat problem for a mouse problem, and I can say for sure that they haven't been able to access it.

I guess I could see sparrows potentially being able to figure out perching on the inside of the tube... but I think it'd be difficult for them to realize what to do since they can't see the feed from above or from the ground. And the pvc is pretty slick.

Might be worth emailing the seller before you make the investment? She has experiments with trying to get mice in it that she's posted online - maybe she's got info about how it's worked with sparrows. It's a one-woman operation, best I can tell, and she seemed very responsive. (Let me know if you get more info please!)

 

[21hens-incharge]

We had a very similar feeder to combat a very similar sparrow problem (our girls were free ranging in the yard with their feeder out and I was mostly running a small bird sanctuary).

We worked with the girls for weeks on the feeder, just absolutely no dice. I hope your girls get it.

We gave up and switched to the Revolutionary Chicken feeder (there are other sizes on the site, too). It's been - as the seller says - rain-proof and mouse-proof thus far. And the girls got the hang of it the same day. I don't know what your budget is, but I felt a big sense of relief not having to go back out to the run to once again show my irritated, hungry chickens how the feeder worked.

It also keeps my food-guarder from being able to see that her sister is eating, since the tubes act like blinders. Honestly, it's the best thing I've bought for the birds. Good luck!

There are quite a few threads where folks have made their own versions of it.

Looks to be a very popular design.

The results from my quick search....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threadloom/search?keywords=No+waste+feeder&tab=0

 

[maryn7]

Yeah - I'd seen it was a design some folks were trying. I was just a) kind of lazy about trying to get the parts and the design right myself and b) figured I'd support an entrepreneur since she'd bought all the mice. But building it oneself might be a good, cost effective way to see if it works out!