Teaching Chickens to use Auto Feeder

[LeGardenChicken]

Hi there, I've had a AUTO feeder in my chickens pen for a few months and they wont use it. I have held them on the panel and shown them how to open it but they are terrified of it. The metal sound of it opening and the bang that it makes when it comes back down makes them ALL run at the speed of light! If i place a rock on the panel to keep it open, they will use it but still not on there own! How can I show them it won't kill them?

Thank you ALL in advance!

 

[PD-Riverman]

Hi there, I've had a AUTO feeder in my chickens pen for a few months and they wont use it. I have held them on the panel and shown them how to open it but they are terrified of it. The metal sound of it opening and the bang that it makes when it comes back down makes them ALL run at the speed of light! If i place a rock on the panel to keep it open, they will use it but still not on there own! How can I show them it won't kill them?

Thank you ALL in advance!

Did you go through the training period on this feeder----making the door stay open for a few days, then 1/2 open for a few days, etc???

 

[LeGardenChicken]

Did you go through the training period on this feeder----making the door stay open for a few days, then 1/2 open for a few days, etc???

I have had it open for a few days but when it starts to rain, I have to close it. I haven't tried it half closed though so I will give it a try. Thank you

 

[LeGardenChicken]

Did you go through the training period on this feeder----making the door stay open for a few days, then 1/2 open for a few days, etc???

I have tried the half open method but our smaller chickens grab the food for the bigger ones. When they touch the metal they sprint!

 

[barred2rock]

Perhaps you could figure out where contact is being made and found a way to soften the blow.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Being Honest, I do not want one of them myself----nice feeders are Not always the best---in my opinion. When I only had 2 pens, I used a automatic feeders I built to control drop feed when I wanted--battery operated motors, etc----drop feed into feeder pans----I had a Knob on it where I could adjust for more or less feed dropped---according to what was needed, but not drop to much where it was laying there at night. I like those, but when I went to 67 pens----I just quit using them because I was not going to build 65 more electronic feeders---LOL.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

Hi there, I've had a AUTO feeder in my chickens pen for a few months and they wont use it. I have held them on the panel and shown them how to open it but they are terrified of it. The metal sound of it opening and the bang that it makes when it comes back down makes them ALL run at the speed of light! If i place a rock on the panel to keep it open, they will use it but still not on there own! How can I show them it won't kill them?

Thank you ALL in advance!

If you are determined to use this method, you may need to snatch up a chicken the same way you train chicks to eat and drink and they all join in. Put the chicken on it, over and over again so it associates this with food. Once, it goes to town on its own, all the other chickens should join in. Just like chicks: 'Monkey see, Monkey do.'

 

[LeGardenChicken]

Ahh yes, I have tried it but they squirm and jump. Its currently raining so I can't do much

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

Ahh yes, I have tried it but they squirm and jump. Its currently raining so I can't do much

I understand that, it has been raining for days.

 

[LeGardenChicken]

They find the feeder as a big silver monster that will gobble them up. This doesn't help