Training "stubborn" hens

[The Good Grumble]

To each their own. I have full automation in my coop, no issues with rats, mice, birds, no food spilled, so why do I have to waste time and wear my back to feed chickens twice a day? I just dump a bucket of grains in the treadle feeder once a month and that's it.

Well youre lucky. Rodents, attracting other wildlife, bears, raccoons, skunk possum etc. are a real problem for the majority of chicken owners. So I absolutely err on the side of caution. When you start to notice the problem it is usually to late. Goodness gracious just read all the posts on folks trying to eradicate rats.

I have three feeding stations. Girls are fed in morning. (Bantam flock and Egg flock) Enough that they eat the majority of it. Evening free rangers get a refresher. So they all come barreling back into the run. The bantams have a huge fenced in area. So I can feed in the morning and not again for the day. But I still pick up all food at night.

While it works for you, great. But for those of us with predator and rodent problems that wouldn’t be best practice. I would hate for someone to think that leaving food out 24/7 is okay, then have an animal tear into their coop for a free meal with a side of chicken.