Weather proof feeder

[Loving my girls]

Thank you for sharing your process. This helps alot.
Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas and I wish you a Happy and Healthy 2025

 

[Loving my girls]

You know, that style of feeder shouldn't require blocking the treadle open. Inward swinging door feeders take less time to train. Two reasons why you shouldn't. And one reason why most manufacturers tell you to do it that way.

One reason, by blocking a feeder open you are teaching the birds that the door or lid isn't supposed to move nor the treadle. They find the feed fast, no doubt, but when you change the opening the hens freak out when things start to move. Now, with an overhead lid like the Chinese made Grandpa feeder or one of its many Chinese made clones, you do need to block a door open. Far better to start off the way the feeder will be used. Use your toe to trip the treadle to show them the feed, maybe toss some treats into the bottom opening, then watch them. If one doesn't step up right away, go do something else for a half hour. Rinse and repeat if needed. Might block the sides of the feeder to force the hens in from the front, milk jugs with dirt or sand filling.

Second reason, leaving the door or lid open teaches the rodents or wild birds where the feed is, it trains them along with the chickens. That sort of feeder is like the Chinese made Grandpa feeder, no spring pre load on the door so once the vermin knows the feed is there the learn to push the lid open to get to the feed. You have to have enough spring pressure to prevent the lid or door from being pushed open. That said, even a poor treadle feeder is better than no treadle feeder and in your case it worked.

The reason most of the manufacturers tell you to block the feeder open for weeks? To cut down on returns. They need to get past the 30 day return window on the product. It takes a few days to get delivered, might sit around another few days before the flock owner has time to install it, then usually they recommend a three week training schedule with the door being partially open. Human nature is we second guess ourselves, it might be our fault, so when the hens don't pick it up we try a bit longer and find out the item is no longer returnable. Some companies offer longer warranties but once you read the warranties you find out they only cover manufacturing defects, I've seen lots of customers upset at the companies selling on Amazon for not honoring their own website warranty. But offering those warranties gives customers a sense of safety and when a customer gets pissed off and writes a bad review all they have to say online is "return the product" and they look good online while still not allowing returns.

It seems you are in France, correct? The choice of products is limited there, that one is not great but it isn't as bad as some of the other treadle feeders available in the EU market. Britain actually has one very nice treadle feeder. The only fault I've seen with that kind is the treadle wire bending. It is just wire, a flat bar would be far better, 10 times stronger. But you can bend it back a few times before metal fatigue causes it to break. If you can, use a torch to heat the wire up before you bend it in the area it bent the most, then let it cool slowly.

Merry Christmas and I wish you a Happy & Healthy 2025

 

[Al Gerhart]

You too.

 

[ChaosMom]

A couple of pictures may help…

I love in the second pic how just one toe is so delicately and precisely working the treadle!