What did you do in the garden today?

[chickmom3941]

Cap, how are your baby chicks doing? How old are they, about 2 weeks?

 

[pennyJo1960]

Don't you just hate when the birds get at your chicken feed? Here, the sparrows help themselves to our chicken feed everyday. When I kept it in the coop, they went inside to eat (sometimes a dozen or more at a time!), so I moved it out into the yard, but they eventually found it there, too. There seems to be nowhere I can put it to keep them out. I'm sure they are eating a good portion of it, and it makes me mad that we're spending so much money feeding the sparrows (which I hate, because they take food and nesting areas from the native species).

I have always had my feed in the coop and never had sparrows or anything but chickens eating the food or using the water as they are always been in the coop... I can recall when we through the feed out as a child many sparrows or others would be there for the corn mash..

 

[lazy gardener]

meep meep! You mean road runners are for real?

EDIT: sure are, just looked it up. wow, just wow. I thought they made the Road Runner up....

I did a report on Road Runner in 6th grade. One fascinating thing about this bird is that the hen will do a staggered hatch.

 

[igorsMistress]

I have the same feed problem. Going to put a pop door on the coop and change the feeder I use for dry food.

 

[chickmom3941]

I have the same feed problem. Going to put a pop door on the coop and change the feeder I use for dry food.

I recently saw an advertisement for a chicken feeder that is supposed to keep birds & rodents out of the feed. It has a lid, and the chickens have to stand on a long metal plate on the ground in front of the feeder, and that opens the lid. I really doubt that would work for my chickens though, because they are older (about 4 years old, and I don't know if you can teach old chickens new tricks), and also they are always scared of new things. They probably wouldn't go near it! If I knew it would work, I would buy one in a heartbeat. (I never realized why people who are cowards are referred to as "chickens" until I got some chickens and saw how they are basically scared of their own shadows...)

 

[User395221]

I did a report on Road Runner in 6th grade. One fascinating thing about this bird is that the hen will do a staggered hatch.

Another thing I found out when I looked it up is that they can eat rattlesnakes because they are fast enough to grab them, then they bash them on the ground to kill them. There's a video on youtube of one doing it. A bit gruesome, but quite impressive at the same time.

I really doubt that would work for my chickens though, because they are older (about 4 years old, and I don't know if you can teach old chickens new tricks),

Obviously I don't know your chickens, but my isa browns are quite old (I don't think they are even laying any more) and they figured the new treadle feeder out in an afternoon. I think "it's where your dinner is" is a very good motivator to pick up new things.....
(I'm very impressed with the one I got. The lid and "step-on" bit are plastic, and it is big so it takes a lot of feed before needing refilling. Best thing is that it's watertight. I've had it in the run, it has been raining a lot lately (unusual for here, but good to get some rain) and the feed inside is dry. I'm saving up to get another/others for the little girls to keep the mice out of their feed.)
I'm not sure because I hadn't been keeping exact track, but I think they're also going through less crumble. They'd empty the bucket feeder (even thought they couldn't possibly have been eating it all), they don't go through that much in the treadle. They have to stand there eating from the tray, they can't just fish it all out and fling it about and leave most of it to get wet/covered in dirt/wasted. Pecking it out doesn't do them the slightest bit of good because they can't get it then. To eat it, they have to stand there and just eat it. That's supposed to be how the bucket feeders are, but they'd manage to make it disappear more quickly (maybe it wasn't just them? maybe had some rodent help? dunno.)

tl:dr: Treadle feeder is a winner

 

[chickmom3941]

Another thing I found out when I looked it up is that they can eat rattlesnakes because they are fast enough to grab them, then they bash them on the ground to kill them. There's a video on youtube of one doing it. A bit gruesome, but quite impressive at the same time.

Obviously I don't know your chickens, but my isa browns are quite old (I don't think they are even laying any more) and they figured the new treadle feeder out in an afternoon. I think "it's where your dinner is" is a very good motivator to pick up new things.....
(I'm very impressed with the one I got. The lid and "step-on" bit are plastic, and it is big so it takes a lot of feed before needing refilling. Best thing is that it's watertight. I've had it in the run, it has been raining a lot lately (unusual for here, but good to get some rain) and the feed inside is dry. I'm saving up to get another/others for the little girls to keep the mice out of their feed.)
I'm not sure because I hadn't been keeping exact track, but I think they're also going through less crumble. They'd empty the bucket feeder (even thought they couldn't possibly have been eating it all), they don't go through that much in the treadle. They have to stand there eating from the tray, they can't just fish it all out and fling it about and leave most of it to get wet/covered in dirt/wasted. Pecking it out doesn't do them the slightest bit of good because they can't get it then. To eat it, they have to stand there and just eat it. That's supposed to be how the bucket feeders are, but they'd manage to make it disappear more quickly (maybe it wasn't just them? maybe had some rodent help? dunno.)

tl:dr: Treadle feeder is a winner

Wow - that's impressive! How did you teach your chickens how to use it, or even know that there is food inside?

 

[CapricornFarm]

Cap, how are your baby chicks doing? How old are they, about 2 weeks?

Yes, they shipped on the 14th. They are doing great! They have feathers coming in, when it was hot i only put the light on at night. Chilly here today, down to 53 and raining. Thanks for asking!

 

[User395221]

Wow - that's impressive! How did you teach your chickens how to use it, or even know that there is food inside?

Exactly like this lady shows (at about 2 minutes in), it's what's in the manual to do. The chooks got it pretty much straight away. The lid "clanks" a bit when they step off. They just needed to get used to that noise. I pretty much just did what the lady does, put the feed out on treadle part and on the yellow strip (at about 5.30mins). The minute they step up, they've got an open hopper. (she's weighted hers open - I didn't do that at all, I just hung around and encouraged the girls to get up there. They quickly got used to the clanking sound. I put it in, and they were using it straight away/when I checked the next morning they'd got it.)

 

[igorsMistress]

I might have to try a treadle feeder, was thinking about that. Dang wild birds caused my feed bill to double in one month. Thanks for the info @potato chip