Will they starve?

[CHlCKEN]

What do you mean? This is how I always teach my birds to use it. Thats just how it works. It’s a completely functional and successful method to have them learn.

It only takes a couple of days too… not sure how you think it’s about running out the return policy.

 

[Al Gerhart]

What do you mean? This is how I always teach my birds to use it. Thats just how it works. It’s a completely functional and successful method to have them learn.

I know you mean well but it is a fact that leaving a treadle feeder open is a really, really bad idea.

That is just how it works because of a very poorly designed feeder. The lid comes up in their face and over their head. Would you feel comfortable eating out of such a contraption? Kind of like eating out of a toilet waiting for the lid to come crashing down so the neighbor finds you in that position. Plus you are confusing the chicken who first thinks the lid and treadle isn't supposed to move, then it does a little, then it does a lot. Grandpa does this solely because it would be much more difficult to get the hens to use their feeder and returns would be unsustainable.

Worse, it teaches the rats and wild birds where the feed is located. They are highly motivated once they know the feed is there Even the Chinese made Grandpa feeder requires weeks of training with an open or half open feeder. Leaving the feeder open even for the day takes away a lot of the rat proofing abilities. Look at the negative reviews on Amazon, even here on BYC, there was a person last week with one of those kind of feeders who was asking for help after weeks of trying to train her hens.

The best method is to train the hens the same way they will use the feeder. Use your toe to depress the feeder to show the hen where the feed is, toss in some treats if you want, then once she grabs a mouthful, gently push her off the treadle and step back, she will try again. Or she will when she is hungry.

 

[CHlCKEN]

I know you mean well but it is a fact that leaving a treadle feeder open is a really, really bad idea.

No, it really isn’t.

I hate the Grandpa feeder more than anything I’ve ever had, and I will only ever use it if I absolutely have to. It is a terrible design that is impossible to clean and it molds way too easily. The lid doesn’t ever fit over the top without extreme force and it is stupidly heavy for a chicken feeder. I would never recommend it.

That is just how it works because of a very poorly designed feeder. The lid comes up in their face and over their head. Would you feel comfortable eating out of such a contraption? Kind of like eating out of a toilet waiting for the lid to come crashing down so the neighbor finds you in that position.

That’s kind of the whole purpose of training them on it- to make them comfortable using it. Mine are perfectly comfortable with it as a backup. They always have been- even the ducks who are scared of absolutely everything lol

Plus you are confusing the chicken who first thinks the lid and treadle isn't supposed to move, then it does a little, then it does a lot.

You’re not supposed to ever have it open all the way to begin with. That defeats the purpose of training them on it. You’re only meant to weigh it down a little, so that it is held open enough to reveal food, but closed enough that the chickens added weight will make the lid swing open still.

Grandpa does this solely because it would be much more difficult to get the hens to use their feeder and returns would be unsustainable.

What do you mean?

Worse, it teaches the rats and wild birds where the feed is located. They are highly motivated once they know the feed is there

It is never critter proof to begin with, though. It may be advertised as such, but rats and squirrels and other animals will ALWAYS figure out how to get into it, even if you think keeping it closed from the beginning will prevent that.

Even the Chinese made Grandpa feeder requires weeks of training with an open or half open feeder. Leaving the feeder open even for the day takes away a lot of the rat proofing abilities.

It only takes a few days. I’ve literally taught so many groups of birds how to use it, have you ever even owned one? It doesn’t seem like you know how it actually works. Nothing is rat proof about the Grandpa feeder even if that’s the purpose of it. A rat can so easily step on the pedal and open the feeder.

Look at the negative reviews on Amazon, even here on BYC, there was a person last week with one of those kind of feeders who was asking for help after weeks of trying to train her hens.

Yes the negative reviews usually are because people struggle to train their birds since they start off doing it the wrong way.

 

[Al Gerhart]

No, it really isn’t.

I hate the Grandpa feeder more than anything I’ve ever had, and I will only ever use it if I absolutely have to. It is a terrible design that is impossible to clean and it molds way too easily. The lid doesn’t ever fit over the top without extreme force and it is stupidly heavy for a chicken feeder. I would never recommend it.

Can't argue with anything you said there.

Great points you made, you defended your position quite well.

That’s kind of the whole purpose of training them on it- to make them comfortable using it. Mine are perfectly comfortable with it as a backup. They always have been- even the ducks who are scared of absolutely everything lol

You’re not supposed to ever have it open all the way to begin with. That defeats the purpose of training them on it. You’re only meant to weigh it down a little, so that it is held open enough to reveal food, but closed enough that the chickens added weight will make the lid swing open still.

There is the disconnect, the Chinese made Grandpa feeder has always instructed customers to use the training bolts and I have seen many times customers complaining that the hens would use the feeder in the first position but when they went to step two where the lid moved a bit the hens refused to use the feeder. They don't recommend to block it open though. You might have found a better way but most people use the training bolts.

What do you mean?

I mean if you sell a defective product or one that is difficult for the average person to use, a lot of companies write instructions to steer you away from circumstances that lead to returns. I bought a $5000 printer once, first thing they showed me was to fan the paper before loading it, cuts down on skipped sheets or double feeds. If they didn't do that people would get frustrated and want to return the machines. Eventually you figure out that jams happen anyway, but the instructions to fan the paper make you believe you didn't fan the paper well. LOL

Ditto on the Grandpa feeder, by convincing customers to follow their instructions and recommending it takes weeks to train the birds people tend to be patient and before you know it they are past the Amazon return date.

It is never critter proof to begin with, though. It may be advertised as such, but rats and squirrels and other animals will ALWAYS figure out how to get into it, even if you think keeping it closed from the beginning will prevent that.

You are correct on the first part, the reviews show that is isn't very critter proof. But getting your bluff in on critters from day one does help, they suddenly find their main source of food gone, then they start to starve, and in three to four days they leave or starve to death soon. Absolutely keeping the lid shut as a treadle feeder is intended to be does help with the critter proofing. The first year our feeder had no spring, just the counterweight and it worked. A spring was added just for cosmetic reasons, the occasional wonky door would close tight on only once side with the counterweight, adding a spring caused both sides to close at the bottom. Later, when more people were fighting squirrels, we went to a dual spring and eliminated the counterweight to put all of the pressure on the door itself, eliminating the leverage of a counterweight. Customers have sent us videos of rats circling the feeder or swarming the treadle, sniffing for the feed, they know it is there, but they aren't sure where it is since they cannot see the feed.

It only takes a few days. I’ve literally taught so many groups of birds how to use it, have you ever even owned one? It doesn’t seem like you know how it actually works. Nothing is rat proof about the Grandpa feeder even if that’s the purpose of it. A rat can so easily step on the pedal and open the feeder.

Again, that is not the training method or outcome that Grandpa advertises, they state the training process is spread over weeks. And yes, years ago I bought a Grandpa feeder second hand from a customer, gave them a trade in because I wanted to see one with my own eyes when we created a similar guillotine style feeder that sold for under $40.00.

And you are exactly right, without a counterweight or some heavy springs providing pre tension on their lid, it will never be rodent proof. Then the fact that they put such a wide treadle and so close to the feed, that would never be rat proof. Their constriction was the overhead/guillotine style lid, it had to be lightweight to avoid killing hens. When you use a distant and narrow treadle you solve half of the problem, with dual springs that can be adjusted from 1 pound or less to over ten pounds you absolutely can make a rat proof feeder.

Yes the negative reviews usually are because people struggle to train their birds since they start off doing it the wrong way.

That was my entire point; people start off the "wrong" way because Grandpa feeders TELL them to start off the wrong way. It isn't the wrong way from Grandpa's perspective, it keeps down returned feeders.

I am glad you responded and gave such an honest assessment of the feeder and your experience.

 

[duck55]

Show them by pecking at it with your fingers. How old are your chickens?

They are POL