Feeders

martha · **Joined:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:14 pm **Posts:** 2

I am looking at a new mobile coop and wanted to ask what the best sort of feeders to use inside was. I have looked at a few different ones with some that clip on the wire and other they have a middle section to fill up the food but no idea which the chickens would prefer. I had chickens many years ago and I know they can waste a lot of food so I want one that they cannot scratch out the food and attract mice.

purefeather · **Joined:** Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:36 pm **Posts:** 736

Martha, surprised that you haven't hada reply yet. My suggestion is that you give the automatic feeders a go, get on the net and have a surf.
Bellsouth might be a starting point. Best of luck.

martha · **Joined:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:14 pm **Posts:** 2

I will do that thank you

Praytell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:38 pm **Posts:** 1

I would recommend you buy the metal feeders the plastic one don't last and the rats also like to chew them

Rhode Red · **Posted:** Tue Mar 22, 2011 3:50 pm

I don't like self feeders. I do have a basic self feeder for the young birds, however I don't add extra feed until all the grain on the ground is gone, if they are hungry enough they will clean it up.

I like control the girls feed. There is a tendency for the higher ranking, less productive and older hens to over eat, thus get fat and production get less. I guess I am mainly taking about RIR's and Australorps. I feed the hens a specific amount of mash mix each morning, then they get the chance to have a free range in the afternoons. Basically for each hen in the pen I give them a good handfull. They all very friendly in the morning, and looking for thier food.
I just use some home made timber trays with high sides.

greenpeas · **Joined:** Mon Mar 28, 2011 4:59 pm **Posts:** 1

I feed mine by hand for the same reasons and I do not get mice which used to be a problem

funfowl · **Joined:** Thu May 19, 2011 1:19 pm **Posts:** 1

Are the automatic feeders good? the ones were the chook stand on the platform and the door opens, do all the chook use these? I want one but worry some chook will starve

purefeather · **Joined:** Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:36 pm **Posts:** 736

Well, I think I've finally got it right this time.Here are some pics of my automatic feeders, the spring loaded part of the feeder isn't my idea. the spring part of the feeder came from a bloke out towards Gippsland who sold me a couple of his feeders(plastic), I needed something that would last out in the elements, hence the stainless steel hopper.

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CoopinWA · **Joined:** Mon May 23, 2011 9:30 am **Posts:** 5

That looks great did it cost much to make?

purefeather · **Joined:** Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:36 pm **Posts:** 736

Wasn't cheap, depends on who you get to fold and weld your stainless steel. The stainless steel tube with the spring poking out was the original piece, I had the hopper made up and after a rain or two I then had that square flange added to deflect the rain away from the the feed filled spring mechanism (from memory a couple of hundred dollars).

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