Homemade accessories?

[Snadger]

Made my barrel with a spring on it and hung it up yesterday for them to use. Took away there other food supply so shall see this evening whether they've sussed it or I have a dozen starving chooks!

[chris]

I took that thread away I mentioned for the time being - bit of discussion going on about it! (in terms of mods would be expected to sort things out if it went pear shaped!).

General consensous would be that facebook would be an alternative idea- and probably better.

[Snadger]

Back at the allotment this evening I appear to have a lot of hungry chooks looking at me as if to say "Where's my food?"
Don't want to give them an alternative source as I want them to use the spring jobbie. Non of them were even trying it until i whacked it a few times with a stick and some pellets fell out.
In desperation I raised it about three inches to see if that would tempt them.

My old 'gentleman' Faverolle finally started pecking at the spring and a few of his laydees were picking pellets from the floor that he'd knocked down.
I now feel sure that seeing he has led the way, the others will follow.
I'll watch tomorrow evening to make sure that all are partaking, although I kinda think I've finally cracked it.

[janeyo]

Snadger it did take mine a good week or so to get it sussed. I used to weight it down with a brick at first so they knew it was there, then stood with my foot on opening it and closing it. The pop noise it made as it closed spooked them at first so they would run away!

[Snadger]

Snadger it did take mine a good week or so to get it sussed. I used to weight it down with a brick at first so they knew it was there, then stood with my foot on opening it and closing it. The pop noise it made as it closed spooked them at first so they would run away!

Yours sounds as if it is a treddle janeyo? Whereas mine is a spring thingy fastened to the bottom of a barrel!

[baldrick]

Back at the allotment this evening I appear to have a lot of hungry chooks looking at me as if to say "Where's my food?"
Don't want to give them an alternative source as I want them to use the spring jobbie. Non of them were even trying it until i whacked it a few times with a stick and some pellets fell out.
In desperation I raised it about three inches to see if that would tempt them.

My old 'gentleman' Faverolle finally started pecking at the spring and a few of his laydees were picking pellets from the floor that he'd knocked down.
I now feel sure that seeing he has led the way, the others will follow.
I'll watch tomorrow evening to make sure that all are partaking, although I kinda think I've finally cracked it.

Snadger look up clicker training. If you can mark approaching then touching the pedal by clicking and treating they will get the idea before they have to self reward with trial and error. Karen Pryor trained a chicken to 'dance' like this and its how I taught my dog to put the washing in the basket.

[Suechooks]

Doesn't that mean he has to stand there and click for each chicken to peck out each pellet?
I don't think its a treadle feeder anyway it's a spring they have to peck to make pellets drop on floor. I've seen them at Wynnstay Farmers

[RichmondHens]

Don't worry Snadge, they will soon get the hang of it. Chickens won't starve themselves, they will find any which way to get food if they are hungry enough. I have a LS cock who really didn't like me giving him a peck feeder, he much preferred a trough because he could pig himself senseless. We had about a week of him getting really cross that he couldn't get his food the way he liked but now he has got the hang of it like all the others.

[Snadger]

Don't worry Snadge, they will soon get the hang of it. Chickens won't starve themselves, they will find any which way to get food if they are hungry enough. I have a LS cock who really didn't like me giving him a peck feeder, he much preferred a trough because he could pig himself senseless. We had about a week of him getting really cross that he couldn't get his food the way he liked but now he has got the hang of it like all the others.

The only worry I've got is that the 'oldies' try to keep the 'newbies' away from it..............but i suppose thats the case with any kind of feeding!