I've kept chickens for pretty much my whole life (a few years without when my wife and I bought our first house, but I soon built a chicken pen there as well!) and finding the right chicken feeder has been a surprisingly big deal in that time.
One word - Rats.
Well rats and mice and other pests. Stopping other animals from stealing the food you've bought for your birds is essential. Not just because it saves money but also because if they can feed easily their numbers will increase. 
So I put together a short video showing all the feeders I currently have around the smallholding - it's quite the collection!
And there is one clear winner with all the feeders - but I'll make you watch the video to find out which! Although I'm sure many of you will be able to guess which one I like!
So what chicken feeder do you use?
Do you have a favourite type that works well for you?
What methods do use to keep the vermin away Kev? I don't like poison and our cats do a good job catching them.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest Dave I should be asking anyone but myself - I'm really struggling this year with everything being eaten! I don't like poision but I think for rats sometimes there is so little other options. I have cats but they don't seeem to do much, How they managed in years gone by I have no idea.
DeleteOur chicken feeders were V shaped troughs of two planks nailed long edges together at right angles with short square ends to hold it open side up. We put out food twice a day - layer mash in the morning, wheat at night - and with 80 hens it was gone before vermin got a look in.
ReplyDeleteHow big were they? When I have meat chickens I often use bigger feeders which they clear (the tubs) but then have treadle ones for the rest of the day.
DeleteWe have Omlet coops, and they come with feeders that hang on the metal run. This keeps the feed inside when they are locked up at night so it is safe from varmints. Great review vid.
ReplyDeleteAh that's good! They had an omlet coop at the school with a few hens for a while.
Delete