Backyard Farming Forum
Bringing food production home

We purchased a 'Grandpa's Feeder' for our chooks and it works a treat. The feed is totally enclosed until the weight of the bird on a hinged step opens a lid to reveal the food in the hopper which holds about 9kgs of feed. Has cut down the evidence of mice and rats in the henhouse and the feed goes much further. Stays dry too. See them at www.poultry-feeders.com

We only have three Isa Browns so it means we can leave the farm for over a week knowing that they won't run out of food. (We also have an automatic watering system which is sold as a water trough for dogs).

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Granny Smith

how much?

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Why did the chicken cross the road? ... To have her motives questioned.

$195- standard $275- for large plus $40 postage to WA

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I used to use one of those run of the mill feeders that end up leading to rat and mouse problems. This time around I've been feeding the right amount to the chooks each morning so that it is all gone by the afternoon. While an autofeeder would be nady for when on holidays, I'd not personaly use one at any other time because I have always found chooks to be gutses to the extent that they eat a heap more food than they require if left to decide their ration themselves.

As for self service autofeeders, when I was going to get a flash one that rats and mice can't get at, I was looking at the noslock (sp?) ones, which were a lot cheaper, but maybe not as effective as the ones Gran has bought.

I wake up and open the back door and throw the feed to the girls. while the guy tries to jump up and spur my feet. If I sleep in the rooster does not stop making a noise, so its like an extra alarm that does not need batteries.

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To think before you act is a wise option. But not as funny.

I just use a deer feeder and cut the bottom out of another plastic bucket so the spinner plate isn't allowed to sling feed 20' away, hits the 2nd bucket and falls straight down.
http://www.moultriefeeders.com/productd ... mfh-phb6.5
I also use the little giant poultry waterer for my chickens:
http://www.flemingoutdoors.com/automati ... fount.html
And I use these for the quail although they are too stupid to figure out how to use them:
http://www.strombergschickens.com/image ... dbrk_l.jpg

My dad used to us a 10 L paint tin. you make a cut in the tin near the bottom and then bend the tin above it, inwards a bit. A bit hard to explain, basically like a strawberry tower.. see attached pic of Milnes strawberry tower, but you only need one opening.

Then you can hang the tin from it's handle with a chain or rope. Very simple, very cheap, and recycles old paint tins.

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www.backyardfarming.com.au
Bringing Food Production Home

If your handy with some tools then you can download the plans for one of those feeders from here: http://forum.backyardpoultry.com/viewto ... rmin+proof

for some reason I had trouble downloading with firefox, but that could just be our work setup. I did manage to download using IE (right click then "save target as").

I will probably build one when I get some free time.

H.