I invested in a Grandpa's treadle feeder about six weeks ago, as we'd started to get uninvited guests with scaly tails. The feeder came with instructions for getting the hens used to it.
For the first week the feeder had the training bolts holding the feeder open & the treadle plate fixed down. The hens took to using the feeder straight away.
After a week, as per instructions, I moved the training bolts into the lower holes. This means that the treadle moves about an inch when stepped on & the feeder is half open when not in use. The instructions are clear: only feed the hens via the feeder & when they're hungry enough, they'll use it. I did just that, hoping that they'd eat if they were hungry enough, but after a week they were all skin and feathers, so I relented and put the feeder back into fully-open mode. It took a few days for them to lose their fear and start using the feeder freely again.
I gave them a couple of weeks to put some weight back on before trying the feeder in part-open mode again, but again they're terrified of the movement of the treadle plate. If they step on it, the movement causes them to run away rather than stay & eat.
I've put silicone tubing over the bolts to reduce the clanking noise, am keeping the feeder pretty full to reduce noise and have had to fix some boards either side of the feeder to stop the girls from reaching into the feeder from the sides. I know the girls are hungry; they're going to bed with empty crops, pooing much less than usual and Holly's pecking my fingers in desperation, but they just won't persevere with the feeder!!
Any suggestions would be most welcome. I really need them to get to grips with this:-(
For the first week the feeder had the training bolts holding the feeder open & the treadle plate fixed down. The hens took to using the feeder straight away.
After a week, as per instructions, I moved the training bolts into the lower holes. This means that the treadle moves about an inch when stepped on & the feeder is half open when not in use. The instructions are clear: only feed the hens via the feeder & when they're hungry enough, they'll use it. I did just that, hoping that they'd eat if they were hungry enough, but after a week they were all skin and feathers, so I relented and put the feeder back into fully-open mode. It took a few days for them to lose their fear and start using the feeder freely again.
I gave them a couple of weeks to put some weight back on before trying the feeder in part-open mode again, but again they're terrified of the movement of the treadle plate. If they step on it, the movement causes them to run away rather than stay & eat.
I've put silicone tubing over the bolts to reduce the clanking noise, am keeping the feeder pretty full to reduce noise and have had to fix some boards either side of the feeder to stop the girls from reaching into the feeder from the sides. I know the girls are hungry; they're going to bed with empty crops, pooing much less than usual and Holly's pecking my fingers in desperation, but they just won't persevere with the feeder!!
Any suggestions would be most welcome. I really need them to get to grips with this:-(