Feeders

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OldForum
Lively Laner
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Joined: 28 Apr 2007, 01:12

Feeders

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Sarah
Our four hens are due with us this week. House is up, pellets and grain bought, chopped straw will be when I remember to collect it ... Just one thing, do you use feeders for the pellets? Or will a heavy dish work? Also how do you give water? Our suppliers were out of feeders and drinkers when we collected the pellets and they weren't sure if we actually needed them or not.

I love this site by the way and have been reading it for a few months now while we were deciding to take the plunge. It has been really helpful to read your experiences.

MikeyHGC
a heavy bowl will be fine for use as a feeder, it's what we use. They did have those cheapy plastic feeders, but all they did was throw the food all over the floor and the weather made the plastic very brittle which started to crack. They will need a constant supply of water (probably far more important than food!), again a bowl will be fine, as long as the water is clean and changed every day


Wendy
I have galvanised hopper for my girls pellets, and a galvanised container for the water.
They don't waste much of the pellets. When I first had them they were on layers mash, as they had come from the battery. Boy....did they throw that around. But no problems now.
Wendy

sunchick
Hi Sarah, when I first got my 4 chickens I put their food on a big metal dish which they all trod on, spilled and pooped on. So as I wasn't going to spend a penny on 'gagets' I set to and found a metal food can (about 4 or 5 inches diameter and about 7or 8 inches tall. I got my hubby to rip out three long holes along the lower edge(with a drill and pair of tin snips) for the food to come out from and then we stuck the can onto an old enamel plate. Then drilled 2 holes at the top and threaded a bit of galvanised wire to make a hanger and - VOILA!! - a brilliantly effective hanging hopper which has worked great and cost not a dime! When I went to get the pellets however, I spent my first bit of money on 'stuff' and got a brilliant water dispenser so I could be confident the birds had a plentiful, clean supply. This too hangs from a central pole (bamboo from the garden!) along the top of my ark's run. I wanted to know that I could leave the birds alone for a wday or so if I had to. Also didnt want rodents to get to the food. Hope this helps - nice little project for a wet week-end!

Sarah Jane Starkey
Thank you for your replies. I had a feeling that we didn't need to necessarily go spending yet more pennies. Sunchick's idea sounds just the thing to keep husband occupied in the shed.

All a bit premature now though, as the hens aren't coming this week anymore. Problems with supply, boo. Another two weeks to wait.

I read somewhere else that, thanks to avian flu hype, eggs weren't hatched this spring hence a national shortage of Point-of-Lay pullets now. Anyone else heard this?

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