Grandpa’s Feeder: This was a good investment. Yes it was a little pricey, but I have near zero feed waste, which will be more significant after a few years. The chickens access the gravity fed feed by standing on a treadle that opens the lid. Training the chickens to use it went well. At the beginning there were only two or three chickens that could open it after the introductory period (Grandpa’s Feeders provides excellent instructions), and the rest would wait until it was open to eat. After a year, I think they can all open it on their own (although I haven’t done a thorough study on that). It sits just outside the coop pop door on a bed of bricks. I do dust the bricks with diatomaceous earth. I fill it about once a week. Since it is under the overhang on the coop, it stays dry even in the worst weather. I did put in stakes as side guards to keep chickens from reaching in to eat without standing on the treadle, and a hinged “roof” to keep chickens off the top also to keep them from eating without using the treadle.

Cheeper Keeper: This automatic door is awesome. It opens at dawn and shuts at dusk. I don’t have to remember to open the coop in the morning! Because the chickens can go out in their own into the runs, I don’t usually to go out and check on them until mid-morning. This works really well for hectic school mornings. This was also worth the investment. At night, the chickens all put themselves to bed on the roost, well before the door closes. In the summer I do open the people door to help the temperature in the coop drop after sunset (I have a temperature activated oscillating fan inside, but the extra air flow helps), so I go out to close that door at night.

Hey, guess what? There will be more tomorrow!