Decommissioned

On November 10, 2025 By CarynIn chickens, Coop

When we added two chickens to the flock and had them separated, I put a hanging feeder in with them. When I integrated the flock I kept the hanging feeder full because I wasn’t sure the new hens would be able to use the Grandpa’s Feeder my original flock used. Turns out that all the hens preferred the hanging feeder. The advantage of the “Grandpa’s Feeder” is the wild birds and rats aren’t heavy enough to activate the lever and open the food bin. The disadvantage is that bugs can still get in. When checking feed I discovered that the entire bin was full of food riddled with holes.

Photo description: chicken feed in a Grandpa’s Feeder riddled with insect holes

One of the other advertised advantages of the Grandpa’s Feeder is that the metal grid and high sides keep the chickens from wasting food because they can’t fling it out of the container. A hanging feeder has this same advantage, so I emptied out the Grandpa’s feeder and decommissioned it, since I was only feeding bugs.

Photo description: hanging feeder filled with chicken feed

Another advantage of the hanging feeder is that I can see the food level from a distance. A disadvantage is that it is open on the top and if we get a heavy rain storm I loose a batch of feed to the wet. I’ve moved the feeder farther inside the porch area of the coop to see if that fixed the weather problem. Overall, the hens prefer the hanging feeder, and the hanging feeder is a fraction of the cost of a Grandpa’s Feeder.

Grandpa’s Feeder final configuration

On August 20, 2019August 15, 2019 By CarynIn chickens, Uncategorized

It didn’t take long for the chickens to adjust to the changes after I leveled our Grandpa’s Feeder properly. We had a relatively cool day (the high was 95 degrees F), so I put the feeder in the full working position where the lid closes all the way.

The step to the treadle is really high now. But I left the chickens to it, with the trail camera watching, and within an hour of shutting the lid, the chickens had figured out how to open it, and there was photographic evidence that all the chickens ate out of the feeder.

Well, Cloud and Cockatrice can open the feeder, then everyone else shoulders in to eat. At least they are all eating.

Grandpa’s Feeder week 2 plus

On August 17, 2019August 14, 2019 By CarynIn chickens

After moving the Grandpa’s Feeder into position two, we were having trouble determining if all the chickens were now eating in the new configuration. My eldest had the brilliant idea of setting up our trail cam to watch the feeder! Since all our chickens have leg bands, I set the camera up at leg band level, so we could see who was able to get food.

I am happy to report that after reviewing the pictures (by the way, we had to sift through over 1,000 pictures a day; those are active chickens!) all the chickens are eating from the feeder! And three chickens are able to open the feeder: Cloud, Cockatrice, and Taco. Apparently the rest wait until it is open, then go muscle in. At least they are eating.

Trail cam took a picture of me moving bricks

I was concerned because my Grandpa’s Feeder wasn’t gravity feeding the way it should. Every time I checked the food level, I had to push some down into the tray. Turns out the bricks I laid down were not level (you can’t tell in the pictures, because the camera is crooked). So I pulled up the bricks, laid another layer of sand down (I did use sand the first time, but then added additional bricks, so the whole bricked area didn’t have sand), and then relaid the bricks. The gravity feed works much better now!

Just in case, since I reset the bricks and the treadle was at a different level, we are keeping the week 2 configuration with the partially open lid for a few more days, just to make sure the chickens can eat.

Trail cam also caught a midnight visitor to the feeder: a frog on the treadle

Grandpa’s Feeder week 2

On August 9, 2019August 5, 2019 By CarynIn chickens

I made some additions to our Grandpa’s Feeder. First I moved the lid into the second week position (the lid doesn’t close all the way, but has some movement when a chicken steps on the treadle, to get the chickens used to the movement). Then, because the movement of the treadle and lid is quite loud, I added rubber shelf lining to the bricks and to the screws that stop the motion of the lid so to deaden the sound a little.

Rubber mat added to deaden the sound somewhat, but we still have a problem

The chickens are very startled by the movement and sound of the treadle and lid. Cloud is still my bravest, and can step up on the treadle and eat, then once she has it stable, the other chickens come to eat too. The problem is that when the other chickens are eating, she also likes to climb on the top of the feeder. I caught another chicken actually leaning over the top to get the food inside, so I made a small awning from scrap wood to keep them off the top.

Grandpa’s feeder with stakes to block the sides, rubber shelf liner to deaden sound, and an awning to keep the chickens off the top

I installed the awning with a hinge so when it is time to refill the feeder, I can swing the awning up and out of the way.

The chickens are definitely hungry; they peck at me with a little more force than before. The run has been stripped of everything remotely green, and they are even more vocal when I go out to check on them. I hope this is a relatively short time of adjustment. Once they have figured out the feeder and are comfortable with it, it will make leaving them for a time much easier. That is the goal.

Grandpa’s Feeder

On August 3, 2019August 2, 2019 By CarynIn Coop

I bought a Grandpa’s Feeder awhile ago for the chickens, then found out they weren’t big enough to operate the opener yet. So it sat in its box for a couple months. Now at well over two pounds they are big enough! (They really only had to be 14 ounces. Oops.)

Grandpa’s Feeder set up on bricks outside the coop

There are three stages to train chickens to use the feeder. The first stage holds the lid of the feed area open with no movement. This stage lasts a week. We started this stage and Cloud was my brave chicken; the first to eat from the feeder! I put mealworms in there on top of the feed, so there was definite incentive.

I noticed as the other chickens started to try it, that they were reaching in from the side and not standing on the treadle. The instructions say to block the sides with a box or something similar to keep this from happening. A box would block the coop door, but I have a bunch of temporary fence stakes, so I pounded one in on each side. Those long necked chickens could still reach around, so I added another stake. That did it! Now they all stand on the treadle to eat. I added some more bricks too so there is a step up.

Nice try, you have to stand on the treadle to eat.

The next stage is allowing some movement with the treadle and lid. I’ll see if I need to expand my brick area and how long it takes for the chickens to get used to the movement. But I have a few days before I worry about that! Then another week before we try full movement.

Critters and Craft

Tag: Grandpa’s feeder