Feeding chicken is among the straightforward tasks and the market offers various types of feeders for poultry keepers, and regardless of the size of your flock, you will get a feeder that matches your needs.

However, one of the key challenges is ensuring that nothing else, apart from your poultry, is getting the food.

The local pigeons, rooks, crows, squirrels, rats and mouse are likely to take several bites from your chicken feeds.

That is a bad thing considering that chicken feed is expensive and the wild birds and rats are likely to introduce diseases to your poultry.

If you are like most poultry keepers, you have used various chicken feeders but you have never used the Grandpa’s Feeders. It is the time you start enjoying the benefits these feeders offer. Grandpa’s Feeders were designed in the year 1995 in New Zealand and the country has offered the main market since then.

However, today, people in the UK can easily buy them from the local stores and if you are outside the two countries, you can buy them from online stores like Amazon.

The feeders work on a very simple idea. On average, rats weigh less than 300 grams while the wild birds like crows have a lower weight. The lid of the Grandpa’s feeder only opens if a weight above 500 grams lands on it.

So, your chicken will easily open the feeder and consume what it contains. Any other lightweight bird or animal will not be able to open the lid.

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Table of Contents:

The Two Grandpa’s Feeders To Try:

Grandpa’s Feeders Automatic Chicken Feeder – Sturdy Galvanized Steel Poultry Feeder

This Grandpa’s Feeders Automatic Chicken Feeder provides a better way of feeding hens on demand. Its clever design is based on the natural feeding behaviour of chickens, which means that they will easily reach food when hungry. If you can add enough food to the feeder, they will continue laying eggs optimally and live happily.

Moreover, you will save more on the feeds because rats, wild birds and mice will not access the food and changes in weather will not have any effect. The manufacturer uses aluminium and galvanized steel to make the feeders and they are therefore strong. In fact, they are the only automatic feeders in the market that have existed for 20 years.

Most user reviews show that the Grandpa’s Feeders Automatic Chicken Feeder pays for itself within the first year because it reduces the poultry food bill and reduces the number of time the user has to rush home to feed the chickens.

The automatic feeder relies on the weight of the chicken to function. After a hen steps onto the attached platform, it will lift the lid, therefore, allowing the hen to feed on the trough. When the hen steps off, the lid closes and therefore rats, birds and other small animals cannot eat from the trough.

The automatic chicken feeder has a capacity of 20 pounds. That means it can hold feed to take your 6 chicken for 10 days. If you have 12 chickens, you should expect the feed to last for only 5 days. The design is ideal for flocks of less than 12 birds. You are likely to fill the feeder only once in a week depending on the number of hens you have.

Buy from Amazon

Pros

It is made of solid metal
The manufacturer adopted a weather-proof design
The metal is rust-proof
It is easier to fill

Cos

The supplier does not provide video tutorials for the assembly part
Only a few birds will feed at the same time

Grandpa’s Feeders Automatic Feeder – 40lb Feed Capacity

This is the second great automatic chicken feeder from Grandpa’s Feeders. The feeder has a 40lb feed capacity. After buying it, you just need to follow the instructions listed beneath the lid. The manufacturer has built it to last for many years.

They, therefore, use galvanized steel for the finishing, which is known to withstand any tough outdoor condition. The automatic feeder will provide feed to your poultry on demand. The flock can only access the food when hungry because of the employed opening mechanism.

The 40 pounds feed will go for 10 days when feeding 12 chickens, but the time can increase when feeding 6 chickens. The size is ideal for chickens of all sizes, but the manufacturer has designed it for flocks of less than 12 chickens. The feeder is now available in all parts of the world and you can access it easily through the online stores like Amazon.

Buy from Amazon

Pros

Due to its large capacity, you are likely to fill it only once in a week
It weatherproof
It is ideal for all chickens, regardless of the breed or size
It is rustproof

Cons

The chicken will take several weeks to adjust to the new feeding system
Some water might find its way into the feeder in case of heavy downpour

How To Set up the Grandpas’ Feeder

After receiving the feeder, you just need to unpack it and follow the setup procedure, which is easy. The straightforward process involves use of bolts to attach the offered treadle plate arms to the feeder.

The manufacturer offers comprehensive instructions (printed on the lid’s underside) to guide you on how to make your hens start using the feeder within a few weeks. For the hen’s to get used to the new form of feeding, you will have to adjust the settings of the feeder according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

The first stage involves placing the bolts on the topmost position so that the lid can remain open when filling up the feeder. The standard feeder holds 9Kg of feed, which is the amount your ten chickens need for 10 days. If you have a larger flock, you will have to choose the larger versions. The feeders come with 12 months guarantee, and Richard offers exceptional customer services. [1]

Training The Chickens:

You have to train your chickens how to use the Grandpa’s feeder, a process that will take several weeks. If your chickens are nervous, the process might take a long time. Here is what to do during the training.

Week 1

Place the bolts on the top holes so that the can hold the lid permanently open and for your chicken to reach the food easily. That way, your hens will start feeding on it and know that it is their source of food.

You have to remove any other food source so that the hens can get hungry more often and get used to the feeder in the shortest time possible. Due to the shininess of the feeder, some birds will be nervous at first. You have to be patient.

Week 2

After the birds start associating the feeder with their source of food, remove the bolts to position 2.

The position will hold the lid partially open and open it fully after a bird steps on the feeder’s treadle plate.

That might spook them but they will get used to the strange movement over time. During the training, ensure that the feeder is full so that you can reduce the noise this movement makes.

Week 3

Once your birds are used to the slight movement, remove all the bolts completely so that the lid can cover the feeder completely. At first, the birds might peck on the lid but that will not last for many days.

Open the lid partially for them until one of them steps onto the treadle plate. Some birds will adjust to the changes very fast but some will take several weeks.

So, Which Are The Benefits To Enjoy With Grandpa’s Feeders?

Most people who buy the Grandpa’s Feeders do that because they are tired of wasting their chicken feed or they are tired of using the cheap options in the market. Grandpa’s Feeders have been in the market for the last 20 years and they are therefore able to provide what most chicken keepers need. [2]

Here are the benefits you will enjoy after buying either of the two feeders:

The side guards will prevent side feeding and therefore eliminate chances of injuries.
The feeders are weatherproof. That means that the feed will remain safe from various weather elements and there will be no wastage.
They are made of galvanized steel. They are therefore stable, durable and stronger.
The anti-flick grill prevents your chicken from flicking the feed out.
No more pesky mice, rats and wild birds because they cannot weigh down the streadle plate.

Conclusion

Use the tow Grandpa’s Feeders to prevent pests like mice, rats and sparrows from consuming the food you provide for your birds, poultry, pets and rabbits. The feeders are also effective when it comes to preventing soiling of the feed.

Ensure that you have provided the food in an accessible manner when leaving your home for a holiday – the feeders can hold food enough for ten days.

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