New ideas for getting very dim hens to use a treadle feeder

[Loving my girls]

I’ve followed all the training plans, taken ages in fact. Taken photos with my day night camera to make sure they were all getting food but now a problem …
They don’t seem to use the treadle except by accident so seem to have virtually stopped altogether.
I’m at my wits end.
I had it open totally for about two weeks until they were happy with it,
Then I halved the opening, they were less happy but still fed.
two weeks later when they seemed more accepting I lowered the gap by another half,
I kept a close watch and used the camera so I was certain all was ok,
It was so I shut it,
Now all they do is stretch over the bars and peck at the opening
I’ve tried balancing food on the opening but they don’t like the bars,
Help

 

[Penpal]

You could stick something they like up high enough that they have to step on the bar in order to reach it.

 

[Sammster]

I have one of those in my shed. I also had no luck, and finally gave up. My girls were terrified of it.

 

[Loving my girls]

You could stick something they like up high enough that they have to step on the bar in order to reach it.

Good idea, I will give it a try

 

[Loving my girls]

I have one of those in my shed. I also had no luck, and finally gave up. My girls were terrified of it.

Oh no ! Don’t say that, it cost me an arm and a leg !

 

[Sammster]

Oh no ! Don’t say that, it cost me an arm and a leg !

That was MY experience. I'm trusting you will find a way to make it work ♡

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Do you have any other feed in the run? If so, put it away so the only source is the treadle feeder.
I had one and my chickens and ducks learned how to use it. But, it was an off brand and I found that mice could get into it so it defeated the purpose.
The owner of the company basically said it was me and I didn't know how to use it. That really puts you off of a product. They are expensive that's for sure.
Hope it works for you!

 

[Loving my girls]

Do you have any other feed in the run? If so, put it away so the only source is the treadle feeder.
I had one and my chickens and ducks learned how to use it. But, it was an off brand and I found that mice could get into it so it defeated the purpose.
The owner of the company basically said it was me and I didn't know how to use it. That really puts you off of a product. They are expensive that's for sure.
Hope it works for you!

No other feed except for what they can forage. I’ve tried reducing the tension of one of the springs so they don’t have to put so much pressure on it although it was already on the lightest setting. Soon it will be rat weight which will defeat the object somewhat

 

[Al Gerhart]

I’ve followed all the training plans, taken ages in fact. Taken photos with my day night camera to make sure they were all getting food but now a problem …
They don’t seem to use the treadle except by accident so seem to have virtually stopped altogether.
I’m at my wits end.
I had it open totally for about two weeks until they were happy with it,
Then I halved the opening, they were less happy but still fed.
two weeks later when they seemed more accepting I lowered the gap by another half,
I kept a close watch and used the camera so I was certain all was ok,
It was so I shut it,
Now all they do is stretch over the bars and peck at the opening
I’ve tried balancing food on the opening but they don’t like the bars,
Help

We need a picture or at least the name of the manufacturer of the treadle feeder. One of the reasons I visit BYC is to find out if any of my customers have problems, most manufacturers WANT to know if there is an issue.

From reading your first post I am assuming it isn't one of my feeders because you wrote "
I had it open totally for about two weeks until they were happy with it, Then I halved the opening, they were less happy but still fed.
two weeks later when they seemed more accepting I lowered the gap by another half,..." Then at the end "I’ve tried balancing food on the opening but they don’t like the bars."

We are very specific that you are NOT to EVER leave one of our feeders open during training and you said you followed the instructions so this points to another type of treadle feeder. And we don't have an opening to balance food on either.

However, later you posted "I’ve tried reducing the tension of one of the springs so they don’t have to put so much pressure on it although it was already on the lightest setting. Soon it will be rat weight which will defeat the object somewhat." My feeder has springs, and certain older models had a series of holes that might fit that sentence, so I am unsure if this is one of my feeders or not.

So, please, please, please.... give us some pictures of the feeder or at least what manufacturer and model so we can offer some advice that fits. Criticism of products isn't always appreciated at first but trust me it is the only way that products get better.

Till then, or in case the OP doesn't revisit the thread, here is some general advice.

First, for a treadle feeder to be rat proof or even mouse proof it needs a spring pre loaded door to prevent the door from just being pushed open. Most treadle feeders sold do NOT have this feature. Next, the treadle HAS to be distant and narrow. The wide platform steps sell better but miserably fail at stopping rodents. So your hens need BOTH weight and reach sufficient to operate the feeder if you want the feeder to stop mice and rats, even more so to stop squirrels.

Do not ever, ever, ever, use around chicks or poults, they will get smothered or killed.

#1 rule, never, ever, under any circumstances, even if the directions tell you to do it, ever leave a feeder open during the training period. For two reasons, first you are teaching the hens that the lid or door is NOT supposed to move when they use the feeder. What are they to think when the door or lid starts moving? Second, some of the rat proofing ability of a treadle feeder is in hiding the feed. Leaving the door or lid open just shows the rodents where the feed is. If the training directions tell you to leave the door open or use "training bolts", box that junk up and send it back before the return window closes. When enough people do that the manufacturer will fix their crappy Chinese made feeder and everyone will benefit.

Go cold turkey from day one, let the feeder operate as it is supposed to. No other feed, no old feed for them to scratch up out of the deep litter, no grass or free range. Get them hungry, install the feeder the night before and fill it with feed. Make sure the treadle hits the ground solidly so there is NO wiggle or wobble, make sure the feeder is solidly attached to a wall or post. You want the bird to be able to pin down the treadle with one foot while standing on the other. If possible, block the sides with concrete blocks or milk jugs full of sand or dirt, force the birds to come straight in.

Test the amount of weight needed to operate the treadle and adjust the springs if it has them and shame on you if you didn't buy a feeder with adjustable springs, research first before spending your hard earned money. Read the one star reviews first and do not ignore them. There are plenty of idiots out there but still... read the bad reviews first and make sure there are no links leading back to Amazon or the manufacturers website. They are legally required to admit if they are getting a commission but plenty of websites lie about that.

If the feeder has springs they ought to be balanced so adjusting one spring isn't going to do. Our latest version has two springs linked by a mechanism with one adjustment point. If your feeder doesn't have an infinite adjustable mechanism, but just some holes, drill more holes if needed. Set the springs so one of your middle size hen's weight will operate the treadle.
Wait till three to four hours AFTER day break so the birds are hungry and anxious. Show them how to depress the treadle using the tip of your toe. Spend three to five minutes. If a curious hen does step up, let her eat for thirty seconds, then very gently brush her away enough to allow the door to close and see if she tries on her own. If not, repeat the process.

After five minutes and no bird has tried opening the feeder, go do something else for a few hours. Come back, spend another five minutes max. If they are trying, spend a few minutes more, if not, go do something else. By the afternoon nearly ALL flocks will have one or more hens that are brave enough and clever enough to learn to use the feeder. But before dark have a few more training sessions.

Let them go to bed hungry if they are dumb or scared. Make sure you have followed the instructions above to the very letter, nothing added, nothing left out. Do not think, do not use logic, follow the instructions to the very letter. Feeder solidly secured to the wall or a post so it isn't wobbly, treadle bottomed out, NO OTHER FEED! Treats ONLY if you toss them in the feed tray while the birds are watching. NO holding a chicken on the treadle. NO blocking the door or lid open.

In around 13 years of making treadle feeders I have never seen a case where the chickens were too dumb to learn to use a feeder. I have seen several cases of where the flock owner was too dumb to follow the directions. You can read the reviews on our products and find the ones I am talking about, they always stress to listen to the advice and follow the instructions. I worked with one guy for the better part of the week before he admitted he wasn't following my advice. By this time we had talked on the phone about politics and everything else under the sun so I asked him why he refused to follow my advice. His answer "It didn't seem logical. But when I did follow your instructions the birds picked up the idea immediately." He had hung the feeder off the ground, way up off the ground. It was amazing that any bird was brave enough to fly up, land on a treadle that would immediately plunge downward, and be able to balance on a wobbly treadle. The guy was an engineer and a doctor, immensely intelligent, but he wouldn't follow the advice. Chickens aren't creatures of logic. Don't think like a chicken. Just don't think, follow the instructions.

Another point that people don't think of, you want the feeder off the ground but provide enough landing space so the bird can hop up on the patio blocks and have room to stand before stepping up on the feeder. Better to have this landing space in front, not on the sides.

For the ones with the expensive feeders stored in the shed, provide a picture of the feeder and some exact information of what the problem seems to be. Even if it isn't one of my feeders I can probably give some advice or someone will have that feeder and can help. A bit of tweaking might help even with a Chinese made feeder like the Grandpa feeder or one of the many clones. You do need to pull a feeder out of service for a week or so before you try to do more training, chickens can have short memories. But make sure you have gone over the basic advice given so far before you try again. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you know more than someone that has made tens of thousands of feeders and have helped dozens of customers of customers that were having problems. And don't get offended if the problem is you and not the feeder. On the other hand, shipping feeders is brutal on them and I have seen some amazing things happen so when a customer emails with a problem one should NEVER assume it is their fault. The good thing if it is my fault or the feeder's fault or shipping damage, I can for sure fix the problem! My nightmare is the customer that won't follow advice and I am not smart enough or talented enough to get through to them.

So pictures, pictures, pictures, please. Especially if it is one of my feeders. You can message me if you would rather not go public. Even if it is not one of my feeders, I'll help if I can.