Suet feeder?

[skatcatla]

Does anyone use one for your chickens? I think I remember reading on another thread that someone had recommended hanging treats like fruit in a suet feeder. Now that I am limiting the girl's free-ranging time to an hour each in the morning and evening, I'm worried about them being bored. I'd like to come up with something that I can hang in their run; ideally something that wouldn't make it TOO easy to eat the treats too quickly. I picked up one of those barbecue baskets at a home store, but I think the holes were too small because they couldn't seem to get to the fruit I put inside (although they did try for a good long time!)

So, how big do the holes need to be? If I buy a suet feeder like the ones Petco sells, would that work?

http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?sku=903680

 

[Buster]

I just bought a suet feeder the other day and it works great for feeding fruits. I have to cut them up to put them in there, but it seems to work. To get them interested in it I swung mine back and forth and walked away from it. When it slowed down, they investigated and ate the fruit. I put it high enough that they have to tip toe to reach it.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

I use one that's attached to the side of the run. It really helps to keep the food from scattering all over the ground.

 

[chickflick]

I use one in my coop. I put halved oranges in and the chickens love it.....parsley would be good also.

 

[skatcatla]

Thanks Buff! May I ask where you got yours?

Also I see you have lettuce in there...my girls won't touch lettuce (or carrot tops). I don't think I've tried broccoli yet. They seem to eat grass and they like to peck at some of my plants, but they won't touch lettuce. Is that weird?

 

[Buster]

Quote:
Mine eat cabbage but I haven't ever tried lettuce. I put bananas in my hanging suet feeder and they didn't touch them for a whole day, so the next day I swung it (gently) and they all started coming to see what it was and pecked at it- so the movement must have sparked their interest. When I checked the next morning, the bananas were all gone. So maybe it just takes sparking their interest in something.

 

[Churkenduse]

I have a fewe of those square ones I bought at a Dollar store for, you quessed it $1.00

Cheap enough I am going to hang some food in it for them sounds like it might be fun.

 

[Walter]

I missed the article about the suet feeder. I work in a restaurant, and I get all of the old lettuce. I just throw a couple of hand fulls on the floor (summertime outside on the ground). The suet feeder would be a lot neater. I was actually looking for the news letter about what and what not to feed to chickens.

 

[hooligan]

What about this? I have several of them and the wild birds don't seem interested in teh fruit. Think the chickens would?

Also, is it okay for chickens to eat all kinds od suet that is store bought?