[nutterly_uts]

Been looking at the chicken feeders that clip in directly to the fence, which is all fine except there is no way to lift it at night without leaving a hole.

Do you think using an automatic pophole would work to have it drop down over the food at dusk and lift again at dawn (or whatever the house pophole is set to) or is that jsut making things too complicated?

Edit : this is the feeder http://www.ideas-4-pets.co.uk/wise-chicken-cage-feeder-no-silo?cPath=0_325&gclid=CMmnl4iGxccCFVG6GwodSeYCdg

[lord flynn]

don't do it unless its in a run that's roofed or a shed. awful things, let in rain, top blows off unless you bungee it down, feed gets mouldy or slugs get in, make it sticky and it clogs up and gets mouldy-and there's no easy way of cleaning them.

[nutterly_uts]

What feeder do you recommend?

[lord flynn]

tbh none of them are perfect. Mine are currently fed via a pheasant spring feeder but in horizontal rain, the spring gets clogged although thats not too bad. My main problem is I live in a very windy place which means lots of driving rain and none of the plastic feeders cut it although I do use the odd one in pens in the summer. I am not convinced that the grandpa feeders are worth it either. So a pheasant feeder I can move around out of prevailing winds works best for me.

[hughesy]

The simple answer is to hang the feeder inside the coop. Keeps it dry. Keeps it away from wild birds.

[Clansman]

Thats where mine are after many years of trial and error 

[nutterly_uts]

Just hanging from the center? does this keep mice and rats away?

[Clansman]

Luckily I don't suffer from rats or mice (touch wood) but yes if its hanging on a string then it makes it a lot harder for them though they can still manage with some acrobatics 

[Bionic]

I bought a grandpas feeder a couple of months ago. It was a lot of money but it's very good. I'm not getting through anywhere near as much food.
Squirrels know how to use it though 

[lord flynn]

The simple answer is to hang the feeder inside the coop. Keeps it dry. Keeps it away from wild birds.

funnily enough, not being completely stupid, I tried that. they wouldn't eat in there despite unblocking the window. Two weeks I tried and they were having none of it. As it was coming into winter I didn't want them without food. It's probably not light enough in there.

[shygirl]

i feed inside the coop, I also have a 6ftx4ft shed in the paddock and I feed in there too. they are much happier eating in the shed than the coop.

[Stereo]

I bought a grandpas feeder a couple of months ago. It was a lot of money but it's very good. I'm not getting through anywhere near as much food.
Squirrels know how to use it though 

My neighbour BBQ'd a squirrel the other day. Said it was delicious. Airgun + feeder = free food.

[Jukes Mum]

I love squirrel :-)

This is very similar to one of my very complex chicken feeders. I put it under a board lean-to to keep the rain out.

[Clansman]

If mine hadn't tipped that upside down within 30 seconds i'd be very disappointed in them! 

[Stereo]

I use Mole Valley treadle feeders which are very good but do need shelter as they are not perfectly sealed around the edges. I put mine on paving slabs so that they don't slop up or are at least cleanable but I'm working on having them higher on a thick wire mesh so that any spilled food falls under so that the birds can get it. At the mo they spill feed under the mesh 'pressure plate' and then can't get at it so it still encourages vermin although they can't actually get at the food in the feeder.