Feeders are a basic tool that every chicken farmer uses. However, one problem that many farmers face is that other animals are attracted towards the feed as well. In areas where other animals are attracted to feeders, they can attack or harm your chickens. They also bring with them many diseases. You also lose a lot of feed that you bought for your chickens.
The worst part is that the vermin get used to the feed being there, and thus the vermin infestation around your farm intensifies. You will see more rats than you have ever seen before around your coop. Usual methods of dealing with rat infestations also do not work in this scenario. The most common way such problems are dealt with is by mixing poison in things the rats may eat so that the rats die when they eat it and the problem goes away. We obviously cannot do that as any such measure will end up hurting your chickens. Thus your options are limited. Plus, there are many rules and regulations about using chemicals around your chickens, and the last thing you would want is for your chickens being deemed unsafe for the market. This is where Treadle Feeders will help you out.
Treadle Feeders – The Solution You Have Been Looking For
The one issue with using normal feeders if you are having problems with rats is that the feed is lying open for any animal to come and eat. Chickens aren’t exactly intelligent animals, so anything more complicated seems like it wouldn’t work. However, treadle feeders are very simple, and all you will need to do is train your chickens a bit. Chickens are fairly adept at understanding the system used in treadle feeders. The feed only gets released when the chicken is in the right position, and the feed cannot be accessed by smaller and lighter animals.
Thus when you use a treadle feeder, you will not have to worry about any rats or vermin anymore. They can smell the feed but they cannot reach it, because it is closed in a container. On the other hand, your chickens will have no problems getting fed any time they need. This is a fantastic way of dealing with the problem because you don’t have to deal with any poisons or any other harmful materials.
The other option besides using treadle feeders is to place your feeders in a spot that makes it harder for rats and vermin to reach it. This isn’t an easy task – rats and vermin are much better at reaching hard to reach places than chickens ever will be, which means this solutions isn’t ideal for chicken farmers.
