Feeding livestock, invites “pest species” to come share in the bounty of free food. Whether its birds, mice, rats, squirrels, or deer these pests can dramatically increase your feed bills and harbor diseases. The best way to discourage these free-loaders is to simply make the food unavailable to them. Chickens are one of the worst culprits for inviting pests because their food tends to sit out longer than other livestock like horses or cows who eat their grain immediately. To solve this problem some people are making a treadle feeder which works by opening a lid when the chickens step on a lever. A treadle feeder allows chickens constant access to feed yet keeps it away from rodents and wild birds. When the birds are not at the feeder the lid is closed, and the food is safe. While the construction may take a little trial and error or some physics knowledge, it is nothing that someone with basic construction skills couldn’t do.
Here is the link to directions for building your own treadle feeder:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/building-a-treadle-chicken-feeder
Written by Rachel Burmeister, Internship Coordinator 2011-2012
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