New seed hopper. Are they eating?

26 Jun 2016, 22:53

I bought one of Allan Tully's large automatic seed hoppers last week and fitted it into the aviary yesterday. It is the folded galvanised sheet metal style with the glass front and the slide out seed tray, i'm sure you are all familiar with them. It is a big improvement from the poultry style feeder (plastic with the green bottom) that I've used for the last year or so and holds 4 x the seed. Today I checked it and it looked like it had only had the seed eaten off the top of the little slot, seed hulls covered the little slot and i'm not sure they all like to root around for seed. I also found majority of the birds on the ground feeding a few times today, which usually tells me my feeder is close to if not empty, if I happen to not notice.

SO will they work it out, should I put the old feeder back in for now, or let then work it out?

27 Jun 2016, 05:41

Usually when I'm making birds transition from old feeder/drinkers to a new feeder/drinkers I keep both in aviary for week or too or until i see use of new feeder.I have heard of people losing birds cause the birds don't know how use different feeder/drinker methods.That's a reason why I like to try looking at seller's aviaries if i can when buying new birds to see how they are raised and see If i need make any changes at my aviaries for them.

27 Jun 2016, 09:36

Maybe put an open dish of food onto the new hopper for a few days until you see them all eating properly from the hopper.

27 Jun 2016, 10:07

Check also that the slot is set high enough for the seed to flow. Occassionally you will find one that has a tiny gap, that does not allow a very good flow. I have 2 solid metal versions of the hopper you are describing, and the gap is different on each.
LML

27 Jun 2016, 22:50

I've checked the gap and it is filling up, but the little strip is barely 20mm wide. I have put the old feeder in half full in hope that buy the time it runs out they have worked it out.

28 Jun 2016, 09:55

The ones I have were made many years ago, and are about 1ft or 30cm wide. You may be better off using 2 of these in seperate locations in the avairy. Win win situation. More birds can eat at once and if there is any agression the birds have a choice of feeding site.
LML