How to Get the Best Out of Your Dine-A-Chook Chicken Feeder
We know Dine-A-Chook Chicken Feeders are the best on the market. To ensure you love your Dine-A-Chook as much as we do, you need to know how to get the most out of its unique features! To make sure you're optimising your waste-reducing, all-weather feeder, we’ve answered your frequently asked questions below.
We know that every flock and every chicken coop is different. If you have a question that we haven’t answered, or if you would like personalised advice, please contact us. We provide friendly, helpful service to all our customers!
How Do I Install My Dine-A-Chook Chicken Feeder?
For detailed installation instructions, including mounting height and feeder location, please visit our Dine-A-Chook Feeder and Drinker Installation Guide.
Where Should I Install My Dine-A-Chook Chicken Feeder?
For the best results, install your feeder in a shaded, sheltered area. For more information, consult our Installation Guide.
What Type of Chicken Feed Should I Use With My Dine-A-Chook Feeder?
Many of our customers feed their chickens a grain or scratch mix. While this may look appealing (and it is often the cheapest), it’s actually a poor choice for backyard chickens and should only be used as a treat or to encourage foraging.
A mixed grain feed encourages selective feeding because it’s mixed. Imagine giving a child a plate of strawberries topped with brussels sprouts—they’d dig through the sprouts to get to the berries. Just like children, chickens dig through grain mixes to pick out what they like, such as corn and sunflower seeds, wasting the rest. This creates two problems:
- Unbalanced diet: Your chickens are not getting a balanced diet because they are only eating what they want and often avoid the pellets found in most grain mixes. Pellets may look boring, but they are one of the most nutritious parts of the mix because they are fortified with essential vitamins and minerals.
- Feed waste: In searching for their favourite bits, chickens will rake the feed onto the floor or thrash their heads, pushing it out of the feeder. This creates mess and wasted feed, which can attract vermin, such as rats and pest birds, to the chicken coop.
Our feeders have several waste-reducing features, including the patented feeding bay with internal paddles. Even with a scratch mix, a Dine-A-Chook Feeder will reduce spillage and waste, but no feeder is magic.
The waste-reducing features of our Chicken Feeders are most effective when used with a crumbed or pelleted feed. These feeds may not look as appealing, but they are scientifically formulated to contain everything a healthy bird needs, and they discourage selective feeding!
Is a Dine-A-Chook Chicken Feeder Suitable for Bantams?
Yes, Dine-A-Chook Feeders are suitable for all types of chickens, including bantams. Simply adjust the mounting height and the depth of the feeding bay to best suit your birds. A brick or block can also be used as a step to help birds access the feeding bay, if needed.
Can I Use a Dine-A-Chook Chicken Feeder With Other Birds?
Most backyard poultry will happily use a Dine-A-Chook Chicken Feeder. We have customers who use our feeders as duck feeders, goose feeders, turkey feeders, guinea fowl feeders, and more! One customer even uses a Dine-A-Chook as a rabbit feeder!
What Do I Do If My Chickens Are Different Heights?
If your flock contains birds of different heights, you have several options:
- Mount the feeder at an appropriate height for the smallest bird.
- Mount the feeder at a mid-range height and provide a "step," such as a brick or block, for smaller birds.
- Install two feeders at different heights.
How Often Do I Need to Fill My Dine-A-Chook Feeder?
The amount chickens eat depends on several factors, including age, breed, and environmental conditions such as temperature. As a general guide, our 3.5-litre feeder will feed 4 chickens for 4 days, while our 4.7-litre feeder will feed 6 chickens for 4 days. However, you should check your feeder regularly until a feeding pattern has been established.
How Much Feed Should Be in the Feeder?
Dine-A-Chook Chicken Feeders will work as intended no matter how much or how little feed is in them.