Automatic feeders.
- Thread starter Skye
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BenBhoy
Well-Known Member
You might have more response on the other shooting/keeping section
Thread 'THE PRETEND KEEPER' THE PRETEND KEEPER
Thread 'THE PRETEND KEEPER' THE PRETEND KEEPER
Bo Diddley
Well-Known Member
45 gallon drum, top hat lid, three spiral springs underneath, stout legs, and you can get several 25kg sacks of grub inside, just make sure you get them in the right place, they aren't as easy to move as a small blue barrel jobbie.
No electronics you muck up, and nobody is going to want to nick 'em.
Edit: If it's wheat you're feeding, make sure it's clean with no chaff, that blocks up the springs pdq.
No electronics you muck up, and nobody is going to want to nick 'em.
Edit: If it's wheat you're feeding, make sure it's clean with no chaff, that blocks up the springs pdq.
I saw a good idea with the cage of an IBC over the top of one on a barrell, as it is expencive compaired to just a spring feeder
Why do you feel the need for an auto one for pheasants ? Why not just use the usual springs in a drum as Bo says ?
countrryboy
Well-Known Member
Ive never understood the need to feed a pond daily.
Yes u need a constant supply off feed.
But once a week/fortnight works just fine put enough in to last.
When i was FT on a wild duck shokt seen u putting 1/2 -1T in at a time.
On my diy shoot it would be 1 or 2 possibly 3 bags and had some great flights.
The guard came off an auto feeder with the ducks working out to tap the spinner paddle and empty the dustbin in a day and a half, so they are greedy. Also fresh feathers buy the edge is a good sign.
Feeding the shallow edges each day you can gauge how the food is going, just like drillings as when it is all gone the pigeons move on and you have missed a good shoot.
countrryboy
Well-Known Member
Years ago when i ran a small diy shoot i tried to build my own copy of the Solway Feeders auto spinner as i wanted the buzzer to 'whistle' birds into drives.
The solway 1 was expensive but i wanted the buzzer to come on for far longer to actually attract birds in.
Any auto/buzzer 1s ive seen the buzzer only sounds while the feeder spins, with small numbers off birds ur talking 10 or 20 sec spin.
Just not enough noise to attract birds in.
Ive seen me when whistle feeding just sitting a whistling for 5+mins to get ur birds in some days.
I planned to fil it with that expensive game/wild bird seed/feed mix ( i cant remember the brand or name of it now) to add to the normal hoppers
I remember being on a shoot open day/walk many years ago.
An absolutely stunning well designed shoot but still PT keepered and relied on those Solway auto feeders to pull birds into the drives.
He owner said they got the timings wrong 1 day and were on the pegs facing the drive when the buzzers went off and a whole heap of birds actually flew into the wood.
The solway 1 was expensive but i wanted the buzzer to come on for far longer to actually attract birds in.
Any auto/buzzer 1s ive seen the buzzer only sounds while the feeder spins, with small numbers off birds ur talking 10 or 20 sec spin.
Just not enough noise to attract birds in.
Ive seen me when whistle feeding just sitting a whistling for 5+mins to get ur birds in some days.
I planned to fil it with that expensive game/wild bird seed/feed mix ( i cant remember the brand or name of it now) to add to the normal hoppers
I remember being on a shoot open day/walk many years ago.
An absolutely stunning well designed shoot but still PT keepered and relied on those Solway auto feeders to pull birds into the drives.
He owner said they got the timings wrong 1 day and were on the pegs facing the drive when the buzzers went off and a whole heap of birds actually flew into the wood.
countrryboy
Well-Known Member
The guard came off an auto feeder with the ducks working out to tap the spinner paddle and empty the dustbin in a day and a half, so they are greedy. Also fresh feathers buy the edge is a good sign.
Feeding the shallow edges each day you can gauge how the food is going, just like drillings as when it is all gone the pigeons move on and you have missed a good shoot.
Aye but anything blocks up or battery goes flat ur pond has had no feed for 2 weeks which most likely results in NO ducks ur next shoot.
Might even take 1 month to build numbers uo again if u live in a 'ducky' area with plenty of alternative ponds.
Aye ducks are greedy but it eventually settles down.
Peak season on the wee diy shoot i might build up to put 2-4 bags in each pond at a time, tipped in a well spread about the shallows if u can, before we sat down for a flight and had sone fantastic sport.
If boys were shooting straightish 15 or 20 duck was possible of each pond pretty much every 2 weeks.
Hell on the big shoot were shooting 20- 70 per flight per pond.
All nust fed in shallows once a week or fortnight.
I honestly cant that much benefit from feeding daily and any cons far outwiegh ur pros.
If u have 2 ponds on shoot fairly easy to experiment, feed 1 ad hoc and 1 with auto and switch about see if it makes a difference.
The guard came off an auto feeder with the ducks working out to tap the spinner paddle and empty the dustbin in a day and a half, so they are greedy. Also fresh feathers buy the edge is a good sign.
Feeding the shallow edges each day you can gauge how the food is going, just like drillings as when it is all gone the pigeons move on and you have missed a good shoot.
You dont release tame ducks do you ?
We used them due to the fact they whistle, brings the birds to where you want them at set times also works for ducks, if you have a large pond in brings them into the shallows/ cover so better to flush, moultri are good.
I get it for ducks - however again as countryboy says - just chuck a bag or two in the water and the ducks find that
We trialled automatic feeders some years ago filled with wheat…with cameras watching them, every pigeon, rook, jackdaw etc came down to feast when it discharged and cleared up.
Willowbank
countrryboy
Well-Known Member
The idea is to tty a replicate 'proper' whistle feeding the way FT keepers do but on the cheap.
If u have a good drive that is colder and hard to hold birds or u see some shoots up my way just whistling birds up a bracken hill face and show tremendous birds.
I was just too tight with money to buy a oroper 1.
Plus i think the whistle needs to be on for far longer.
As ive said ive seen me just sitting on bucket or lean against a tree for 5 mins whistling to get all the birds in before u even start feeding.
That shoot walk i was on was organised by the Gcwt and was 1 of their main advisors, hes wrote quite a few very good books on keepering too.
He swore by the auto feeders and he had a lot off them
