Chooks do have a mind of their own and mine have decided that the treadle feeder is not for them.
I want to see hens foraging and eating grass. Belatedly, I have realised that doing those things makes them far less likely to want to learn to use the treadle. I have given it a good shot, kept them in for 10 days for the second attempt (which coincided with Belle's claw needing to be kept as dry as possible) and worked through the first and into the second stages of treadle training twice, and each time got to the same point before grinding to a halt: they are so frightened of the feeder lid moving, even just a little distance, that they would rather not eat at all. And that is where I have to bail out: I cannot, will not, starve them.
It's probably naive but I really thought my chooks would want to eat their pellets, as well as grass and bugs and worms, from this new feeder in just the same way as they have eaten pellets from the old feeder. But it seems not to be the case. I did understand the treadle feeder 'action' as I had watched lots of videos (!!) of it being used with hens but I did not factor in, until it was rammed home to me by mine, that the chooks in those videos are living in relatively barren environments - indoor or outdoor areas with no foraging opportunities. No grass to eat, no earth to dig in, no hedges where dozens of bugs and flies lurk, and no worms. Those hens are totally reliant on pellets for their nourishment and haven't learned the delights of self- sufficiency, so of course they will be more likely to approach and step on the treadle and take their chances with the moving lid to reach the food. Mine however have learned to get much of their daily food needs by foraging and there is no way they are going to be so desperate to eat pellets that they will take the same 'risk' with the moving lid.
I 'get' the concept of ensuring they do not have access to any other food source so that they overcome their wariness towards the feeder but at what point does this stop? 'Til they are so hungry they have lost the will to live? I had no objection to putting all snacks into it, that seemed fair enough to me. But taking them out of their foraging environment as well made me very unhappy. I know I had to do something for Belle, but she can have outside access now, and I can't justify confining them just for the feeder to work. When I felt my chooks empty crops last night that was it. They have enough weight on them to withstand a few days probably but I still can't bring myself to force that on them.
It was only my wish to deal with the rats and the fact that I needed to keep Belle under cover for several days that made me try again. Simplistically I know the chooks should be hungry enough to eat any food if that is the only source - which it has been but I guess my hens have a different mind set. They have become the kind of chickens I have encouraged them to be - busy, curious, independent minded birds who enjoy being out in almost all weathers and are keen to investigate the world. The kind of hens I see in villages around here and elsewhere pottering contentedly around farmyards and lane edges. It may seem odd to some, but it makes me happy seeing happy hens!
As it is my hens do not want to take that step back from the life they know and quite plainly enjoy. Foraging for their own food creates brain activity. OK so they don't have big brains at all, you really can't accuse a chicken of being an intellectual but what they do have is alive and tingling when it is given the chance to be used. The whole experience of trying to incorporate this feeder into my chook's lifestyle has made me even more adamant that I don't like any method of training that exploits a basic need.
You will probably guess (if you read my blog a lot) where I am going with this but I really can't help making comparisons between the treadle training and feeding from the hand dog training methods. Nor is it too far from the mindset of those who keep their dogs crated all the time unless they want the dog to interact with them. Dogs have a need for affection and closeness - denying them those exploits a basic need...... Anyway, my chooks didn't eat for a couple of days twice unless they performed an action (stepping on the treadle), they did not do the action so they did not get food. Some people use this principle to train their puppies or youngsters: only feeding the dog when they perform agility or related (eg tricks) behaviours they are 'training'. I'm talking about all the dog's food being withheld - it all comes from the hand as rewards for training.
Some who use and/or promote this method say it is 'all about trust'. Talk about putting a positive spin on something! Trust is hard-wired into properly well thought out positive reinforcement training methods where the dog's learning is carefully managed and structured to encourage understanding, and potential 'failure' is micromanaged to ensure the dog remains confident about wanting to learn something or to try something. So long as you have the skills and patience to do that and make learning with you fun and the pup gets most of her food needs as meals and some food as rewards, what's not to like? The trust will create and intensify a really strong bond between handler and dog. I have no problem with that.
What I have a problem understanding are the motives of people who do know all about properly structured positive re-inforcement methods to train these behaviours yet who feed entirely from the hand. Why do it? I guess it means stuff is taught quickly and I guess the pup learns to focus really fast. It needs to! I know I would. But it isn't nice, it abuses trust, and really there is no excuse. It is even worse when they pass on this 'training method' to people who don't know how to structure and manage or shape a learning experience so in effect combining abuse of trust with ignorance. This is cruel.
It really upsets me to read about, for example, a dog having to 'earn' its food by 'targeting' or 'going to a toy or to tug' or whatever it is the handler wants the dog to just do but hasn't actually taught effectively, if at all, either because they genuinely don't understand how to or they just want a quick fix. There's no trust, it is exploitation and manipulation. A dog should be able to trust that it will be fed, end of. It should not be made to go without meals to make it frantic to 'perform' a behaviour that will supposedly improve its agility performance.
I do know it is perfectly possible for someone to make it look like they and their dog have the best bond ever, and the dog has eyes only for them - all by feeding entirely from the hand. Shame on you if you do this, and more shame if you use this 'bond' to make money out of others' ignorance of how you actually achieve it. Actually, I am not sure which is worse - making money out of others without telling them exactly what you do, or telling them to do it too because it gets quick results knowing they will be abusing their dogs even more than you are.....
Personally I don't want a bond that relies on exploitation of a basic need thanks very much. I want one based on kindness, fun and love. Nellie and Archie may not leap in the air all round me and watch me like a hawk at all times at agility shows, demanding my attention and eye contact, but that suits me. We get along fine without that.
I think some people have forgotten why they originally chose to have dogs and have fallen too much in love with the idea of agility 'success'. Perhaps some people simply need to get a life? And maybe others need to ask more questions? When I got Pop I also bought Carol Price's 'Understanding the Rescue Border Collie'. What she wrote applies to any dog: that whatever our own aspirations might be in dog activities, we should always be sure we don't pursue them at the expense of our dog's wellbeing or we will lose the trust that our dogs have in us and that is far more precious than any accolade. Wise words. It is easy to become a bit frustrated sometimes, we all do, but that is a whole world away from abuse of trust at a most basic level.
Not that this is the only way to abuse a dog's trust, let's face it, there are plenty of others. We all see people getting away with things week in week out without being challenged. It doesn't take much to guess what goes on that we can't see. Someone has to set about their dog before the powers that be will step in, so there isn't much chance that other supposedly 'lesser' cruelties will ever be meaningfully challenged is there?
The more money people can make out of agility the more likely abuses on different levels will occur. I hope it never becomes a professional sport.
I haven't forgotten why I have dogs, or chickens, for that matter and so the treadle feeder will take a back seat. I'll be led by my chickens' needs, not by my own plans, however good intentioned, to eradicate the rats! I'll have to try a method to curb the rats that my chickens will find more sympathetic to their needs.
Plan B it is: We have a field shelter on order (snazzy one to go with the coop), the old feeder will go under it, and we will bring the feeder in at night, to stop the worst of the food stealing. Here's hoping the girls and Herb like their new sleeping quarters!
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