[AndyRVTR]

Hi all.. at present I feed my chooks in a 5ft length of plastic guttering and I give them the same amount every day, so I control exactly how much they eat.
I have been given a 15kg poultry feeder by one of my lottie neighbours who says they're the bees knees and saves all the hassle of feeding every day.
I'm a bit concerned that if I fill this contraption, my girls will just eat and eat until there is nothing left 
Does anyone use one of these types of feeder and what, if any drawbacks are there?

[Jane-M]

There are two schools of thought (and wiser and more experience members can tell you the science of it) feeding a measured amount and feeding ad lib. Hens are not, despite all the evidence to the contrary when they are killing each other to get to the treats, greedy creatures. They will eat as much as they need. I use the ad lib approach on the grounds that
a. if some birds eat their fill and it is more than their allocation, some poor soul may be going hungry
b. even if you don't use a hopper (I don't - I prefer to feed mine daily so I can gauge how they are going) it is much easier to keep the feeding troughs/old biscuit tins topped up with a slug from a bucket than measuring out
c. when you are on hols it is a great deal easier for the hen sitter!

The only things I ration are corn and treats, and these are very rationed.

[andreadon]

we put the correct amount in their feeder every morning.

and some greens (like cabbage etc) hung up or scattered around (depends whether it's a whole cabbage)

we never leave the food in the run overnight because we have mice problems.
(this is a recent amendment and a good idea generally)

also, if you leave the food in the feeder for too long it could go manky. (if it rains - if it stays dry, it should be okay)