The Saga of the huge metal monster, day 4

Lacey stands on the wooden edging in the coop,
Stretching as far as her tiny chicken toes will let her.
The awful pink monster to her right holds another small handful of food just inside the lip of the metal monsters mouth. A mountain of pellets studded with peas that glisten in the afternoon light
Lacey wants them more than she has ever wanted anything.

She Strains, her pleading cheeps turn to angry preeps
The tip of her beak still inches from the feeder
Her face growing redder

and

REDDER
The ducks look on.

 

 

The pink monster sighs, no chickens will eat from the metal monster tonight. It will retain it's prize of chicken feed.

I love my grandpa feeder.
Well, I love the idea of it.
A box that my birds will eat from that the rats and sparrows can not? Yes please!
It's well constructed, weather proof, holds a lot of food so won't need filling as often.

That's especially true if no one will go near it.

Phase 1 of a completely open feeder went well, some chose to eat in secret, so it took a while to realise everyone was even having a go.
Phase 2 has changed the game however, Chuck the cockerel is terrified of being anywhere near the thing. Stevie and the duck hussies avoid the treadle, but cheat by being tall enough to stretch over it anyway. Afterwards Stevie stands up tall and proud to loudly announce his domination of the evil harbinger of death.
Unfortunately training also involves eliminating other food sources, so treats go in the feeder and there are no other containers full of pellets and sparrows around. Chuck especially is convinced we are trying to starve them.
Hunger has not enticed him to venture onto the treadle, he chooses instead scamper around like a bird on fire and beg the pink human monsters to fill his belly.

We've resorted to sneaking into the coop at night and placing the chickies one by one on the feeder so they realise this thing isn't going to bite their heads off. Sunny screams when the lids lifts, Lacey gorges and scampers away. Chuck, already upset at the indignity of being handled in front of his ladies takes a few bites before blobbing silently like a statue. An angry ANGRY puffy statue.

Will they figure it out tomorrow?
Probably not, but there is hope!