The Nosloc poultry feeder is an on demand automatic feeder that is specifically designed to stop wild birds (such as sparrows) accessing the feed.  It also protects the feed from rodents. 

The feeder is suspended above the ground at a height that chickens can reach the bottom of it.  At the base of the feeder there is a hole with a heavy spring hanging down.  The spring is designed to prevent the feed from falling to the ground but the chickens can see the feed held there by the spring.  When a chicken sees the feed they instinctively peck at it, which causes the spring to vibrate and some of the feed to fall to the ground.  The chicken then pecks it off the ground.

• Weatherproof, so it can be placed outside.
   
• Wild bird proof (mostly).
   
• Cheaper than the cantilevered feeders, which are the only other wild bird proof feeders on the market.
   
• Easier to teach chickens to use than cantilevered feeders. 
  
• The spring unit can be adapted to fit a number of different containers.  The spring can be bought separately from the fondant container it is normally supplied with.

• Sparrows can learn to fly at the spring to dislodge food.  However they still can't get as easy access to the chicken feed as they would with a conventional suspension feeder.
   
• The lid on the fondant container that comes with the feeder is not that easy to take off.
   
• Mixed grains cannot be used in the container as the chickens will simply peck at the spring to get their favourite grains (usually sunflower seeds) and leave the not so tasty grains uneaten.
   
• Not suitable for chicks or very young chickens.
   
• Nosloc feeders can only be bought by mail order.

Nosloc Automatic feeders can be ordered from the Nosloc Site.