i haven't turned a feeder on in over five years. we just dump it on the ground. i think tlbnlawton is right. my son likes to walk the bag out or kick it around and i've just been making piles. when we go back and look, what he walked out is gone and my piles have been eaten on but it looks like they go for the corn that was spread out first. i just realized this, so thank you tblnlawton! going to pick up some corn today.