1874 Trans. Amer. Inst. Mining Engineers 1873–4 2 161 If ten stamps or less are to be supplied with ore, self-feeding is more economical than feeding by hand.

2002 U.S. Patent 2002/0166911 A1 1/1 Self feeding is inherent in cutter wheels with saw-type teeth in which the individual teeth have forwardly inclined hook angles.

1917 Swine World July 17/2 Self-feeding is practiced in the pasturing of stock—they are permitted to graze to the limit of their desire.

1936 Amer. Jrnl. Nursing 36 143/2 Physiologically, self-feeding is probably more efficient.

1976 (title) A self-feeding program for a young multiply handicapped child.

2003 W. Allan Walker et al. Nutrition in Pediatrics 531/1 The 12-month-old infant is generally independent,..allowing for tremendous enthusiasm in the self-feeding process.

2009 Augusta (Georgia) Chron. (Nexis) 18 Jan. g6 As soon as possible, introduce finger foods so that the child begins getting used to self-feeding.

1661 V. Powell Bird in Cage sig. A8 There [were]..more straying sheep on those mountains to be brought home to Christs fold; yet the idle and self-feeding shepherds, did as much as in them lay to hinder it.

1833 New-Hampsh. Statesman 10 Aug. 1/3 His mind appeared to be less vigorous... There was not the once self-feeding and eternal blaze, with which he was wont..to illuminate or consume the objects on which it was reflected.

1861 Bristol Mercury 15 June (Suppl.) 3/1 The beau ideal of an independent, self-employing, self-feeding population.

1931 Bull. Delaware Agric. Exper. Station No. 174 84 Mortality was extremely heavy in the pen of self-feeding birds.

1992 Time 20 Jan. 64/2 Spreading the government around a bit ought to reduce that self-feeding and self-regarding Beltway culture that Washington-phobes claim to dislike so much.

2013 R. Yaron Super Baby Food 13 Self-feeding babies eat slowly.

1812 C. Artzt Let. in T. Jefferson Papers (2008) Retirement Ser. V. 152 I had the satisfaction to present to the public a complete selffeeding nail machine.

1845 P. Barlow Manuf. in Encycl. Metrop. VIII. 178/1 Self-feeding furnace.

1959 Listener 23 Apr. 739/1 I have been trying out the self-feeding paint rollers that have recently come on the market.

1991 C. J. Hunter Better Trout Habitat viii. 235 The Otter Creek research facility consists of three self-feeding rotary drums that were designed and constructed to mitigate acid precipitation.