Why do chicks poop on their food?

Date sort Score sort
T-Amy

T-Amy

Chirping
8 Years
Sep 16, 2011
127
3
96
Woodhull, NY
My meat chicks always stand on their slide-top feeder that has holes in it so when they poop, it goes right into their food. They seem picky & prefer the 'fresh' food rather than the pooped-on food. I suppose i can build a cover for it that if they're standing on that, the poop doesn't fall in their food but every time I turn around, I'm trying to accomodate their bad behaviors (haha) so I'd prefer any suggestions you have...

Also, any votes on galvanized chick feeders or the red plastic ones & why? This was our first venture into meat chicks but we're going to get more laying chicks in the spring so gathering as much advice as possible regarding tricks of the trade.
 
I like the plastic ones for trough type because they are (to me) easier to use and clean. I think you should hang the feeder at about neck height that should help with the poopin thing. BTW I use a galv for my outside hanging feeder. It is about a 5gal bucket worth of food and they never poo in in... I have found eggs in it tho
smile.png
 
I like the galvanized feeder troughs with the spinning bar down the middle that keeps the chickens out of their food. Perhaps, as the other poster suggested, you could also keep raising the feeder up to back height so the chickens aren't encouraged to just walk into it.
 
great ideas- thanks!
I actually was surfing & found some home-made ones on You-Tube out of a 5 gallon bucket & plant tray that are screwed together. I think I'm going to try that. Maybe make a mini-one for baby chicks & a larger ones as they grow.
There's a lot of stuff about chickens on there!
 
I made one of those, although I used an extra feed tub I had on hand (cut it to be shallower- but the plant tray is a cheaper idea). It worked alright- definitely a better deal that the 30 for a galvanized one of the same size. The only problem I had was that the inside isn't sloped, so the food doesn't feed into the trough "automatically" like the purchased one. But I just filled it fuller to account for that and would sometimes go out in the afternoon to shake the feeder. They still did poop in it sometimes, but not as much since they couldn't walk in it as easily- they had to back onto it to poop in it. I keep my broilers in a square tractor (moveable pen) and the best feeders I have are poly rain gutter that I just drilled holes in and zip tied to the bottom rails- lots of cheap feeder space, and they don't get too terribly poopy. And they're deep enough that they hold quite a bit. BUT they're too deep for chicks, mine weren't able to use them until they were 3-4 weeks old, I believe.
 

Similar threads

alitachen
    • Like
What feeding equipment will you use to raise chicks
Replies
1
Views
435
Kiki
Kiki
F
    • Like
Do my 3.5 mo old chicks need more time to have more courage against mild aggression?
Replies
5
Views
824
Fontaine
F
BeeJayBird
    • Like
Adventures In Chick-Raising: Stage 1 (by a Newbie)
2
Replies
16
Views
1K
crazy chicken ladies
crazy chicken ladies
SuperC
    • Like
Chicks scream for wet food- do I give in?
Replies
8
Views
598
K0k0shka
K0k0shka
K
    • Love
    • Like
Allowing 4+ week old chicks access to run
2
Replies
14
Views
1K
3KillerBs
3KillerBs

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom