HELP - Chickens scattering feed out of hanging feeder

[AllChookUp]

I'm not sure if this is a "learned" group behavior or not. Within the last month, the chickens have started to dig out and scatter around the feed from my hanging feeder - It's a Littel Giant 40-lb, 17" pan feeder. The feeder has 3 holes for changing the feed flow gap on the tray bottom, and I already have it set to the smallest gap. I've tried larger gaps, but as you'd expect, they're doing the same thing regardless of the gap.

The feed winds up depleted from the feeder quickly, laying all over the floor of the run (and ticking me off with the cost of wasted feed). This never happened in the past when I just had Wyandottes and Orpingtons. In the last year after introducing Red Stars to the flock, their habits seem to have changed.

I removed the feeder in the hopes of the chickens eating the feed that's spread all over the floor.

Before I drill another set of holes to make the feeder tray gap even smaller, has anyone else experienced this?
Any remedies?


Thanks for any input!

 

[7 Biddies]

My chickens are doing the same thing and I have Wyandottes and Orps, but no Red Stars. I wonder if they're spoiled, looking for their favorite seeds in the feeder and throwing out the rest? At any rate, my 7 biddies just went through a $35/50 lb bag of organic feed in 12 days!! At this rate, my eggs, when I get them, will be worth $99.95 a dozen!! I have a cat who's doing this, too, so am not mixing his cat foods any more. I wonder if he and the girls had a little talk?

I have them spending more time in the chicken tractor, trying to fill them up on free grass and bugs.

 

[AllChookUp]

I really do think it's a "learned" behavior and the entire group starts doing it (as far as I can tell).
I agree with letting them range to fill up with other foods (bugs, etc.), but I think the behavior still has to be addressed. I may try drilling another hole to keep the feed from filling the pan more slowly (mmaybe they'll just eat it from the pan if it's harder to scatter out).

FYI, I have tried raising and lower the feeder as far as possible, with the same results.

 

[katescountryfarm]

I never had any luck with hanging feeders. I now use several horse grain pans. Less mess and waste in my opinion.

 

[Den in Penn]

Try putting a deeper lip around the outer edge of the pan so that when they flick it, the feed falls back in. They only throw it so high with their beaks to get it our of the way. I never fill my feed trough all the way up for that reason.

 

[azygous]

Here's what I did when I had the same problem. I designed and made a feed catcher to fit onto the feeder. You need a heavy, stiff fabric like canvas or naugahyde. Heavy wire slipped into the seam keeps it rigid. The loops are made from the strapping that comes around heavy packaging like lumber. And the fastener is a quick release buckle I got in the camping section at Wal-Mart. The flaps on either side of the fastener keep the belt, which is heavy elastic, from slipping out of the loops when you're taking it off . It's saved me many, many pounds of spilled feed over the years.

 

[AllChookUp]

azygous - That's a slick solution. My pan is already 17", but I guess the point is that the additional "catcher" pan is bigger than the area they can eat from, so less gets wasted. I'll have to think about how I can do that with a solution similar to yours.

Den in Penn - When you say you're using a feed trough, what size & shape are you using? I know some people like katescountryfarm use horse grain pans, but it sounds like your is the old-style rectangular feed trough?


Thanks, everyhone!

 

[MemesChicks]

Nice! I'm going to try this. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Den in Penn]

Yep. the old style home made square trough. Left over wood with wire across the top to keep them from standing in it.

 

[Den in Penn]

The interior dimensions are 4.5" deep x 5.5" wide. The edge the chickens reach over is 9" high. You can barely see the wire across the top that keeps them out.