Help - Chickens wasting feed!

[spdykat]

I am having the same wasteful problem, only with pellets. It seems so easy for them to just scoop it all out and then tromp around on it. I left the feeder empty the past two days and found that they did clean up a good amount of area, so it seems that it's like fussy cats and dogs and kids, if they're hungry enough and not allergic, they'll eat it.
I'm going to try the suggestion of a bigger rubber pan under the feeder itself too.

 

[AthenaT]

my solution was fermenting the feed...no waste and they eat 1/3rd to 1/2 less and are healthier than ever

 

[tsmith91]

I am having the same wasteful problem, only with pellets.  It seems so easy for them to just scoop it all out and then tromp around on it.  I left the feeder empty the past two days and found that they did clean up a good amount of area, so it seems that it's like fussy cats and dogs and kids, if they're hungry enough and not allergic, they'll eat it.
I'm going to try the suggestion of a bigger rubber pan under the feeder itself too.

I put some chicken wire over the feeder tray and put the top back on trimmed the excess from around the edges they have to peck at the feed and they can't rake it out with their beak I haven't noticed any being spilled on the ground since

 

[TheBlacksmith]

You can relax, genetically engineered crops are as safe as other crops. This article has several links to real science sites. Not the pseudoscience sites that the anitgmo people use.
I repeat, they are just as safe and just as if not more filled with nutrients.

 

[farmgirl7]

I built my own feeder and I have zero waste. It is made using a 5 gal plastic container from Home Depot. I drilled two 4" holes about 2 in from the bottom on two sides of the container. I inserted a 4" elbow that was approx. 1.5" from the bottom of the container in each hole and seal with a safe silicone sealant on the INSIDE of the container (chickens will peck at the sealant if it is on the outside). Once sealant is set, fill with feed. Chickens will put their heads into the pipe and eat without any waste. I prefer crumbles, but pellets will work as long as there is enough space between the end of the elbow and the bottom of the container. Measure before drilling the holes. The elbows I had came with a collar on one end which fit right up against the container. I extended it a little and the lip of the extender catches anything that might be pulled out by the chicken.

I also use one of these containers to hold water. I bought horizontal nipples and spaced them around the container, about an inch above the bottom. I fill the container, add a tlbs of bleach to the water to keep the algae away, and put the lid back on. The water stays pristine! No pooping or walking in the water bowl.

With just 6 chickens, I can go about a week without replenishing anything. Mine are outdoors, but these will work great indoors. I have had a bit of rain get in the feed holes, so I turn them so they face away from the direction the rain usually comes and that has helped. We also recently added a porch roof over that area to provide more shade in the summer and that will also protect from the rain. We put these on top of concrete blocks and in the winter, if the weather gets below freezing, we put a light in one of the holes in the block and it keeps the water from freezing.

I hope this helps.
Sylvia

 

[kwhites634]

I agree! Each day just prior to roost time I check my chicken's run, and if there has been a lot of spilled food I remove the feeder. They clean up after themselves in no time. I have several hens who prefer to eat from the ground rather than the feeder. I call them my clean-up crew!

Just out of curiosity, were your birds' beaks cauterized as chicks, or are they fortunate enough to have what the good Lord gave them? My birds, unfortunately, were de-beaked as chicks. I, too, intentionally let my hanging gravity feeder run out without refilling it immediately, hoping my birds will clean up the spillage, but have frequently wondered just how effective they are with part of their beaks missing.

 

[Cindyjohnson]

I bought this chicken feeder from [email protected] and it solved my problem. It is durable and made out of metal. Rain or shine, easy to clean, and stops the feed wasting and keeps threats out.

 

[egeesaman]

We were having this issue as well. I got a cheap little grill that is bigger in diameter than my feeder, took the legs off and she it on top. This way I'm catching the wasted feed and can reuse it in the feeder!

 

[Al Gerhart]

This is a different sort of issue, someone wanting to feed mixed feeds.

Have you ever tried using multiple small feeders, one for each type of feed to prevent raking? Might not get a balanced ration doing that.

Another thing is that these feeders would do with a lip extending into the feed area horizontally. A rubber trim might work, might have to cut it out of sheet metal in sections, put cuts every inch on the outside part, and bend down the tabs to rivet it onto the round feeder flange.

If you don't have a rodent problem yet this might work for your coop.

 

[farmgirl7]

I built my own feeder and I have zero waste. It is made using a 5 gal plastic container from Home Depot. I drilled two 4" holes about 2 in from the bottom on two sides of the container. I inserted a 4" elbow that was approx. 1.5" from the bottom of the container in each hole and seal with a safe silicone sealant on the INSIDE of the container (chickens will peck at the sealant if it is on the outside). Once sealant is set, fill with feed. Chickens will put their heads into the pipe and eat without any waste. I prefer crumbles, but pellets will work as long as there is enough space between the end of the elbow and the bottom of the container. Measure before drilling the holes. The elbows I had came with a collar on one end which fit right up against the container. I extended it a little and the lip of the extender catches anything that might be pulled out by the chicken.

I also use one of these containers to hold water. I bought horizontal nipples and spaced them around the container, about an inch above the bottom. I fill the container, add a tlbs of bleach to the water to keep the algae away, and put the lid back on. The water stays pristine! No pooping or walking in the water bowl.

With just 6 chickens, I can go about a week without replenishing anything. Mine are outdoors, but these will work great indoors. I have had a bit of rain get in the feed holes, so I turn them so they face away from the direction the rain usually comes and that has helped. We also recently added a porch roof over that area to provide more shade in the summer and that will also protect from the rain. We put these on top of concrete blocks and in the winter, if the weather gets below freezing, we put a light in one of the holes in the block and it keeps the water from freezing.

I hope this helps.
Sylvia