how to stop food waste?

[shawnkfl]

my quail throw food everywhere! they waste a bunch every day and by the time i get home, they're starving! i'm just using one of the long metal ones with holes in the side. it's like the round ones with holes, except straight. what is a better feeder that they cannot waste it all? i tried a rabbit feeder because it holds more food but they just climbed in it and used it for a dust bath, kicking all of the food out!

 

[QuailKeeper]

qgf has a large(22 lb.) feeder with anti-scratching vanes, but it is kinda pricey for a feeder(but i guess its worth it if theres not much feed waste. i had some left over plastic poultry netting from building a quail run and i cut it to size and put it in my circular feeders and my plastic game chick feeder. hope this helps

 

[laputa]

I use the long metal ones with holes too, but I haven't had any food wastage problem. Just a little bit. They are sticking in nothing but their head, if they swing their head sideways while they eat, most of the the feed still remain in the feeder.

Could it be you put too much feed in the feeder that they can be easily scratched outside?

 

[AHappychick]

I just got a new feeder that seems to be working I will find a link in a few, also I just wrapped wire over my other ones and that seems to be working. I will take a pic. I have been going crazy trying to stop my quail from wasting food.

 

[JJMR794]

Shawn You Shouldnt Have Any Problems With That Stick Feeder....

 

[shawnkfl]

Quote:
i wouldn't have thought so, but every night i get home from work, all of the food is on the ground. they get on top of it and stick their feet through the holes and scratch it out. i can see a butchers block in their near future

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
i wouldn't have thought so, but every night i get home from work, all of the food is on the ground. they get on top of it and stick their feet through the holes and scratch it out. i can see a butchers block in their near future

HA HA! OH COME ON NOW YOU WOULDNT DO THAT TO THOSE 2 GIRLS WOULD YOU???

 

[AHappychick]

ok here is what I did I wrapped wire and gave it some give towards the bottom and it is totally working. I use these for my small pens.

and in the bigger ones I use this from Strombergs. Both have little to no waste

http://www.strombergschickens.com/images/feeders/BBF_L.jpg

Baby Bantam Game Chick Feeder

A perfect size, may be placed within most all game or bantam chick brooders, 12" long, 6" wide, 5 1/2" high. The very low 1 inch feeding edge is just right for the smaller chicks. Feed capacity 5 lbs. New design!Sturdy plastic.

 

[shawnkfl]

awesome idea! i'm all over that this week! thank you for the pics. long term, i'll buy one of those larger ones too.

 

[QuailKeeper]

thats the smae kind i have, but the quail learned how to turn sideways and scratch out even more food. thats where the poultry netting came in...