Will the chicks eat the feed they scatter around their feeder?

[littleandlewis]

So my baby chicks seem to empty their feeder very quickly with most of the feed going on the floor of the coop. Will they eat that feed on the floor or do I need to keep refilling their feeder?

Thanks.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

They will pick at it, yes, but there will still be considerable feed waste as it gets trampled into the bedding (and then scooped out), mixed with feces, etc. What type of feeder are you using and how have you got it situated in their coop? You can often solve a large part of the issue by raising the feeder up to at least chest height, but some feeder types also require other minor modifications to prevent waste. Are your chicks billing the feed out with their beaks or digging it out with their feet?