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How can I avoid so much wasted food?

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emvickrey

emvickrey

ChowDown Silkie Farm
10 Years
Mar 5, 2009
6,069
238
306
Hornbeak, Tennessee
My youngsters seem to be the worst at it. They waste so much starter it isn't funny. They could eat for 2 weeks what they throw on the ground and it gets wasted except for the flies it attacts. I just scooped up the last mound of feed last week and they have this mound already. This is under just one of my juvie coops that is divided into 2 cages and holds 5 chicks.

I tried to stop this by putting those aluminum foil pans under the feeders. They dig out the food then dust themselves in it and it gets thrown out of the cage and on the ground. That and they seem to not care where they poop at. The food in the pan has to be tosed out everyday because it has became a toilet.

I'm hoping that osmebody has a remedy for this. I use the feeders that you attatch a quart jar to. Water also. When they get bigger I use the larger feeders that are red on the bottom and white on top and can be adjusted as to how much comes out of it. In the adult coop it is a huge tray that goes under a very large planter for the food and a 5 gallon bucket cut in half to make shorter. They scratch out the food anyway, but they can get to it to clean up their mess.

Here's a pic of the pile. It is about 2 inches deep 3' long and 1' wide. Alot of feed.
wastedfeed.jpg


This is what I call the Juvie coops. It holds them at 3 different sized until they get big enough to put in the big coup
YoungstersPens.jpg
 
Put the feeders up on something a brick so on so that the feed is at the back of the smallest chick. This should help with them just playing with it instead of eating it
 
The problem may be that they can get into the catch pan. I use pans that are just a bit larger then the base and rise above the base a little. Also helps if the sides of catch pan are straight up and down.

This year I used the clear plastic pans that are used for putting under house plants.
RIRs in inside brooder

Matt
 
I've had zero waste with this concept.

Chicken sticks head in hole.

Chicken eats and flips food.

Food stays in bucket for next chicken.

I can adjust the height, which is critical to stop waste.

This is mine. The idea is the important thing, not my particular feeder.There are lots of others on here.

Search "homemade feeder"

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Great feeder codybird!

emvickrey...I don't know if a feeder like that will work in your setup. I know when I have chicks on wire in a brooder, I have a lot of feed waste also. I just make sure I have some chickens loose in that area to eat what falls out. I don't feed those chickens, they have to eat what is spilled.

When I brood chicks on the ground, I don't have near as much waste, but I still have some, it takes them some time to figure out to eat it and not just scratch and sling it everywhere!! Just like kids!

Jean
 
Quote:
Thats a great idea. We're gonna try this one out in the adult coop. It's too big for the smaller ones. It may work in a sized down form in the larger Juvie coop. The one with the ladder leading to it. We no longer have any chickens running loose. I do let 2 of them roam from time to time, but My Saint will kill them if they get into his space. Its on accident because he just wants to play. They're too small to play with though. Thanks for the great idea and to all of you that have and will suggest different ideas. I really appreciate it. We have gone through way too much feed in the past year and the starter that gets wasted that I have to scoop up is really stinky and draws flies. Another reason to find another way.

The wild birds to eat it but not all of it. WE have an area that we take all the chicken waste along with the dirty bedding materials. I was told that these things mixed with straw or other woody waste and let to sit is a great fertilizer. Is that true. We havne't tried it out on anything yet.. Actually afraid to kill our plants.

Again thanks and keep them coming.
 
Quote:
When we was letting the chickens out they would eat alot of it. But we have them all contained. Occasionally I let a couple of the younger ones out.
 
Quote:
The first few days out of the incubator, I use either self liner or the stuff in the pic. It is the the large rubber nonskid mat that you buy to put under a rug. I think it was $5 for a 4'x6' piece. I cut it in half and use the 4'x3' pieces yearly. Under that is a few layers of newspaper. Once they get the brooder dirty I remove the liner and a couple layers or paper and put in a fresh liner. Once I get a couple dirty liners I soak them in a bucket for a few minutes and spray everything off with a waterhose. Then they go through a quick bleach wash in the washing machine. Hang and dry for the next go around.

The nonskid mats help them get a good footing and build nice strong legs before going on shavings. Haven't had a single case of spraddle leg develop or a slipped tenden since I started using this stuff. In fact, I had a chick hatch sort of spraddled and in a couple days it was able to correct itself with the good traction.

Matt
 
I thought that looked like that padded shelf liner. But the holes looked a little bigger than the stuff that is at the Dollar General Store. I was looking at that the other day and was thinking about using it for just this reason but wasn't sure. I am now. I think i'll go and get some tomorrow.
I have 3 pips right now
jumpy.gif
but not due to hatch until tomorrow. temp stayed mostly around 100 and 101 so that may be why.

I love this part of the incubating part. It's just hard to leave them alone for me.
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