Any tricks for keeping slugs out of feeders

[townchicks]

Slugs will not cross a copper barrier. There is a type of copper tape that is sold at garden centers, that you could wrap your feeder in, and they shouldn't climb up into it.

 

[chuckachucka]

I had a big problem with slugs in the coop until i tried the copper tape. I was surprised how well it worked but the chickens did peck and pull at it. You could give it a try. It is fairlu cheap and available from amazon or ebay.

 

[Chickassan]

Lol, get them dead drunk or make their bellies smell like pennies heck of a life slugs have.

 

[Backyard Bruce]

Are you using vinegar in your water, I ask because it looks like corrosion on your water drinker which can be caused by vinegar.

 

[MROO]

Diatomaceous earth (DE) works, too. As a bonus, it also fights mites and other little yuckies, so you can mix it into your girls' dust bath, too. Just make sure you use "food grade." It's fairly inexpensive and is available at most feed stores, including TSC.

 

[jp57]

I wouldn't waste beer on slugs . I rather give the tape a try or try hanging the feeder. Part of the reason it gets knocked over too is because I use a smaller one.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Are you using vinegar in your water, I ask because it looks like corrosion on your water drinker which can be caused by vinegar.

No, but when I first got the galvanized waterer, I used to clean it with vinegar until I noticed the galvanized finish was getting dull.
Then I read on here not too use vinegar in a galvanized waterer.
I have a new one. Just waiting for this one to leak. GC

 

[lazy gardener]

Please don't use salt. It is toxic to the soil, and also toxic to the chickens. I would hang the feeder. Is the dew settling on the feed, making it moist? If so, that could be a problem. Personally, I would choose not to ever leave feed out at night b/c it can attract all sorts of the wrong kind of attention. Slugs, being the least of your worries. Unless that larger wire is covered with 1/2" hdw cloth, it is not predator proof. Rats, mice, and weasels can enter. Rats and weasels can kill chickens while they perch at night, and a coon can reach through the wire and pull a chicken to the wire, eating her through the wire. They work together to drive the birds into a state of panic until the birds can be caught.

 

[sylviethecochin]

I never leave feed out overnight. Rat infestations aren't nearly as fun as they sound.

 

[SW31]

I’ve been doing the flying slug routine. I keep an old trowel close to the run. This morning I found five large brown slugs. Each one is picked on on the trowel and thrown as far as I can. That’ll teach them.
I’ve had to start putting the feed away at nights now as I spotted mouse droppings in their food. My other problem is I seem to be feeding every local bird, most of which are living under my roof tiles. They’re very small and come out formation style once they know there’s food out!