Anyone have experience with homemade PVC feeders?

[MetalFarm]

I recently built 6 PVC feeders to save space and more importantly; feed. With the conventional feeder they were tossing it everywhere and it seemed very little was actually getting eaten. It was very wasteful and costing me way too much money in feed. So I found a plan for these PVC feeders and built 6. I couldn't find an estimate anywhere as to a bird-to-feeder ratio so I just guessed. (I have 15 hens).

These feeders are brilliant.

My only concern is I rarely see the girls eating out of them. It's been 4 days now. They're laying like normal and their poop board is certainly covered just as much as usual..... Are they eating when I'm not looking are are they not liking these new feeders?

The only time they get their heads down in there and go to town is if I put a little scratch in there. Once the scratch is gone they give up and act like I'm starving them. I suppose that's also fairly normal behavior.... They always want more scratch.

Does anyone else use this system? What was your experience with the switch over??
If they are eating like normal and staying healthy, then these things are genius. The feed is certainly going to last a lot longer

Thoughts? Thanks!
Here's a photo of 4 of the feeders. There are 2 more on the opposite wall.

 

[LindaB220]

I recently built 6 PVC feeders to save space and more importantly; feed. With the conventional feeder they were tossing it everywhere and it seemed very little was actually getting eaten. It was very wasteful and costing me way too much money in feed. So I found a plan for these PVC feeders and built 6. I couldn't find an estimate anywhere as to a bird-to-feeder ratio so I just guessed. (I have 15 hens).

These feeders are brilliant.

My only concern is I rarely see the girls eating out of them. It's been 4 days now. They're laying like normal and their poop board is certainly covered just as much as usual..... Are they eating when I'm not looking are are they not liking these new feeders?

The only time they get their heads down in there and go to town is if I put a little scratch in there. Once the scratch is gone they give up and act like I'm starving them. I suppose that's also fairly normal behavior.... They always want more scratch.

Does anyone else use this system? What was your experience with the switch over??
If they are eating like normal and staying healthy, then these things are genius. The feed is certainly going to last a lot longer

Thoughts? Thanks!
Here's a photo of 4 of the feeders. There are 2 more on the opposite wall.

Love your set up. What do you feed them? Can you tell if any is gone other than the scratch?

 

[MetalFarm]

Thanks!!! I feed them local grown Tennessee feed from the Co-Op. Right now I have them on a little higher protein just because they were out of the regular. I also throw them about 4 cups of scratch per day consisting of 5 different grains that I also get at the Co-Op. And they get leftover veggies and heads of lettuce and greens almost daily. I can't help but spoil them.

They are figuring out the feeders. When I went out there this morning 4 of the 6 feeders were in use. And they're wasting none of it. The poop board is totally covered after 3 days so these girls are obviously healthy and happy.

I filled the two feeders that you can see in the picture almost to the top, and I've noticed that they're both going down a bit.