Banties wasting laying mash

[CarolB]

Our banties waste more laying mash than they eat. They seem to pick out most of it onto the floor from their hanging feeder and most of it never gets ate. I don't know how to solve the problem. I do give them some cut up kitchen scraps once a day, but not very much. I have tried to not put very much feed in their feeder, but they still do the same thing. I have changed brands and it doesn't matter. Recently, we have put a broody hen in with some new bantie chicks that we purchased in a brooder coop. She is doing a good job raising them, but I noticed the babies doing the same thing. They toss the mash out of the small feeder onto the floor instead of eating it. The floor of the brooder coop is getting covered with chick starter. It is such a waste. Can anyone suggest an answer.

 

[azygous]

This is how I solved the problem of feed getting wasted on the ground. I designed and made feed catchers that fasten onto the hanging feeder. I make them out of naugahyde with a heavy wire sewn into the rim to stiffen it. I found some quick-release fasteners that make taking it off to dump the accumulated feed real quick and easy. I hardly lose a speck of food since employing these things. I couldn't find anything like it on the internet, so I invented my own. (No, I don't sell them. Sorry.)

 

[CarolB]

Thank you so much for the great idea. When I go into town I will look for some naugahyde. I can't wait to show my husband your idea. I thought the crocheted top for your chicken a wonderful idea and so cute. I also have some big white brahma hens, some brown wyandotes, one barred rock, one buff orphington, one americana, one salmon favorelle, and a very gentle buff orphington roo. We keep our bantams separate. The bantams seems to be far worse at wasting the feed. They consist of a pair (she and he) white silkies, three sebright hens, and a pair of buff (she and he) Japanese bantams. The buff Japanese is the mom right now. She is wonderful. The new ones were a mix purchase from the local feed and supply store. Again thanks so much.

 

[azygous]

Make sure you get a neutral color like white or black or brown. I have discovered chickens don't trust wild colors, particularly colorful print fabrics.

My neighbor crocheted the sweater saddle. I had her make a turtleneck because the Joycie the Brahma likes to pluck the feathers from her neck. Patterns are on the internet.