Best chick feeder

[vdietz]

I am new to chicks and have one of the jar gravity feeders for them. They are spilling a quart to 2 quarts daily of food. I am cleaning them daily so it just gets dumped. Is there a better way?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I use a little green plastic feeder that has a guard that prevents billing out. With the jar ones they just keep pulling out the feed and throwing it on the ground.

https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/small-chick-n-feeder/0000000077536?bc=11798|11799|11824|11828

 

[chickens really]

I use the same and place the feeder into a cake pan and it's great for them. I just dump back the scratched feed back into the feeder.

 

[Mosey2003]

I use one like this when they're small (although mine is plastic):
https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/li...eder/0000000003645?bc=11798|11799|11824|11828
And then as soon as they're big enough to really reach into this without actually fully jumping in, I vastly prefer these, much much much less wastage:
https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/li...eder/0000000003647?bc=11798|11799|11824|11828I'm just being lazy and piggybacking off that previous link. The second feeder linked has feet, but I don't use those until the birds are much taller, they bend up out of the way so the feeder sits flat on the floor.

 

[vdietz]

I use the same and place the feeder into a cake pan and it's great for them. I just dump back the scratched feed back into the feeder.

Can you show me a pic? Wouldn't they just stand in the pan and poop on the scratches feed?

 

[chickens really]

Can you show me a pic? Wouldn't they just stand in the pan and poop on the scratches feed?

Yes they do at times. Who cares? They won't eat the poop. I don't have any pictures because I have no Chicks hatched at this time.

 

[ColoradoPip]

Options:
- Put something under the feeder to catch the food (paper towels, etc.)
- Raise/Hang the feeder to make it more difficult
- Use a feeder that has dividers to limit the chicks raking the food out
- Try something like aart's: https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/chick-fbf-3-9-15-2.7899605/
- Build your own based on many designs

The best ones that I have seen force the chick (and then chickens) to put their head inside of the container. At 4 weeks old you should be able to use a 5 gallon bucket with elbows (search on BYC for this and you'll see what I mean if you do not already know)

If you look at the professional brooders the feeder is mounted to the outside and the chick must reach their head under the "wall" to get at the food. Looks like it would be the only true 0 waste solution.

Found a pic:

 

[Anney-Kate]

I am new to chicks and have one of the jar gravity feeders for them. They are spilling a quart to 2 quarts daily of food. I am cleaning them daily so it just gets dumped. Is there a better way?

I get what your saying I have only had my chicken for 3 days and the waste .5 of the feed I give them

 

[Anney-Kate]

And at the rate they are going at they are going to eat the whole 50 pound bag in 2 weeks and to be honest Idk if I have the money to give them what they need I have tried to pick up more hours at work but my boss is being so hard headed.

 

[aart]

@rbnk1 had a good chick feeder mod...not sure if there's thread or article tho.
I saved some pics.