Best feeder to prevent waste??

[mdbokc]

We use hanging feeders as well. As just mentioned, the height is most important, imho, to reduce the waste. It is simply nonexistent. Layer pellets, not crumbles in use for the layers.

 

[stcroixusvi]

Quote:
Would you mind telling me what this means?

Thank you,
Anne

 

[Fred's Hens]

Most folks believe pellets minimizes waste.

 

[stcroixusvi]

Fred's Hens :

Most folks believe pellets minimizes waste.

Thank you, I understand - am very new to this, and mine are only 1.3 weeks old.​

 

[ben is a terror]

Doesn't the damp food get moldy? Do you use pellet in the PVC feeders? How high do you put them? Can you use this system with ducks also?

 

[doitright]

that is the very best I've seen ! THANKS!

 

[Wayside Farm]

I just put together a 3" PVC pipe feeder. It's amazing! I replicated one posted on here. It uses a Y connector at the bottom and does not have a trough like many of the others you will find posted on BYC. They do not waste a single crumble now and I can fit several days worth of feed into the feeder. I have seen some pics of people running the pipe to the outside so you don't even need to enter the coop to fill it.

See this pic (from the original poster) of the one I copied. For 20 chickens you will probably need a few of them. I have six 5 wk old chicks eating from one feeder. I will add one more as they get bigger.

db

I have the same PVC setup, with mash, and the hens are making a mess. It looks like they are picking for their favorite morsels. There's a side swipe motion with their heads. Lots of waste, even with them eating off the ground.

Do you think going back to pellets would help?

 

[Chick Norris]

Pellets would help for sure. If you want to stay with mash just add a small length of pipe to the open end of the Y. That way they'll have to reach in a little further and won't be able to swipe the mash out as easily.

 

[CrazyTalk]

I have the same PVC setup, with mash, and the hens are making a mess. It looks like they are picking for their favorite morsels. There's a side swipe motion with their heads. Lots of waste, even with them eating off the ground.

Do you think going back to pellets would help?

If they're flicking it out of the feeder, you need to make the mouth of the feeder longer. I use 2" long pieces of PVC. There should be NO waste with these styles of feeder.

Your feeders may also be too low.

 

[Wayside Farm]

Thanks @CrazyTalk and @Chick Norris. I'll try the extension this weekend and let you all know how it goes!