chicken feed wasted?

[gavin]

I have 2 rr hens about 8 months old that i got from a friend that were free range
now I have the in a run that is about 16ft / 8ft and am having a problem keeping the feed in the feeder they just take the feed out and scratch it all over the ground is this normal
any suggestions

thank you for any info

 

[lilcountry]

They are just used to scratching food from the ground b/c of free ranging before and it is natural for chickens..just throw feed out for them and sometimes I'll keep some in the feeder also

 

[chickflick]

Raise the feeder so they can't scratch it out.....to the level of their backs. They may bill it out, but maybe it'll take them awhile to figure it out.

 

[Commander Chicken]

Try throwing some scratch grains out, maybe they won't trash the feeder so much.