Chicken feeder OR Compost ring?

[Tookie]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

 

[sourland]

Good morning, and welcome to BYC. A combination of both methods or whichever is easier for you might work.

 

[Percheron chick]

Feed inside out of the weather or it will spoil. Compost should be outside so it does get rained on to help decomposition. Setting up the compost inside the run gives them an enrichment and food source when they can't free-range.

 

[Boppo]

I looked up compost rings and chickens and find several videos, apparently pioneered by this guy, Mark, Self Sufficient Me, out of Australia, which might be why we haven't noticed it yet here in the boondocks of USA. It looks like a good way to feed them compost and all the attendant composting bugs, and would work great inside the pen, as Percheron chick suggests. But I think you probably still should supplement with some feed, and that would go well inside the coop.

Do they have access to the coop when they are out in the pen? I would expect so. If not, maybe move the feeder with the hens, so they can get the feed while in the pen as well as in the coop. You do need to keep the feed dry, whether your pen is covered will make a difference. Make sure the feed is in a protected space!

 

[chrissynemetz]

Hi, and welcome to BYC! It's so nice to meet you! Please make yourself at home!

 

[Fuchsia]

Hello
Welcome to BYC.

 

[MetaMaori]

Hi Guys! wow thanks for all the responses!
Sorry about the compost ring lol, it must be a local name for it. its essentially just a little scratch around plastic ring for food scraps that eventually becomes a little compost pile due the hens eating and digging etc (see pic)

I have found success the last day or two with the pellet feeder right next to the coop door in a dry covered area topped up in the morning and food scraps in the compost ring in the far end of the run put out in the afternoon for them to scratch around in before bed.

Hope that makes sense.
Really appreciate all the feedback.

 

[MetaMaori]

I looked up compost rings and chickens and find several videos, apparently pioneered by this guy, Mark, Self Sufficient Me, out of Australia, which might be why we haven't noticed it yet here in the boondocks of USA. It looks like a good way to feed them compost and all the attendant composting bugs, and would work great inside the pen, as Percheron chick suggests. But I think you probably still should supplement with some feed, and that would go well inside the coop.

Do they have access to the coop when they are out in the pen? I would expect so. If not, maybe move the feeder with the hens, so they can get the feed while in the pen as well as in the coop. You do need to keep the feed dry, whether your pen is covered will make a difference. Make sure the feed is in a protected space!

Brilliant Boppo, thanks so much.
Yes the run is mostly covered and the compost ring is in the uncovered part.
Blown away by all the positive feedback.

Appreciate it all

 

[MetaMaori]

Feed inside out of the weather or it will spoil. Compost should be outside so it does get rained on to help decomposition. Setting up the compost inside the run gives them an enrichment and food source when they can't free-range.

Exactly what ive ended up with.

Thanks so much

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Welcome to the coop! I use the Forums and Articles tabs at the top of the page to do research. You can get lost for hours. It's nice to know you are minutes away from getting help with questions and emergencies!