Chickens are wasting food!

[MMose]

Hello All chicken peeps!

We’ve recently made the switch from pellets to a locally made whole grain & nutrient feed. I’m noticing that there’s something in the new feed that my chickens aren’t loving. So I’ve built a box around the feeder, thinking that whatever is spilled out I can shovel up, ferment, and feed them. Great idea in theory, but these are chickens we’re talking about here there’s little bits of poop or feathers or bedding in there as well. Should I try strain/scoop that out? Or just collect, ferment and feed?

 

[raingarden]

When the feeder is empty they will pick up every little particle for you. That's the trouble with feeding ad lib. It is more economical and efficient to only give them the amount of feed they need for the day.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I would rethink this - that's a LOT of spillage which means they're not getting the full nutritional balance from their daily feed. Have you considered fermenting this feed and feeding it that way, rather than dry?

If you like having a dry feeder as well, the way I handle it is I serve fermented feed in bowls, and also have a dry feeder of pellets available. Much less waste and mess.

 

[Happy hen lover]

I have a no spill feeder I made out of 5 gallon bucket and kit that's like this. And there truly is no spillage. Just a thought

 

[Cindy in PA]

When the feeder is empty they will pick up every little particle for you. That's the trouble with feeding ad lib. It is more economical and efficient to only give them the amount of feed they need for the day.

I have free fed for 29 years & have never had a problem with going through more feed than I should. I have always used a deep gravity feeder (presently a Kuhl one) & not the narrow, shallow ones you get at TSC.

 

[3KillerBs]

We’ve recently made the switch from pellets to a locally made whole grain & nutrient feed. I’m noticing that there’s something in the new feed that my chickens aren’t loving. So I’ve built a box around the feeder, thinking that whatever is spilled out I can shovel up, ferment, and feed them. Great idea in theory, but these are chickens we’re talking about here there’s little bits of poop or feathers or bedding in there as well. Should I try strain/scoop that out? Or just collect, ferment and feed?

That feeder is adjustable. Since you're feeding a crumble or mash instead of pellets, reduce the opening so that the feed can't come out as fast and stays lower in the pan -- making it harder to scoop out.

When mine spill a lot (my one feeder adjusts on a spring and periodically unscrews its spring so that I have to re-tighten it), I just stop feeding them for a few days until they've cleaned up all the mess.

Note: if this new feed is a mash rather than a crumble -- a fine, powdery consistency rather than the coarse graininess of crumble -- it may be meant to be fed fermented or wet rather than dry in a bulk feeder. Mash feeds can be so fine and flour-like that the birds can't pick them up effectively.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I put the chicken feed into a tub, they can kick it around and it doesn't go anywhere. Some times I use a dresser drawer.

 

[SueT]

Are you sure the feed is fresh? Check the mill date on it. Check that it’s not moldy or funky smelling.
How many chickens do you have? Could you be putting out too much at once?
I use Purina Flock Raiser (a 20% protein all flock) and my chickens really like it and don’t waste it. (This wasn’t the case w other feeds.) I only put out what they can eat in one day, and I store the rest in airtight containers in the house.