Chickens by Easter .... Maybe

[blackdog043]

We are feeding chick crumbles. At the moment they are learning how to scratch and have either billed or scratched most of their feed out onto the floor where they are now merrily scratching away. Made the biggest mess

Here's a thread link with my build and a couple other ideas, that might help you with wasted chick feed.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/no-waste-chick-feeder-build.1297528/

 

[Texasclucker]

Awesome! Love your coop

 

[aart]

Didn't think about putting the grit on the sod .....

Kitchen scraps was a bad description ... meant something like a couple of cucumber slices or something similar for them to play with ....

We are feeding chick crumbles. At the moment they are learning how to scratch and have either billed or scratched most of their feed out onto the floor where they are now merrily scratching away. Made the biggest mess

They don't need any other foods.
Make roosts and such for them to 'play' with.

I did something similar to @blackdog043 chick feeder mod.
It works really well.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/mod-to-standard-chick-feeder.75657/
Another thing you can do is put feeder up on a 8oz sour cream container filled with sand for weight,keeps them from easily scratching at it.

 

[45lk9p459gm-w]

Awesome! Love your coop

Thanks .... I has been a journey.

 

[45lk9p459gm-w]

Made some changes to the brooder …. I looked at both links @aart and @blackdog043 suggested and may try one of them later. I did raise the feeder up like @aart suggested since it was easier to implement and it stopped the scratching. I still see a little billing going on but at a much reduced rate.

the small water fount was impossible to keep clean so I moved up to the “rent-a-coop” waterier shown. It is working out much better and I will need it out in the coop anyway.

trashed the paper towels and used pine shavings this time and believe I will have better results in the clean department. The chicks are loving them anyway.

 

[cherrynberry]

Made some changes to the brooder …. I looked at both links @aart and @blackdog043 suggested and may try one of them later. I did raise the feeder up like @aart suggested since it was easer to implement and it stopped the scratching. I still see a little billing going on but at a much reduced rate.

the small water fount was impossible to keep clean so I moved up to the “rent-a-coop” waterer shown. It is working out much better and I will need it out in the coop anyway.

thrashed the paper towels and used pine shavings this time and believe I will have better results in the clean department. The chicks are loving them anyway.

View attachment 2653272

cute!

 

[45lk9p459gm-w]

If I have my thinking right ... the ventilation in the coop must be working pretty good since the inside and outside temp/humidity was about the same. I would think the inside temperature would be higher than the outside. But then there isn't an animal load yet either.

Today was bright and sunny with a slight variable breeze and a temperature of 82 and humidity of 50% at 4:30 pm. Inside the coop at the same time the temperature was the same and the humidity was slightly dryer at 44%.

 

[3KillerBs]

Today was bright and sunny with a slight variable breeze and a temperature of 82 and humidity of 50% at 4:30 pm. Inside the coop at the same time the temperature was the same and the humidity was slightly dryer at 44%.

Wonderful!

 

[45lk9p459gm-w]

Question on feed ...... The crumble feed I'm using, Purina, seems to be mostly powder. Is this normal? The chicks also seem to powder it up in the feeder. Judging by the volume of poop and their general appearance, they don't seem to have any problems eating it.

Just wondering ....

 

[3KillerBs]

Question on feed ...... The crumble feed I'm using, Purina, seems to be mostly powder. Is this normal? The chicks also seem to powder it up in the feeder. Judging by the volume of poop and their general appearance, they don't seem to have any problems eating it.

Just wondering ....

I don't have a lot of experience with different feeds, but some crumbles are finer-grained than others.

I use the powder at the bottom of the bag/feeder to make wet mash from time to time.