chickens scattering their feed all over the coop floor

[pdw]

Anyone else having a problem with their hens scattering their feed from the feeder to all over the coop floor?
I am beginning to wonder if they are eating any of it at all.
I have a feed with a mix of grains and seeds and pellets and I see mostly pellets on the coop floor .I mean A LOT OF PELLETS.
Could they just not like the pellets?

 

[MarkJr]

Anyone else having a problem with their hens scattering their feed from the feeder to all over the coop floor?
I am beginning to wonder if they are eating any of it at all.
I have a feed with a mix of grains and seeds and pellets and I see mostly pellets on the coop floor .I mean A LOT OF PELLETS.
Could they just not like the pellets?

They’re high grading their food.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I am beginning to wonder if they are eating any of it at all.
I have a feed with a mix of grains and seeds and pellets and I see mostly pellets on the coop floor .I mean A LOT OF PELLETS.
Could they just not like the pellets?

Hi there, hope you are enjoying BYC!

No, while some flocks do have preference to certain feed formulations or even pellet size.. the first poster hit the issue dead on, without any doubt.

TOO many HIGH value treats are being mixed in with the standard ration which is lower in fat than seed and more balanced than grains.. like corn which are often high energy content but don't have the added vitamins and minerals.

Remove everything BUT the pellets.. make sure their feeder is raised level with their backs to help reduce waste.. and offer the other things ONLY as a special treat coming from YOU/family personally.. and at NO more than 10% of their total daily intake.. Otherwise all bets are off as long as you continue with your current feeding practice. Great job describing, btw.. I didn't catch what type of feeder you are using.

Feeding pellets is like offering broccoli next to seed and corn is more like chips if you will.. lots of protest.. it will take a minute or two for your flock to adjust as they are creatures of habit.. But they'll quickly get with the new routine. And I PROMISE you won't regret making the change.. it will pay off long term in the health and well being of your flock which also ultimately will benefit your whole family!

Avian nutrition.. is kinda my obsession.. I've literally spent hundreds of hours on it..

My personal flock is more wasteful of pellets than crumble. But they also love when I wet it into a mash.. which is how some folks reduce waste.. as another suggestion.. but reducing access to high reward feed stuffs is going to be a major key for you, especially noting your location/mild weather, (city size range minimal ranging?), etc.

 

[pdw]

Hi there, hope you are enjoying BYC!

No, while some flocks do have preference to certain feed formulations or even pellet size.. the first poster hit the issue dead on, without any doubt.

TOO many HIGH value treats are being mixed in with the standard ration which is lower in fat than seed and more balanced than grains.. like corn which are often high energy content but don't have the added vitamins and minerals.

Remove everything BUT the pellets.. make sure their feeder is raised level with their backs to help reduce waste.. and offer the other things ONLY as a special treat coming from YOU/family personally.. and at NO more than 10% of their total daily intake.. Otherwise all bets are off as long as you continue with your current feeding practice. Great job describing, btw.. I didn't catch what type of feeder you are using.

Feeding pellets is like offering broccoli next to seed and corn is more like chips if you will.. lots of protest.. it will take a minute or two for your flock to adjust as they are creatures of habit.. But they'll quickly get with the new routine. And I PROMISE you won't regret making the change.. it will pay off long term in the health and well being of your flock which also ultimately will benefit your whole family!

Avian nutrition.. is kinda my obsession.. I've literally spent hundreds of hours on it..

My personal flock is more wasteful of pellets than crumble. But they also love when I wet it into a mash.. which is how some folks reduce waste.. as another suggestion.. but reducing access to high reward feed stuffs is going to be a major key for you, especially noting your location/mild weather, (city size range minimal ranging?), etc.

Thanks so much for this advice.it makes sense .Because I do offer them fresh veggies and fruits and meal worms almost daily thinking I am adding nutritious things to their diet . I use the standard round hanging feeder and I will raise it up today . The feeder being too low was something I had not even considered, thanks for that tip as well.
Two are suffering from severe feather loss with molting and I was going to add extra protein like chicken liver and sunflower seeds or maybe canned fish .What do you think about that??

 

[MarkJr]

High protein feed 18-24% will help better than extras. They get higher protein and everything else stays balanced.

Also look up the no spill bucket feeder @aart builds (I believe anyhow). It functions amazingly well.

 

[MarkJr]

Here. Saved you a step.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-waste-free-funnel-bucket-feeder.67218/

 

[CanadaEh]

Anyone else having a problem with their hens scattering their feed from the feeder to all over the coop floor?
I am beginning to wonder if they are eating any of it at all.
I have a feed with a mix of grains and seeds and pellets and I see mostly pellets on the coop floor .I mean A LOT OF PELLETS.
Could they just not like the pellets?

2 things:
1) don't mix things you put in the feeder - use 2 feeders for 2 kinds of feed if needed
2) use feeder that does not allow scratch or throw feed around, but has separators just to barely stick the head in

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Two are suffering from severe feather loss with molting and I was going to add extra protein like chicken liver and sunflower seeds or maybe canned fish .What do you think about that??

Well that is the reason I always use flock raiser with oyster shell on the side. Since making the switch and not using layer anymore.. my older birds have much softer molts.. as they have more on board in the first place is a lot different than playing catch up.

I would choose to mix in a chicken starter feed or maybe a game bird or turkey starter... as they should be higher in not only protein but importantly amino acids..

That being said.. chicken liver might be a fantastic treat for a boost.. loaded with biotin and other nutrients.. animal based sources.. of some nutrients are a superior to plant based or synthetic sources.

The waste free feeders where birds put their heads in a bucket.. seem to work fine for folks. It's not my style so far.. Seems like not enough ports for large flocks.

My hanging round feeder already has a lip to help stop billing of the feed and also has adjustable feed allowance.. with my over thinking brain.. gathering tools and supplies plus going forward.. is sometimes crippling and might take a year or longer before the feeder is ready.. but.. for not really any more $ and a lot less effort or thought since I don;t have any old buckets or supplies just laying around.. both my round feeders work fine.. I prefer the plastic to the metal.. although I originally thought plastic will suffer more sun damage turns out rust is a bigger deal in MY current location even with galvanized products.. I hate that my galvanized waterer is already rusting inside in the first year since purchasing new. Metal feeder has no lip but the pan is deep enough it hasn't been an issue.

I also actually hate that there's no way to tell how low the water is getting without looking inside. And it wasn't cheap.. but it's GOT to GO.

None of these have caused issues for rooster combs or wattles.

With those few changes you should notice a major difference in your feed bill.. plus long term your birds will be healthier, stronger, and ultimately happier if they aren't "spoiled".

 

[Al Gerhart]

Mixed feed is the problem as others have said. Still, the vast majority of feeders are going to be poor at preventing waste. Treadle feeders work best at stopping feed loss. They need to have a deep feed tray with at least a 1/2" wide lip projecting into the feeder to stop raking. Even then you will occasionally have a hen that has learned to rake feed furiously but a feeder lip extension stops even that.

You are going to spend at least twice the money for a small treadle feeder versus one of those hanging feeders but eventually you will have more than paid for the difference in feed savings. Plus you will not have rodent or wild birds coming in to steal feed.

 

[Aapomp831]

Hi there, hope you are enjoying BYC!

No, while some flocks do have preference to certain feed formulations or even pellet size.. the first poster hit the issue dead on, without any doubt.

TOO many HIGH value treats are being mixed in with the standard ration which is lower in fat than seed and more balanced than grains.. like corn which are often high energy content but don't have the added vitamins and minerals.

Remove everything BUT the pellets.. make sure their feeder is raised level with their backs to help reduce waste.. and offer the other things ONLY as a special treat coming from YOU/family personally.. and at NO more than 10% of their total daily intake.. Otherwise all bets are off as long as you continue with your current feeding practice. Great job describing, btw.. I didn't catch what type of feeder you are using.

Feeding pellets is like offering broccoli next to seed and corn is more like chips if you will.. lots of protest.. it will take a minute or two for your flock to adjust as they are creatures of habit.. But they'll quickly get with the new routine. And I PROMISE you won't regret making the change.. it will pay off long term in the health and well being of your flock which also ultimately will benefit your whole family!

Avian nutrition.. is kinda my obsession.. I've literally spent hundreds of hours on it..

My personal flock is more wasteful of pellets than crumble. But they also love when I wet it into a mash.. which is how some folks reduce waste.. as another suggestion.. but reducing access to high reward feed stuffs is going to be a major key for you, especially noting your location/mild weather, (city size range minimal ranging?), etc.

The only issue i have with mash is that if they don’t eat it all, what do you do with it before it molds? And what kind of a feeder besides a bowl can contain it if you have 30+ chickens?