chickens scattering their feed all over the coop floor

[kerbotx]

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?

You want to make only as much as what they will eat in one day, and that does take some trial & error in the beginning - so start small. I started with a rain gutter that was already on hand, but the vinyl turned out to be hard to clean. Eventually I added trays that rest perfectly in the gutter. The trays are the bottom half of those trough-style chick feeders, which are plastic, so they're much easier to clean! Someone here on BYC made this: (sorry I didn't note the owner!)

 

[Aapomp831]

You want to make only as much as what they will eat in one day, and that does take some trial & error in the beginning - so start small. I started with a rain gutter that was already on hand, but the vinyl turned out to be hard to clean. Eventually I added trays that rest perfectly in the gutter. The trays are the bottom half of those trough-style chick feeders, which are plastic, so they're much easier to clean! Someone here on BYC made this: (sorry I didn't note the owner!) View attachment 2419044

Ok, that makes sense.... thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

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?

My solution to that is to only offer it in the morning. So first thing they get in the morning are bowls (as I have a smaller flock I use cat/small dog bowls, even an individual pie sized dish) of fermented feed, and then dry feed remainder of the day. Same with any wetted crumble powder, just in the AM. The fermented and wet feed are eaten in a couple of hours, so no risk of it spoiling.

 

[Mouthpear]

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?

What I recommend is not the cheapest nor easiest, but it cuts, way, down the amount of waste.

Use a timed feeder. Home made or purchase a "deer feeder" setup. Feed through out the day. Give them a good amount but not to fill the troth. Anything they spill/rake out won't stay on the ground long if the troth gets "emptied" sooner. The problem is they are getting picky. If there is nothing left in the troth they will go back and eat what fell to the ground. Beggars can't be choosers.

Set timer to go off every so often. Frequently at first. At the end of the day if there is still lots of feed on the ground , reduce the amount of times it turns on. Clean up all wasted food. Then check again the next day. Do that until there is nothing on the ground and maybe just a bit in the troth. If the troth is completely empty and nothing on the ground, then increase frequency.

It would also be a good thing to feed scratch mix and pellet feed on separate timers/feeders. Set pellet feeder to dispense more frequently and alternate between the two feeds.

Like I said it will cost you more at first but in the long run you will end up saving money and trips to go get feed. Less clean up. Less rats and other small birds eating their food. Less smell of fermenting dropped feed.

They sell small feeders like this one. You will need to add a PVC pipe or some AC duct around the motor/spreader to keep it from spreading and funnel it down to the troth. Hang it the way this guy did. But use chain instead.