Chickens will only use feeder as last resort.

[thecatumbrella]

I'm posting to see if my experience is unique.

My young bantam flock was raised with a hanging feeder. They transitioned outside with a hanging feeder. We've incorporated other ways to eat since then (scattering pellets around the run for them to forage, and a couple of "treat" toys that just dispense a whole-grain version of their feed). Now the hanging feeder sits practically untouched! I'm not sure my d'Uccle even remembers how to use it.

I know that chickens prefer to work for their food, but this is practically an absolute. We do not free range. All this happens in the pen. I'm guessing I should still keep at least one hanging feeder available (we originally planned to have two) so that lower ranked birds can always get an easy meal?

 

[azygous]

Two things that are hard wired into a chicken's brain are needing a choice of multiple feed stations to avoid bullying, and the notion that food on the ground tastes far better than food in a container.

I have a single hanging feeder for thirteen hens with three more open bowels of feed around the run. As soon as I fill them, the chickens immediately beak out the feed onto the ground, making a flamboyant mess. A few hours later, all the scattered feed has been consumed. I sweated it in the beginning, but now just go along with their silly obsession.

 

[dearmeghann]

We have two chicknic tables, one had its legs fall off. They LOVE to go to them first thing in the morning. However, we put their scratch in it, so they filled up on their scratch first. We have Kalmbach, so it's a good scratch, but still! Now we're mixing their feed and scratch together, and it makes me feel a lot better. Our feeders are on the ground, propped up on pavers so they don't kick their bedding into it.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Two things that are hard wired into a chicken's brain are needing a choice of multiple feed stations to avoid bullying, and the notion that food on the ground tastes far better than food in a container.

I have a single hanging feeder for thirteen hens with three more open bowels of feed around the run. As soon as I fill them, the chickens immediately beak out the feed onto the ground, making a flamboyant mess. A few hours later, all the scattered feed has been consumed. I sweated it in the beginning, but now just go along with their silly obsession.

Can we swap chickens? Mine will not eat the beaked out feed! I don't understand it. Pellets on the ground? Yes, delicious. Crumble beaked around the feeder? No way, that's disgusting! Not even if I remove the feeder FOR THE ENTIRE DAY so they'll clean up their mess.

In fact, now that I think about it, they started rejecting the hanging feeder once I swapped to a beak-proof version. I guess I'm just a killjoy...

 

[Debbie292d]

We have a 20# metal hanging feeder in our main coop, and is the only source of "feed" for those chickens. They free range by day.

In the breeding coop, each pen has a 5-gallon DIY PVC port feeder. That's their main source of feed as we bring them other stuff too, like HHR, mash, or ferment.

The ducks get a plastic vinegar jug with a huge opening on one side and wired to the wall.

In all of the feeders, including in the brooders, is Kalmbach's flock maker.

We use Kalmbach's Henhouse Reserve as their scratch. We tried it as feed, but they just picked through it and made a mess, so it's just fed as scratch now or fermented with other grains. That way they're getting full nutrition in both their feed and their scratch. (These are all silkies, so I worry about that.)

I would keep your hanging feeder in there, maybe a tish lower for littler ones, so you'd always know, no matter what else was there, if they got hungry, they could eat.

 

[thecatumbrella]

We have two chicknic tables, one had its legs fall off. They LOVE to go to them first thing in the morning. However, we put their scratch in it, so they filled up on their scratch first. We have Kalmbach, so it's a good scratch, but still! Now we're mixing their feed and scratch together, and it makes me feel a lot better. Our feeders are on the ground, propped up on pavers so they don't kick their bedding into it.

If you like Kalmbach, check out Henhouse (or Chickhouse) Reserve. It's a complete feed that resembles scratch with whole-grain pieces. Much healthier than regular scratch, and your chickens will still feel spoiled!

 

[thecatumbrella]

We have a 20# metal hanging feeder in our main coop, and is the only source of "feed" for those chickens. They free range by day.

In the breeding coop, each pen has a 5-gallon DIY PVC port feeder. That's their main source of feed as we bring them other stuff too, like HHR, mash, or ferment.

The ducks get a plastic vinegar jug with a huge opening on one side and wired to the wall.

In all of the feeders, including in the brooders, is Kalmbach's flock maker.

We use Kalmbach's Henhouse Reserve as their scratch. We tried it as feed, but they just picked through it and made a mess, so it's just fed as scratch now or fermented with other grains. That way they're getting full nutrition in both their feed and their scratch. (These are all silkies, so I worry about that.)

I would keep your hanging feeder in there, maybe a tish lower for littler ones, so you'd always know, no matter what else was there, if they got hungry, they could eat.

Ha, I just replied to someone telling them about Henhouse Reserve! We use something similar from Scratch & Peck and it's amazing, but like you, I want to make sure they're getting their full nutrition. We're using Flock Maker crumbles right now. They seem a lot less dusty than Nutrena and have held up well in the humidity.

I'll be taking your advice and keeping one small hanging crumble feeder. I also created a visually blocked area around the peck toys, so the shyer birds can play with them undisturbed. Between this and the scattered pellets, I'm hoping to keep the bullying down. They're 14 weeks and everyone's getting red-faced and antsy!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm guessing I should still keep at least one hanging feeder available (we originally planned to have two) so that lower ranked birds can always get an easy meal?

As far as the lower ranked birds being able to eat (and drink) it doesn't matter if the feeders (or waterers) are hanging, attached to a wall or fence, or on the ground. What matters is that they be widely scattered so they can eat (or drink) without being bullied by the others.

If they are not eating out of one specific feeder then they are getting enough from the others. I don't see the problem.

 

[dearmeghann]

If you like Kalmbach, check out Henhouse (or Chickhouse) Reserve. It's a complete feed that resembles scratch with whole-grain pieces. Much healthier than regular scratch, and your chickens will still feel spoiled!

That's what we use! I didn't realize it was a complete feed, that makes me feel better!

 

[thecatumbrella]

That's what we use! I didn't realize it was a complete feed, that makes me feel better!

It is so long as they eat all the pieces. Make sure they're clearing their chicknics and not leaving anything behind.

I really want a chicknic table (they're so cute!), but I think I'll go mad if I have to clean poo off one more thing...