Chicks kicking bedding into feeder, waterer...

[Masonjars]

Hello all!

So my chicks (6 BPRs, 4 RIRs) are now 5 weeks old -- yay! It's still pretty cold where I live, so they're not going outside full-time for a couple of weeks yet, but their run is built and the coop is ready for them. I'm having issues with feeding, though. They're eating really well, but they are constantly kicking the pine shavings into their feeder and then refuse to move them to eat the crumbles under it. The last few bags of crumbles have been pulverized to dust (Manna Pro Medicated Chick Starter), so I'm having to mix every batch with water for them to even access it. They mash it into a flat layer in the chick feeders and then cover it with shavings, so when I go out to check on them, they're starving. I've elevated their feeder a bit, but it doesn't seem to make much of a difference.

I work full-time and have kids, I can't pull shavings out of their food multiple times a day. Should I change their feed, their feeders, something else?? I've seen references on the forum here to pellets as an alternative to the crumbles, but I can't find any medicated chick pellets.
Also, I have a hanging waterer with those little gravity-fed cups. They still manage to fill the cups with poop and bedding. Any help greatly appreciated!!

 

[MountainWoman73]

Yeah. That's just how chicks are. Hanging the feeders helps, or just elevating them slightly. When chicks are little I put my feeder and waterer up on a block of scrap wood or on dinner plates just slightly larger than the base of the waterer. Helps a little bit.

 

[David61]

yep, thats what happens. I turn a small plate upside down to elevate the water and feed out of the bedding it doesn't stop it but cuts it back 90%.

 

[Firsttimechicksxxx]

this happened to me and what i did was i raised the feeder quite high and then made a ramp so that the chicks can get up there but they cant bring the shavings up. i am sure that this would work with steps aswell

 

[LTAY1946]

I built a rectangular frame and covered with hardware cloth that was big enough to hold a feeder and water fountain. 95% fewer chips to remove. This was not my original idea so I can't take credit for it.

 

[Al Gerhart]

The person that comes up with a chick safe chick feeder that stops the mess will make some money. Darned if I know how it could be done though. Kind of one of those things that doesn't last too long and doesn't waste that much money on wasted feed so I doubt we will ever have a commercial solution.

 

[jreardon1918]

Our chicks are now 4 1/2 weeks old. They have been in a brooder in the run for 4 weeks today. The feeder just sits on an old cookie sheet. They chicks scratch the deep bedding into the feeder. Every few days I just dump the remaining feed onto the cookie sheet. The chicks pick through and reclaim the spilled feed. We are going though far less feed this time around. In a few hours I will bring out a full feeder.

 

[FunClucks]

At 4 wks they're strong enough / old enough to switch to horizontal nipple waterers. You can get any plastic container and drill a hole and put the horizontal nipples in it. I like the 1 gallon sized pretzel containers from Rural King because they hold enough water and you can get your hand in the top, and the Roosty's horizontal nipples because they have a backing plate you hand tighten to keep the seal. Cuts my chicken chores by 50-70% when they are finally old enough for horizontal nipples. I go from refreshing the water twice a day to every 2-3 days, and it doesn't get dirty at all. Super win.

If they're still kicking shavings into it, elevate the feeder more. Give it a platform. I zip tie or duct tape reusable ice blocks to the bottom (not frozen) of the chick feeders. The inch or so elevation is great, they are heavy and so not very moveable, and washable. Every day or two I dump out the dregs of the feeder into the litter so they can peck the food out (this works if the brooder stays very dry). Also gives them something to do besides mess with each other.

 

[Debbie292d]

At two weeks, we put our DYI nipple waterer in the brooder, but also give them their other water. On occasion I poke the nipples so they come to see that water is there and peck themselves. By about three weeks, I take out their other water and make sure all know how to poke the nipples. We have a 5-gallon DYI nipple waterer in the coop, so this way, there's no having to relearn anything.

Our brooder nipple waterer is made from an old Tupperware cereal container. Easy to fill and clean, and it's hard and thick enough to keep the nipples sturdy.

We set it on a piece of 2x4 lumber for a couple weeks and then 2 of those as the chicks get taller.

 

[CountryChic63]

The person that comes up with a chick safe chick feeder that stops the mess will make some money. Darned if I know how it could be done though. Kind of one of those things that doesn't last too long and doesn't waste that much money on wasted feed so I doubt we will ever have a commercial solution.

I finally came up with using Liquid Nail to glue small pieces of wood (1 in x 2 in) onto Mason jars (qt size). Then I screwed hooks in my the wood. (I found screwing the hooks in b4 glueing worked best). Now this allows you to hang the feed or water.
We have framed wire cloth tops over our brooder bins.
I used zip-ties to hang the feed & water (with hooks). The zip ties help regulate the height. Zip up more to raise, as chicks grow.
I eventually suspended a small piece of dow rod (with the zip ties hanging on the wire cloth) & hooked on that instead of the zip ties.
No nasty water or feeders!! I had 5 tubs of baby chicks. This worked great!
Note: Place feed/water close to one side of tub/bin to make changing them easier.
Previously I tried wooden blocks under the water & feeders. That just got gross.
This method of hooks on the jars worked well for me. And I'll do it again for the next chicks.