Chicks wasting feed?

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We've had great luck this time around by putting a shoebox lid in the 3x4 brooder and sprinkling the food in there ( 20 chicks). Yes, it's starting to get some poo in it- we will empty it out in the yard- but the chicks are scratching as they will when grown and I don't see much being wasted. I had more being wasted when the shavings would be fluffed into the feeder and the chicks wouldn't see the feed.
 
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Please please please be careful and reconsider using this feeder.. A lot of people have had problems with beaks being ripped off (yes, top beak ripped OFF)! The problem is mainly with ducklings but has happened with chicks also! If you put your finger in one of the holes and feel the top, you can feel how sharp it is.. As far as I know, it is only with the metal so you could switch to plastic.. it may cost a few dollars more but it's worth the extra to prevent your little ones from getting hurt and possibly having to cull because of something you could have prevented in the first place...

Goddess
jumpy.gif


Thanks for the tip. I just went and checked the feeders and the inside edges are not sharp at all. Maybe this problem has been resolved or maybe it was a different brand than what I bought, I don't know. I looked at the plastic ones when I bought these and was not satisfied with the construction at all. They were very flimsy and had these little plastc tits sticking out in the holes. Very easy for a chick to injure an eye while reaching in to get feed.

EDIT: spelling
 
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Quote:
Please please please be careful and reconsider using this feeder.. A lot of people have had problems with beaks being ripped off (yes, top beak ripped OFF)! The problem is mainly with ducklings but has happened with chicks also! If you put your finger in one of the holes and feel the top, you can feel how sharp it is.. As far as I know, it is only with the metal so you could switch to plastic.. it may cost a few dollars more but it's worth the extra to prevent your little ones from getting hurt and possibly having to cull because of something you could have prevented in the first place...

Goddess
jumpy.gif


I have been using those feeders with chicks for over two years now and have never even come close to having that problem! How odd!
 
the only problem i have had with the long hole style ones is them filling it with shavings constantly, every time im out there (several times a day) i have to open it and remove the shavings so they can get at the crumbles, other than that it has been great (i also have one metal one, not sharp, and one red plastic). I do also have the plastic gravity fed hole style ones (they waste a LOT), and the big metal ones with a 1" feeding trough (not so much waste, but still not great).
 
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For me I keep my smallest chicks on cardboard. This was mainly to make sure they didn't eat the bedding. But when they manage to spill thier food. I take out the bowl and they will eat the start and grow off the cardboard. when most of the food is gone I put the feeder back in. I have my chicks seperated so once they get bigger they get to go to the larger brooder where they get bedding and a plactic long feeder like pictured. As far as the smaller brooding area I took a small bowl with a lid cut apx 1 1/2 inch holes whith an exacto knife, made sure there was no sharp edges and that way they can't dig in it. They sometimes knock it over but not very often.
 
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I have that problem too and the chicks aren't tall enough yet (one week old) for me to raise it up high enough so that not so many shavings get in there. They can stick their heads in but can't curve down to really get at the feed. I take it every morning and scoop out most of the shavings and toss them back into the litter then empty the feeder into a tray (one of those black plastic trays that meat comes in from the store) which they love to scratch in...the tray is always empty every morning or night so the scratching helps them get to the food that's mixed in with the shavings and they also eat the fine crumbles that sift down to the bottom of the regular feeder. I'm sure they scratch feed out of the tray into the litter but they scratch in the litter too. The tray has enough of a lip that it doesn't all fly out. Not much pooping going on in it which surprised me and I can't bring myself to take away the tray...it's one of the things that keeps them super-busy! They love it.

I might try putting the feeder up on top of a 2x4 that's big enough for them to stand on while they eat. I did that with the waterer and it works well to keep out the shavings...I stacked two short boards and set it up there. The taller chicks can drink without jumping up on the board and the shorter ones jump up to drink. I sprinkle grit there a couple times of day too and they find it pretty well. A few shavings get into the waterer so I empty it a couple times a day but it doesn't get packed.

Definitely annoying with the shavings in the feeder but the feed volume goes down steadily even with the shavings in there...they manage to find the food somehow! I do pick out shavings a couple times a day because it bugs me:/.

I figure chicks wasting feed is just one of those things I have to deal with. With only 29 chicks and a 50# bag that costs about $12.00, I don't lose any sleep over it at this point
wink.png


Leah, Army wife, "mom" to one pug, one cat, one pot-bellied pig, one angora rabbit, 7 BO, 7 BR, 7 SS, 4 SLW and 4 LB
 
Quote:
Please please please be careful and reconsider using this feeder.. A lot of people have had problems with beaks being ripped off (yes, top beak ripped OFF)! The problem is mainly with ducklings but has happened with chicks also! If you put your finger in one of the holes and feel the top, you can feel how sharp it is.. As far as I know, it is only with the metal so you could switch to plastic.. it may cost a few dollars more but it's worth the extra to prevent your little ones from getting hurt and possibly having to cull because of something you could have prevented in the first place...

Goddess
jumpy.gif


Use the plastic ones!
 
I have one of the long style feeders as well with the "spin bar" on it an I found that if I don't fill the feeder all the way to the top and make them stick thier heads in to get the food they waste a lot less food. As soon as I fill it all the way up I have a couple girls that will run over and knock it out on the floor. Seems to be working for me. The other key is to keep it high, they recomend the middle of the birds back.
 

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