Chicks wasting TONS of feed. What to do?

[willowtreecreek]

Okay guys! Thanks! I will let them eat off the floor. There is likely 25 pounds on the floor!!!

 

[Uzuri]

They'll eat off the floor just fine, but don't let the feed sit in droppings for a long time. That's a great way to end up with sick chicks.

 

[Tweeza]

I had one of those very common red and white plastic feeders like you get at feed stores. I took it back because it seemed the chicks had fun billing out their food. I got a metal feeder and that stopped that. I like the one shown above (the one made out of a 5 gal bucket) but I'm not that handy.

 

[teach1rusl]

I have one of the plastic store bought feeders in the coop, and my ugly, home-made Home Depot 5 gallon bucket and planter base feeder out in the run. There is almost NO spilled feed from the bucket feeder, but tons from the store bought one.

And Tweeza...if I can make a bucket feeder, then pretty much anybody can. It's quite simple really. You should give it a shot...

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I gave up on feeders and just put it in an old pan instead. I also switched to pellets and there's hardly any waste like with the crumbles.

 

[DDRanch]

I used metal hanging feeders with a lip that supposedly reduce the billing out waste. I have recently switched to 1/2 pellets and 1/2 crumble moving toward pellets entirely. Although they don't like it as much, there is not much waste at all and my food bills have gone down.

 

[twentynine]

Leave the feeders empty for a while everyday, they will clean up the stuff the spill.

 

[fatboys farm]

you may try the feeders they stick their head in to eat but either way chick do waste feed. i try to feed them several times a day smaller amounts. cant tell when their hungrey their always hungrey. eat more coons

 

[davony's chicks]

This a great thread! I have been having the same problem. I am going to make a bucket feeder and try that. I have gone for a day or two without feeding and make them clean up their mess but then I feel guilty, I am starting to not feel so guilty due to the feed bill. LOL

 

[csaws]

Quote:
I have never seen pellets. What kind of pellets do you give them? Where do you get them?