Chicks Won't Use the No-Waste Feeder!

[3KillerBs]

I made this no-waste feeder 2 weeks ago and the chicks have not used it at all. Any thoughts on why and what I should do to modify it?

I even took the chick feeder that they keep dumping out for several hours yesterday and put mealworms down in the holes to encourage them to use this but no luck. They just dig in the bedding for spilled food.

The mealworms were still there inside this morning.

The chicks heads do fit into the openings just fine and their necks are long enough to reach, but might it help to shorten the inner portion of the elbows?

 

[sourland]

I'd shorten the elbows, and provide blocks/bricks for easier access.

 

[RainbowHen]

I agree to shorten the elbows

 

[3KillerBs]

I'll see if I can get DH to cut the elbows for me.

Most are plenty tall enough to reach and I do have a block for the Wyandotte sisters, who are the smallest, to stand on.

 

[3KillerBs]

P.S. A more current picture of the setup, though less detailed of the feeder itself.

 

[RojoMarz]

P.S. A more current picture of the setup, though less detailed of the feeder itself.

View attachment 2262563

Maybe take it off the red bricks (or remove them). I don't see where the chicks would stand and be able to reach in, then down to get feed.

Also, they may need time...mine also dug around as it was easier and not "new". Once the food was gone from the ground, they were more inclined to use the new feeder.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Generally you do want to clear out all the old feed when introducing a new feeder. Chickens are creatures of habit, won't change till they get hungry enough.

That said, notice how a chicken's eyes are on the side of the head, not on the front like a typical dog or cat or a human for that matter? That is the sure sign of a prey species that needs situational awareness to avoid being eaten. The quick movements too are a giveaway, constantly searching for movement and changing directions they are looking. You better be hyper vigilant if you are going to live long.

Now, you are asking them to stick their head deep in a bucket to eat and feel comfortable doing it.

Still, get them hungry enough and they will. This will work fine till the rodents or wild birds find the feed so I would watch the amount of feed you are feeding each day. 1/4 pound per bird per day once they have reached adult size, any more and you are feeding more than chickens and need a new feeder style.

 

[3KillerBs]

They wouldn't use it at all -- I suspect that the elbows need to be trimmed at both ends. Since we couldn't do that due to DH not having set up his bandsaw at this new property I went and bought a standard, galvanized feeder that I could hang since they were dumping the chick feeder twice a day.

 

[K0k0shka]

They wouldn't use it at all -- I suspect that the elbows need to be trimmed at both ends. Since we couldn't do that due to DH not having set up his bandsaw at this new property I went and bought a standard, galvanized feeder that I could hang since they were dumping the chick feeder twice a day.

They will rake the food out of that hanging feeder with their beaks, and when they're big enough that you put that DIY "no waste" feeder back in their coop, you'll also find that it's not "no waste" at all. They'll rake food out of the PVC joints as well. Look at your first photo, how the food is coming out. It's very easy for them to pull it out of those holes, because there's no lip. I know, because I've been there. I had the hanging metal feeder, which they raked food out of, then I made this very DIY feeder, which they raked food out of as well. Then I found that a lot of people have had this same problem with it as well, but for some reason it keeps coming up in searches and fooling people. The third feeder I settled on, which has so far worked wonderfully, is aart's design, which you can find here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-waste-free-funnel-bucket-feeder.67218/

 

[3KillerBs]

They will rake the food out of that hanging feeder with their beaks, and when they're big enough that you put that DIY "no waste" feeder back in their coop, you'll also find that it's not "no waste" at all. They'll rake food out of the PVC joints as well. Look at your first photo, how the food is coming out. It's very easy for them to pull it out of those holes, because there's no lip. I know, because I've been there. I had the hanging metal feeder, which they raked food out of, then I made this very DIY feeder, which they raked food out of as well. Then I found that a lot of people have had this same problem with it as well, but for some reason it keeps coming up in searches and fooling people. The third feeder I settled on, which has so far worked wonderfully, is aart's design, which you can find here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-waste-free-funnel-bucket-feeder.67218/

I made a miniature of that with some deli salad containers from work (as the deli clerk responsible for packing the salads into individual portion containers I have access to a nearly unlimited supply of 3# and 5#, food-grade plastic containers), but it proved so top heavy that the chicks overturned it within minutes.

The items I used can't be hung up so I have to figure out a no-tip base or come up with something different.

For the moment, the hanging feeder is working though who knows what will happen as they grow.