Does anyone hand feed only their flock?

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, layer feed does cost more, but corn only probably won't give you optimal egg production per lbs of feed they eat. Plus, if you plan on keeping your birds more than 2 years or so, they will likely lose their conditioning much faster than if on a formulated diet. Young birds, much like young animals of any type can survive on less than ideal diets, but their later life will show for it. Doesn't really matter if you have no plans on keeping them around that long though, as they'll probably still lay decently the first year or two. However, if you do plan on keeping them for 4-5 years with the idea they will be decent layers, or for their entire 10+ year life span, you might consider keeping them on pellets as it could be cheaper in the long run. A flock is only as healthy as it's weakest member.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

I have a rooster with a cross beak problem, and he couldn't eat out of normal chicken feeders.


So I developed a special feeder from him, that would probably solve your problem too.


It's a very simple feeder to "build."


I just take a clean, empty, #10 can (the size they use in schools or even large families for canned vegetables; coffee used to come in a #10 can but I'm not sure it does anymore) and I fill it up half way with sand or very small pebbles. This weights the can down to keep it from moving around when chickens eat or knock it.


Then I fill the upper half of the can with chicken feed.


My cross beaked rooster can eat out of this feeder because he has plenty of room to scoop up the feed, without the feeder moving while he scoops up the feed the best way he can.


I noticed that the other chickens seem to prefer this tin can feeder to the feeding strips with the 16 holes that I bought at the feed store. Every now and then, they knock the feeding strips off the feeding table, but they NEVER knock that #10 feeding can over.


If you don't have a #10 can, go to your local school -- they will have plenty of them there, and will probably give you how ever many you want.


If you can't get one any other way, WalMart has a special section where they sell industrial sized (ie, #10 cans) canned foods. Alot of people who run day care operations in their homes buy these, as do families with lots of kids, so every WalMart has an area like that. Just buy a #10 can of your favorite food, even if it takes several meals to eat it all.


It won't be any more expensive than buying a specialized chicken feeder, and might just be less.

 

[Eglyntine]

Quote:
THANK YOU! That is a brilliant idea and I have plenty of those cans. You can still get your coffee from Costco and Sam's Club in those cans.

And for the other comments, thank you as well. I completely agree that feeding only corn is not that good of an idea. My birds free range in my yard, they get fruits, veggies, bugs, you name it and I also have a pretty good size worm farm so they get those on tap as well. But for "store bought food" I was trying to keep the cost and winter is coming up so corn is a good source of keeping them warm. Glad to see no one else has any problems with their birds not liking a specific kind of feed. I must have really strange birds.