Does THIS happen to anyone else???

[chase2378]

Hi guys, Check out my photo. After I fill my feeder, the next day almost all of the pellets are out and on the ground. Is this from the chickens...mice...rats? Any idea??

Thanks!

 

[MrsRubbler]

Can the chickens land on the edge of the feeder anywhere and maybe knock it over? Is it steady enough to stay upright if one of them lands on it, I mean. Otherwise, I would be inclined to guess something big enough to pull on it and knock the feed everywhere- raccoon, maybe?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

This is very common - it is the birds "billing the feed" out - and is the biggest cause of feed waste, especially for feeders that are not in a protected area where the birds can later clean up the feed from the ground (unprotected weather can cause the feed to disintegrate and be completely lost/wasted.
Is the lip of the feeder at least as high as the birds' backs? Raising it can help to prevent waste as it eliminates their abilitiy to maneuver to bil. Alternatively, a "no waste feeder" made with pvc works wonders - there are several ways to make them if you search here on BYC to see which suits you

 

[GC-Raptor]

I see you have an adjustable feeder set on the lowest holes. Try putting it on the middle holes to lower the amount of feed in the trough. If that helps some, try the upper holes but check frequently to make sure the feed is flowing.
Young pullets tend to waste feed. Also if you have whole grains feed, such as scratch and peck brand, chickens will bill out feed they don't like onto the ground to get their favorite grain. GC