Hi all,
Not to be punny, but I'm fed up with my chicken feed. I'm still a chicken newbie, had my flock of 5 laying hens for less than 2 years. I feed Dumor 16% Layer crumbles. It's reasonably priced, recommended by the girl who worked at TSC, and had decent reviews. But this feed seems to suck in every ounce of moisture it can find. I store the feed in an airtight container in the my garage, and it seems to be fine while it's in there. But keeping the feed from "gumming up" in my feeder is a struggle. I feed the girls daily, and try to only feed them about as much as they'll consume that day.
My husband built a PVC pipe feeder (great design so the chickens can be fed from outside the run). This feed / feeder combo worked great for nearly a year. Then it started gumming up. I'd take it apart, clean it, make sure it was 110% dry, put it back together, and it would gum up again with a short amount of time. It did not seem to correlate to days that were rainy or humid (I live in Maryland. It worked fine in the humid summer, but started having issues in the Fall when the air was less humid). Ultimately the feed wouldn't come down the tube on its own for the girls to eat it. So then we tried a new feeder with a wider PVC pipe, and added additional "security" against moisture/condensation/in case anyone so much as sneezed near the feed. The new feeder worked well for a couple months. Now it's gumming up again. It hasn't rained. It hasn't been humid. I have no clue how both open ends of the PVC pipe can be completely dry, but the food in the middle is clumping up and seems to be getting moisture in it somehow. (We tested the seals and the pipe wasn't leaking, so I don't think that's the explanation). I have finally just decided that maybe its the feed, and maybe it's too much of a magnet for moisture.
So I'm looking for feed recomendations. I'm open to feeder suggestions, too. Bonus points if it can be purchased at Tractor Supply, Chewy, or Amazon. Feel free to also offer your opinion as to "type" of feed as well (layer feed vs. all flock).
About my flock- I have Isa Browns, RIRs, and a Wyandotte that I got as chicks Spring of 2019. They currently free-range all day, but if the world goes back to normal some day, they will be free-ranged only about 40-50% of the time. Some day I plan to explore DIY feeds, but for now I'd prefer something I can simply purchase in a bag. Thank you for your thoughts! I've attached a picture of my stunning Silver Laced Wyandotte, Maleficent, for your viewing pleasure. (Appropriately named because she is in fact a tiny dragon).
Not to be punny, but I'm fed up with my chicken feed. I'm still a chicken newbie, had my flock of 5 laying hens for less than 2 years. I feed Dumor 16% Layer crumbles. It's reasonably priced, recommended by the girl who worked at TSC, and had decent reviews. But this feed seems to suck in every ounce of moisture it can find. I store the feed in an airtight container in the my garage, and it seems to be fine while it's in there. But keeping the feed from "gumming up" in my feeder is a struggle. I feed the girls daily, and try to only feed them about as much as they'll consume that day.
My husband built a PVC pipe feeder (great design so the chickens can be fed from outside the run). This feed / feeder combo worked great for nearly a year. Then it started gumming up. I'd take it apart, clean it, make sure it was 110% dry, put it back together, and it would gum up again with a short amount of time. It did not seem to correlate to days that were rainy or humid (I live in Maryland. It worked fine in the humid summer, but started having issues in the Fall when the air was less humid). Ultimately the feed wouldn't come down the tube on its own for the girls to eat it. So then we tried a new feeder with a wider PVC pipe, and added additional "security" against moisture/condensation/in case anyone so much as sneezed near the feed. The new feeder worked well for a couple months. Now it's gumming up again. It hasn't rained. It hasn't been humid. I have no clue how both open ends of the PVC pipe can be completely dry, but the food in the middle is clumping up and seems to be getting moisture in it somehow. (We tested the seals and the pipe wasn't leaking, so I don't think that's the explanation). I have finally just decided that maybe its the feed, and maybe it's too much of a magnet for moisture.
So I'm looking for feed recomendations. I'm open to feeder suggestions, too. Bonus points if it can be purchased at Tractor Supply, Chewy, or Amazon. Feel free to also offer your opinion as to "type" of feed as well (layer feed vs. all flock).
About my flock- I have Isa Browns, RIRs, and a Wyandotte that I got as chicks Spring of 2019. They currently free-range all day, but if the world goes back to normal some day, they will be free-ranged only about 40-50% of the time. Some day I plan to explore DIY feeds, but for now I'd prefer something I can simply purchase in a bag. Thank you for your thoughts! I've attached a picture of my stunning Silver Laced Wyandotte, Maleficent, for your viewing pleasure. (Appropriately named because she is in fact a tiny dragon).
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