"Fed up" with feed & feeders - What do you feed your laying hens, and what style feeder do you like?

[Folly's place]

I feed Purina Flock Raiser, separate oyster shell, and like the yellow plastic feeders from Premier1supplies.com. Less billing out of the crumble that we feed here, and can either stand on blocks, or be hung from the ceiling.

Mary

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

I hadn't thought

Where is the feeder located - does it get direct sun? Likely the pipe is sweating inside, just a guess.

I get that you are looking for convenience, aren't we all! LOL
Personally, I have tried a few feeders and have not been impressed with any. Feed seems to get stale or can mold fairly quickly, get clumpy, etc.
I switched to using feed cups a few years back. I got some basic rubbermaid wire shelving, cut that in pieces to make a "rack". Got some feed cups and now just use that.
Cups are taken up every day, they can be washed, I can put dry feed out or wet mash - easy peasy at least for me.
I have 3 separate "runs" currently and use these in all the runs. Birds kept penned separately, I can just hang the cups on their cage.

Just an idea

View attachment 2363427

I didn't think about the pipe sweating. It does get some sun, but mostly just in the evening, so I 'm not sure if that's the problem. But I'll definitely pay more attention to see just how much sun it does get. Your feeder system looks great! We went with the tube idea because I think we originally thought we'd feed enough for multiple days. Then rats appeared, so we quickly ditched that idea, but we don't need a "giant" tube for food. Do they make a mess with the bowls at all? Sit in them or scratch in them?

 

[Araucana Nest]

Purina Flock Raiser crumbles fed in Behlen's flat metal pans. No issue clumping. Humidity is high here much of the time in north Fl. I've used Dumor in the past and the quality was inconsistent. You can buy Nutrena All Flock at TSC, I think that's pretty much the same thing. Oyster shell and grit on the side.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

I tried a hanging feeder, but switched to one of those tough black rubber bowls. I have it sitting in a rubbermaid food container. The sides of the container are a little higher than the bowl, and I have a couple of fist-sized rocks next to the bowl so the chickens can't tip it over. Very little "stuff" gets scratched into it, very little food gets flung out.

At night, I take the bowl out of the rubbermaid container, set it on the ground, put a glass (sturdy, heavy) pie plate upside down over the bowl, put the rubbermaid container upside down over that, and put the rocks on top. I have yet to find any evidence of critters getting into it.

I feed Nutrena Naturewise All Flock pellets (20% protein) with OS and eggshells on the side for my pullets. I bought both the bowl and the food at TSC, and the pie plate came from Goodwill.

That sounds like a great system. When you say Rubbermaid container, do you mean a storage bin type, or a sandwich like container?

 

[Sally PB]

When you say Rubbermaid container, do you mean a storage bin type, or a sandwich like container?

It's about 10" x 16", and about 5-1/2" high. It was just something I had in the junk. I don't know what happened to the lid; I don't use it for this.

It's the size you would use to take a large batch of cookies, 3-4 dozen, in to work.

 

[the3quail]

I actually, just use a plastic tupperware bowl. My quail, are still on chicken starter, until they start to lay eggs. I will feed them chicken feed when they are off though.

 

[aart]

Not to be punny

Punny is good...I love your screen name!!
I feed crumbles...in this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-waste-free-funnel-bucket-feeder.67218/
I only cakes when it's really humid...and not that badly.

 

[Dinogrrl]

I've tried just putting mine in a bowl, plus a sort of hanging feeder, and my chickens always made huge messes with them and wasted as much feed as they ate. I switched to the PVC feeder and it's done wonders to cut down on mess. I've never had it 'gum up' either; sometimes the dust gets a little packed in at the bottom but it's easy to brush out when I'm cleaning. I do keep it inside the coop, ie out of the elements and sun. I feed New Country Organics corn-free, soy-free feed, which is not a pellet, and they run through the feeder just fine. Maybe there's something about the pellets that's causing them to stick in the pvc feeder?

 

[Weeg]

Once you try this, you will never go back! I feed scratch and peck flock raiser. I love it, because its non-GMO, natural, and reliable. I also like that I can see what is in the food, since its not pelleted. Try this feeder! It is THE BEST feeder I have ever owned! It is so worth it,a dn for sure the best feeder out there! You will not regret this buy! It is no spill, weathrue proof, rodent proof, can tip proof! Plus it holds a bunch of feed, and will last a long time! Very sturdy, and reliable! LOVE THIS FEEDER!- Have I said that already!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I hadn't thought

I didn't think about the pipe sweating. It does get some sun, but mostly just in the evening, so I 'm not sure if that's the problem. But I'll definitely pay more attention to see just how much sun it does get. Your feeder system looks great! We went with the tube idea because I think we originally thought we'd feed enough for multiple days. Then rats appeared, so we quickly ditched that idea, but we don't need a "giant" tube for food. Do they make a mess with the bowls at all? Sit in them or scratch in them?

If I feed crumbles they are more prone to bill out some feed, but I feed an all flock and/or layer pellet, so spillage/billing is minimal. I've never seen any birds sit or stand on them.