Feed is strewn about coop

[MarkRWC]

Hi All,

My 10 week old hens love to dump their feed out of the feeder, all over the coop floor. The coop floor is lined with a thick bed of pine shavings. If I let the feeder be empty for awhile, are they smart enough to find all the feed they dumped and eat that? Or will they starve, even though there are (probably) pounds of feed in the pine shavings bed?

Also, any tips for getting them to not dump the feed out? I've got the following feeder:

http://www.strombergschickens.com/images/feeders/FE16CF_L.jpg

Thanks!
Mark

 

[ISSOLA]

I bought this same feeder, and it did not work out as I hoped. This feeder worked when the chickens were young chicks up till 7-8 weeks old in the brooder. (Great for brooder). However, when the hens (now adult) are placed in chicken coop, eat from this feeder, they like to jump on top of it, and eventually kick it over, and food will fall open onto the ground. I tried putting a brick atop the feeder but to no avail. The chickens still kicked about and toppled it. In addition, some hens like to "bill" the food off, no matter what. This feeder for hens also needed to be elevated on bricks to get feeder level at chicken head level, making it less stable.

Well - anyway - it did not work with adult hens for me. I would use it again definitely in brooder when chicks are 3 to 8 weeks old. Saves me a lot of time on refilling, and less poop in food.

Hope this helps....

 

[ISSOLA]

I would recommend a hanging feeder. I have personally used the product below, there was very little billing, and waste of food. I would also recommend that you get the conical shaped plastic top cover for this product. I can't find it anywhere to show you how it looks. Once you fill it up (11 lbs of feed), 4 to 5 chickens can feed on it over a 5 day period. Less work.

http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Cleaning-Supplies/Plastic-Hanging-Feeder-11-lb-p28.aspx

 

[teach1rusl]

My feeder is similar to ISSOLA's, and it works well. Can the type of feeder you currently have be screwed onto a wall?? Is it set up so that the feed opening is at least as high as the chickens' backs so that they can just reach in to get food???

I'm not sure whether they would dig for the spilled feed or not amonst the shavings...???

 

[Overeasyplz]

sounds like they don't like the food! I actually feed mine out of a small bucket, I add warm water to the crumbles and that way they don't dig it out. I think they will dig the old food out, chickens love to dig

 

[MarkRWC]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I've taped a wooden ruler across the front to give the feeder more of a lip. If that doesn't work, I'll look into getting that hanging feeder.

Thanks!
Mark

 

[Plain Old Dee]

We used an old dog feeder that was similar to Mark's, but the chickens would dig the mash out and trample it into a soggy mess. DH made a couple of feeders out of scrap pvc pipe (yeah - poor folks has poor ways, as my FIL says!) They don't dig out the feed anymore and they can't knock the feeders over because he put really wide legs under them. No more wasted feed!

 

[Tala]

I made this for about $3

Works great - 5 birds using it with Layena pellets, no waste. Could also hang, but the brick is working for us.

 

[Slofr8]

Quote:
Tala, I noticed the "nesting bucket" in the background. Do the girls use it?
I have two in my coop. My hens should start laying any day now but I can't tell if they're going in them or not.
I have BRs and BOs and was thinking they might be to big.

About the feeder in the original post. I made a feeder from a 5" section of stove pipe and a pie plate and never had an issue with them billing out the feed until I added cracked corn. I had to stop that and only give it to them as scratch.
Dan.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
Tala, I noticed the "nesting bucket" in the background. Do the girls use it?
I have two in my coop. My hens should start laying any day now but I can't tell if they're going in them or not.
I have BRs and BOs and was thinking they might be to big.

About the feeder in the original post. I made a feeder from a 5" section of stove pipe and a pie plate and never had an issue with them billing out the feed until I added cracked corn. I had to stop that and only give it to them as scratch.
Dan.

Yes they do, and pest of all it was free! I have it zip tied to the fence so that it doesn't roll on them.

One time I saw TWO Leghorns in there at the same time!! Wish I got a pic of that!
Did get one in there though, she's kinda moving in the pic so looks awkward, but really they sit in there just fine. I have pine sawdust (from pellet bedding) in the bucket, same as on the floor of the coop. I put a spare egg in there to teach them where to lay - and they caught on almost immediately.
I did have some babies in the cat carrier - need to take it out before it gets covered in poop.