Feed waste

[Tracyree]

Hello all. I’m wondering if this is normal or something I’m doing wrong. When I fill the feeder, the chicks work at it until it’s empty and waste so much. I out the feeder up on hardware cloth tray and after about 1/2 hour there’s an inch deep of feed in it. (Pictured my little wry neck gimpy girl I’m hoping does ok)

 

[Squawkers]

I have the exact same problem, and it drives me crazy. I have recently done some research on different kinds of feeders. I have decided I just don’t like the standard feeders (like you have) The thing in the link seems really cheesy, but it looks like it would work really well. You could probably just make it yourself. I think that's what I was going to do. There was another link I was going to send, but I couldn't find it. It was a diy RentACoop chick feeder port. I was considering ordering one of those.

https://a.co/d/6pRAHOe

 

[Squawkers]

In this video, the guy is basically making the same thing in the previous link, just slightly different.

 

[50-45-1]

Chickens love to flip feed out and all over the place.
I use a metal feeder like this one.

They cant flip so much out with this type.
Good luck!
Cute chicks!

 

[50-45-1]

By the way, once your chickens are adults this "flipping food all over the place " continues.
Raising the feeder up to neck level , inhibits the beak flipping food action some.

 

[NatJ]

Hello all. I’m wondering if this is normal or something I’m doing wrong. When I fill the feeder, the chicks work at it until it’s empty and waste so much. I out the feeder up on hardware cloth tray and after about 1/2 hour there’s an inch deep of feed in it. (Pictured my little wry neck gimpy girl I’m hoping does ok)

You can probably dump that spilled feed back in.

Another strategy: do not put nearly so much feed in the feeder. Just put feed in the bottom section, no more than halfway up to the holes. The chicks can reach in and eat it just fine, but they have more trouble flipping it out. You might have to fill the feeder more often if you do that, but not too much more often, given that the chicks have been spilling most of the food instead of eating it.

 

[Perris]

When I fill the feeder, the chicks work at it until it’s empty and waste so much

I wonder if they are tossing it out because they are looking / hoping for something better underneath. Just saying, because most of my birds just scoff down their (fermented homemade wholegrain) feed without creating much, if any, waste, and those that do flick bits aside are clearly looking for one particular component, such as sunflower seeds, milo or peas at the time.

You won't want to use this sort of feed for chicks, but you could try them with some real food, such as mashed sardines, milk-soaked bread or live mealworms and see if they are so wasteful on it.

 

[wrathsfarm]

For an immediate fix, set a tote lid on top of your wire. Most of the spilled feed can be dumped back in feeder. I do this out in the run also. The bigs clean up anything else.

 

[Tracyree]

I wonder if they are tossing it out because they are looking / hoping for something better underneath. Just saying, because most of my birds just scoff down their (fermented homemade wholegrain) feed without creating much, if any, waste, and those that do flick bits aside are clearly looking for one particular component, such as sunflower seeds, milo or peas at the time.

You won't want to use this sort of feed for chicks, but you could try them with some real food, such as mashed sardines, milk-soaked bread or live mealworms and see if they are so wasteful on it.

Thanks. It’s just starter crumble, so it’s all the same.

 

[Tracyree]

For an immediate fix, set a tote lid on top of your wire. Most of the spilled feed can be dumped back in feeder. I do this out in the run also. The bigs clean up anything else.

I wish I’d have made the wire tray open-able. I can dump it though