Feed waste

[Irishmom80]

It seems that my girls are being wasteful with their feed. How do I cut it down. Right now I use hanging feeders. Are there any feeders that are better? Plus how hard is it to get them switched over to the new feeder?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They tend to try finding special bits in the food and doing so, they swish their beaks billing the feed out. There are two things you can do. with your setup. A hanging feeder with fins around the tray tend to prevent this behavior.
https://www.mannapro.com/poultry/chicken-coop/harris-farms-7-pound-hanging-feeder
You can also put a container under the feeder to catch what they attempt to waste.
You can also make a PVC feeder that they have to put their heads into to eat but that requires a bit more planning.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

If you go to a fermented feed [I saw your other post], very few feeders will work for you, regardless.

I frequently feed a wet mash (oatmeal like consistency) to control waste of the crumbled feed I get from the local mill. Best feeder for that? A piece of plastic gutter from the hardware store, with a cap on either end. Nailed it to the wall, a few inches off the ground.

 

[Perris]

or you could just give them some food that they want to eat, and then they eat it instead of flinging it out looking for something better.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I feel pelleted feed instead of crumble and find that leads to far less waste. Not sure if others share that experience or not.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I feel pelleted feed instead of crumble and find that leads to far less waste. Not sure if others share that experience or not.

I discovered that too. At least the hens can pick up the pellets off the ground if they are so inclined. Most birds seemed to prefer the crumbles but they won't starve themselves even though sometimes they'll hold out for a bit but if pellets are all they have, they'll eat them. There is no difference in the nutrition between mash, pellets or crumbles- all the same recipe. They add a binding agent to mash and run it through a pelletizer. They run pellets through a crumbler to get the crumbles.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I discovered that too. At least the hens can pick up the pellets off the ground if they are so inclined. Most birds seemed to prefer the crumbles but they won't starve themselves even though sometimes they'll hold out for a bit but if pellets are all they have, they'll eat them. There is no difference in the nutrition between mash, pellets or crumbles- all the same recipe. They add a binding agent to mash and run it through a pelletizer. They run pellets through a crumbler to get the crumbles.

Interesting. I have always fed pellets (once they graduate from chick crumble) and never had any complaints from the flock.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

I like feeding pellets, it forces them to eat a pellet one by one whereas with crumble they can gobble it right up lol! I prefer gravity feeders made out of totes with those tubes drilled into the sides:
*Not mine*

you can also make it out of a barrel or trash can.

 

[Bawkbok]

There is no difference in the nutrition between mash, pellets or crumbles- all the same recipe. They add a binding agent to mash and run it through a pelletizer. They run pellets through a crumbler to get the crumbles.

With this being the case, it amazes me they are so darn picky and would realize it's the same thing only shaped differently. I tried switching to pellets for the waste reason and after weight loss and four days I couldn't watch them starve. I guess eventually they would eat it -- or not. How long does it take for stubborn birds to eat it before they literally starve themselves? Why is it so difficult to switch them?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I think it is more about the texture than the nutrition.
A healthy chicken will never starve itself. When the crop is empty, they are hungry. When they are hungry, they'll eat something to fill the corp. Whether that is feed, bugs, bark, stones or Styrofoam, they want to fill their crop.
It is difficult because they are creatures of habit. They will do what they always did even if it isn't in their best interest.
Have you weighed them? If not, you can't be sure they are losing weight. A bird in molt will appear it has lost half its weight but hasn't actually lost any weight.
You can try making a wet mash out of the feed, they usually clean that up in short order. I fermented my feed for a couple years. But just adding water helps. But the container you choose will not be a hanging chicken feeder or anything that is gravity fed. It has to be an open pan or trough because it doesn't flow, it stays in clumps.