Feeder and waterer recommendations

[dottie15]

Hello!
I’ve been using the attached waterer for a few months now but with the warm weather approaching I want to buy a waterer that holds more water so I can also add ice on extra hot days. Any recommendations on waterers?

Also, the feeder I have is similar to the photo I attached and I like it because it hangs well inside the coop but my rooster and hen ferociously peck at their food when they’re eating so a lot ends up being spilt in the ground, wasted and refilled everyday. Any feeder recommendations out there that’ll help with this?

And lastly, I read that there’s such thing as over feeding them? I refill their feeder everyday with all flock raiser, and have two separate hanging trays, one for grit and the other for oyster shells (they don’t touch these but I have them there anyways) They also love blueberries and walnuts so I give them treats almost everyday as well.

Thanks for your help/feedback!

 

[DotToDot]

First of all, I wouldn’t recommend giving chickens treats everyday. Especially during the warmer months. Second, hanging feeders are good, but chickens don’t overeat. If you leave them with enough food for three days, they’ll eat what they need. In contrast to, say, a dog, who’ll eat all their food on the first day and then throw it up. Chickens are smarter than we give them credit for.

 

[dottie15]

First of all, I wouldn’t recommend giving chickens treats everyday. Especially during the warmer months. Second, hanging feeders are good, but chickens don’t overeat. If you leave them with enough food for three days, they’ll eat what they need. In contrast to, say, a dog, who’ll eat all their food on the first day and then throw it up. Chickens are smarter than we give them credit for.

Thank you! How often would you recommend giving them treats?

 

[RojoMarz]

I have a Ratproof feeder and I use a hanging feeder that has dividers so they can't flick feed out.

And I have two double wall founts like this

 

[DotToDot]

Thank you! How often would you recommend giving them treats?

I would say maybe three times a weekish? And you’re welcome!

 

[ViKulik]

Can they not reach and eat what falls on the ground? If you only have the two chickens I would just toss a Vienna sausage cans worth of feed directly on the ground and let them scratch for it instead of giving any Treets. They only need 3 or 4 ounces a day each and enjoy scratching for it. Maybe toss some on the ground first, then clean your waterer and then hang the feeder once they have eaten. That way they won't be as messy. When I was younger I worked with a man who had 400 gamecocks in individual wire cages. Each had a water crock or water bottle but no feeder. In the afternoon or evening he went through and tossed a can worth of feed to each one.

 

[Bananabread]

i give treats daily. they don't seem to mind. I also define treats as anything other than their normal feed: sometimes mealworms, often kitchen scraps (veggies, cucumber hanging on a stick, corn on the cob, etc.

 

[Bananabread]

Re: feeder. I don't think you'll go wrong with a larger feeder. Elevating or suspending it will help prevent them from pecking it all out and you'll surely enjoy getting to go out of town knowing they can get by without a daily ration

 

[dottie15]

I have a Ratproof feeder and I use a hanging feeder that has dividers so they can't flick feed out.

View attachment 3571071

And I have two double wall founts like this

View attachment 3571074

I ended up purchasing a feeder very similar to yours and a waterer that’s the same shape but for water. They seemed confused at first but I’m hoping they’ll come around to it.

 

[dottie15]

Can they not reach and eat what falls on the ground? If you only have the two chickens I would just toss a Vienna sausage cans worth of feed directly on the ground and let them scratch for it instead of giving any Treets. They only need 3 or 4 ounces a day each and enjoy scratching for it. Maybe toss some on the ground first, then clean your waterer and then hang the feeder once they have eaten. That way they won't be as messy. When I was younger I worked with a man who had 400 gamecocks in individual wire cages. Each had a water crock or water bottle but no feeder. In the afternoon or evening he went through and tossed a can worth of feed to each one.

They can it’s just that I sweep up the coop everyday and end up sweeping up the food that falls.