Feeder Help (post pics!!)

[Bandit-268]

Ive been reading lots of different articles on this and everyone has the same problem, chickens are messy eaters and get feed all over the ground, then it rains and if the feed isn't taken care of by gosh does it stink, worse than the poop. I've looked at all these feeders that everyone uses and whatnot and they seem great, but it seems as tho everyone had between 5-10 chickens and they can use a smaller feeder, I have 23 chickens at the moment (some are getting axed pretty soon) and those small feeders seem too small for 20 some birds. I currently use an old piece of eaves trough about 4 ft. Long screwed to the side of the coop about 18 inches off the ground and have a 4x4 that the chickens get on to get to the food, it's covered by a lean too type deal but still when it rains the water runs and still seems to mix with the feed, I use a layer mash I get from a local grain evaluator and I'm just curious what kind of feeders other people use for a larger number of birds! Post pictures if ya have some!!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have lost chickens from wet feed on the ground (they died) so chickens can't have moldy food. So your question is very important and here is what I love to do:

Oil pan or rubber Fortex tub under the feeder. Keep feeder in coop. Every day dump feed back in feeder that fell in pan.

The black rubber pans are at the feed store. They are good because they are more difficult
for them to tip over.

 

[HighStreetCoop]

People have built some pretty big feeders with elbows (like even out of 50G drums). There are lots of solutions, but it really depends on what your setup can accommodate. It's not like all 20+ birds have to eat at once.

 

[Bandit-268]

Right that's understandable but usually when one bird eats the rest follow, you know how that goes, haha

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Mine free feed from a treadle and they seem to be fine eating one or two at a time (but I only have five). There's never a scrum to get in and there's very little mess/waste.

 

[Bandit-268]

I was watching my birds today when I fed them and t doesn't seem like they flick much feed on the ground, just over time accumulation I guess, I'm gonna have to get in there this week and shovel dirt out cuz it's starting to smell

 

[yardbird53]

Here's a photo of how I have mine set up. I only have 9 hens but if you have room you could hand 2 of them. This is for them to eat out of if it's raining or I have to keep them penned up because of hawks. It hangs under what I use as the poop board and nothing gets in it. I try to only throw enough food and scratch that they will eat most of it in about 20 minutes. This feeder is for my grown hens not the little ones huddled under it. Good luck.

 

[Bandit-268]

I like the idea of putting enough feed for 20 minutes or so of eating, like the way the coop is set up too!

 

[Den in Penn]

Magazine feeders are scalable. This one is four feet long, the magazine is ten inches high. Holds 50+ lbs of feed. One could make the top cover large enough to keep the most of the rain off.

 

[RonP]

My feed station for grit, feed, and oyster shells.

With food available 24/7, I never see squabbles, they just wait till vacant, and top off.