Feeding Problems

[normanfarms]

I have a hen and 2 chicks in a pen in the back of my coop. Ok so I have one of those chick feeders the metal ground tray with the top that is supposed to keep the younger chicks from standing in it and scratching it. But that's the thing the hen turns over the tray and there goes the food for chicks then she scratches it and it gets mixed in with the dirt in the pen. So any ideas of what to do?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

You can anchor it to a fixed object, place it against a wall and use a heavy block at the front of both ends to keep it in place or even use a "creep feeder" setup to keep the hen from having access to the feeder tray and thus keep her from being able to flip it.

 

[normanfarms]

Ok thanks I will try that thanks for the help.

 

[Eggcessive]

She is teaching them how to hunt and peck for food, so that is how they will eat. I use the 8 or 10 inch clay trays that go under flower pots for starting feeders for a broody and chicks. After about a week or two, they graduate to a small hanging feeder (below) hung low. Getting some dirt into their beaks is also how they gradually get exposed to cocci and develop immunity to it.

 

[normanfarms]

Ok I have two hanging feeders but I have another pen set up for my buff rooster and another hen that don't really get along with my Easter eggers which are almost full grown, so I have one set up for them and one set up in the pen since I feed the my ee's chick feed they seem to like it a whole lot better. But anyways I will try some of these . Thanks for ya'lls help.

 

[normanfarms]

I used my little tray and put it against the wall with a block on each end so that my hen couldn't flip it over and spill the food, I also added a small tub of adult chicken food up where she can get it. I put the tub in the hole of a center block and that way she could flip it over but she can scratch her food just not the chicks food. I also moved the water up onto a center block so that she can't get dirt into water and chicks just go up a little ramp thing so that she and the chicks can the water.