(*&&^$^%$*&& Food Wasting Chooks!!!

[Nonny]

I just fille dup a feeder that takes around 3 scoops of layer mash (roughly 8 cups full), and watched my tiny flock of three throw every last bit of it on the ground looking for the black sunflower seeds that were in it, and then they walked off leaving the rest there.

Going to have to build me an "anti-beaking" feeder, or maybe buy feed without the BOSS and give that separately in a treats container.

 

[Amethyste]

I don't give mine BOSS with the food. they are so like little kids...they dump everything out of the cereal box to look for the marshmallows and toy inside

They only get BOSS as a treat OR mixed in with a treat mash.

 

[Nonny]

It's a shame I just bought a new 50lb bag then LOL It's the laying mash they usually get - but admittedly it's "premium" stuff, so I'm going to go to a cheaper one that doesn't have it mixed in already.,

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Raise the feeder at least as high as their backs and it may help with the scattering

 

[dixiebeast]

I am trying a homemade feeder of my own design for this problem...if I have sucess I will post a how too soon!

 

[Want Less]

We were having a similar problem. We fed layer crumbles and mixed in a couple handfuls of scratch. They were wasting so much feed by tossing out on the ground. I finally thought to stop putting scratch in the feeder and after a couple days the wasting really slowed down.

 

[ninabeast]

I had a terrible problem until I installed the PVC feeder below. Not a crumble has been spilled since. AWESOME. Feeds a dozen chooks, no waiting. I fill the outside pipe once a week (they free range 2-8 hours a day).

And I have had no dirty water issues since I installed this (see hose in corner of coop at right of pic; we don't use the red cups anymore):

 

[RedDrgn]

Like other said, birds (and in my experience, I mean ALL birds) are like little kids. You give them a choice and they're going to pick out everything they want and leave all of the rest until they are quite hungry and have no other options. For that reason, they only get feed that is homogeneous in appearance. Picky buggers!

 

[jeffmaggie]

This is something that I came up about a month ago to solve my anxiety regarding the epic waste of feed that is "normal" for chicken feeding. I was going through a large feeder every other day. Most of it ended up in the dirt, and the chickens didn't seem too eager to eat it. Rather, they'd act all hungry and trick me into filling the feeder.
So after months of seeing all this waste money fall on the floor and morph into dirt, I came up with this idea of a gravity feeder system. It's not only efficient because everything gets sent back up top, but it's incredibly clean too. Not a spec of feed on the floor. EVERYTHING goes into the collection receptacle.
It works via gravity. Place the source on top of a wire mesh screen floor, that sits over a funnel, which sits over a collection container.
I'm not trying to sell anything and I don't have any plans, just done from my head, but you will get the idea and be able to make your own. Please check out the link to several of my chicken videos on this topic. Thanks, Jeff
I've made 4 video variations so far.
DIY Zero Waste Bulk Gravity Chicken Feeder/Waterer Saves Money $$$

DIY "No-Waste" Gravity Chicken Feeder - SAVES $$$ MONEY

DIY ZERO-WASTE GRAVITY CHICKEN FEEDER!!!

DIY Bulk Gravity Chicken Feeder Recycles All Food - Zero Waste!!!

 

[aggiemae]

A quick answer is wetting the feed with butter milk or even water will keep the feed in the container.

Switching to fermented feed and feeding twice a day will cut your feed use by 40-50% Our hens eat about 50% less feed and are as fat and health as before with lower cost and as a bonus produce half the poop. And the poop doesn't seem to attract files as much as before either. .