Gravity feeder

[Quail4Fun]

I currently have 2 smallish gravity feeders set up for my 10 quail. I love it. I only have to fill them every other day. I had been feeding a high protein chicken starter that was small crumbles. I just switched my birds to a quail layer feed as it had a better ratio of calcium. However, it is a fine mill and seems to be having difficulty flowing out of the gravity feeder. I have to occasionally shake the feeder to fill the bottom trough when my birds empty it. Defeats the purpose of a gravity feeder. I am wondering if I should mix it with their oyster shells or half and half with the old feed to make it more likely to 'fall' without caking. I don't want to invest in more feeders or waste the bag of food I purchased. I am a nurse and work long shifts and would hate for my birds to go hungry when I'm not around to manually dispense their food. Anyone have suggestions?

 

[FloorCandy]

I currently have 2 smallish gravity feeders set up for my 10 quail. I love it. I only have to fill them every other day. I had been feeding a high protein chicken starter that was small crumbles. I just switched my birds to a quail layer feed as it had a better ratio of calcium. However, it is a fine mill and seems to be having difficulty flowing out of the gravity feeder. I have to occasionally shake the feeder to fill the bottom trough when my birds empty it. Defeats the purpose of a gravity feeder. I am wondering if I should mix it with their oyster shells or half and half with the old feed to make it more likely to 'fall' without caking. I don't want to invest in more feeders or waste the bag of food I purchased. I am a nurse and work long shifts and would hate for my birds to go hungry when I'm not around to manually dispense their food. Anyone have suggestions?

I had the same issue! I had a whole thread on it. In the end I am fermenting the feed that gets blocked up, because I don’t want to waste it. And I bought more largely granulated feed to put in the feeder. I tried mixing and the ridiculous thing is the pellets fall thru and more powder packs in. It basically sorts itself. I tried all different tricks with the opening to make it flow, but it gets stuck higher up, so I put in a cone, and the birds tried to pull the cone thru the bottom. The fermented feed is actually great, a bit of a pain to maintain vs gravity feeders, but no more sticky tar poops.

 

[Quail4Fun]

I had the same issue! I had a whole thread on it. In the end I am fermenting the feed that gets blocked up, because I don’t want to waste it. And I bought more largely granulated feed to put in the feeder. I tried mixing and the ridiculous thing is the pellets fall thru and more powder packs in. It basically sorts itself. I tried all different tricks with the opening to make it flow, but it gets stuck higher up, so I put in a cone, and the birds tried to pull the cone thru the bottom. The fermented feed is actually great, a bit of a pain to maintain vs gravity feeders, but no more sticky tar poops.

What brand of feed are you using for the feeder?

 

[FloorCandy]

What brand of feed are you using for the feeder?

I bought a brand called h & h, it’s made in Texas. I got it from amazon and it’s pretty pricey, in the future I plan to look for something cheaper. The original stuff, I don’t remember the name, was about 25 bux for 40 or 50 lbs, delivered. The new stuff is 35 bux for 20 lbs! But I just wanted to get something and most places are not getting shipments around here so the choices are limited and I dislike Purina products in general which seems to be a common producer. I called like 3 or 4 places and they said they only had purina game bird foods.

 

[Quail4Fun]

The one I'm using is from a place in MD I ordered online. Also fairly expensive $45 for 40lbs. I struggle to find high protein anything here (outside DC) as I'm fairly urban and if people have anything it is chickens. I like everything about it except the fineness of the mill.

 

[FloorCandy]

The one I'm using is from a place in MD I ordered online. Also fairly expensive $45 for 40lbs. I struggle to find high protein anything here (outside DC) as I'm fairly urban and if people have anything it is chickens. I like everything about it except the fineness of the mill.

Is it yellow like corn meal?

 

[Quail4Fun]

It is called Homestead Harvest.

 

[FloorCandy]

Here is my original thread

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/issue-with-my-feeder-any-suggestions.1384140/

 

[FloorCandy]

Same as mine, but the price went up, I bought in like March and it was 25 bux.

At least I’m not the only one who had issues. Mine didn’t get stuck until I moved them outside, it was the humidity I think.

also in comparison to this feed fermented, and the new feed, they hate this crap dry.

 

[Quail4Fun]

Well, might go back to the chicken starter and oyster shells.... thanks so much for sharing your thread!!