Helpful hints for building coops

[aart]

maybe the reason there is waste is that the chickens do not like certain parts of the feed and rake them out of the way to get at what they prefer.

Nope, they'll bill out mash and crumbles too,
some kind of instinct I imagine.
Wonders if they prefer to eat off the ground/floor?
Some do it more than others...but some chickens are just neurotic.

 

[jvls1942]

AArt, maybe you are feeding them too good.
they just aren't that hungry and are just picking at their food, maybe more bored than hungry ??

I would fill the pail almost to the top , but I had enough birds to empty it in a day.
I estimate the pail will hold about 30 pounds of feed.
the wooden feeder I built would hold about 60 pounds. that way I could dump in a whole 50 pound bag even if there was feed left in the feeder.

......jiminwisc......

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

My girls bill out a LOT of food. They'll randomly peck at the food on the ground but eat mainly out of the feeder.
I'm getting a 26" round water heater pan to put underneath and hope that I can save some of that food. If not, I'll go to a bigger washing machine overflow pan.
About once a week I scrape up the feed that they don't eat because I'm concerned about it getting moldy and the chickens possibly getting sick from it. It comes up like pieces of asphalt.
This is the one I have---it was the only one I found that had a top on it:

 

[CapricornFarm]

My guineas and 3 EE are terrible food wasters! They throw out about as much as they eat. Hopefully it will be better once they are in the coop using the feeder i made.

 

[aart]

My girls bill out a LOT of food. They'll randomly peck at the food on the ground but eat mainly out of the feeder.
I'm getting a 26" round water heater pan to put underneath and hope that I can save some of that food. If not, I'll go to a bigger washing machine overflow pan.
About once a week I scrape up the feed that they don't eat because I'm concerned about it getting moldy and the chickens possibly getting sick from it. It comes up like pieces of asphalt.
This is the one I have---it was the only one I found that had a top on it:

That looks like a good design...deep tray(how deep is it-if you would indulge me with a tape measure?) with inward curve on outer lip, spokes will deter side to side billing.

 

[jvls1942]

one of the things you might run into with a pan underneath is the chickens will poop on the pan and in the feed on it.?
just a thought.

 

[CapricornFarm]

one of the things you might run into with a pan underneath is the chickens will poop on the pan and in the feed on it.?
just a thought.

Depends on where the perches are, i think.

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

That looks like a good design...deep tray(how deep is it-if you would indulge me with a tape measure?) with inward curve on outer lip, spokes will deter side to side billing.

I thought it was a good design too. The sides are adjustable so you can regulate the amount of feed going into the trough. Right now I have it on the lowest level. I'll go out and measure the sides later.

one of the things you might run into with a pan underneath is the chickens will poop on the pan and in the feed on it.?
just a thought.

The feeder is 16" wide and the pan is 26" so I am hoping that, for the most part, the business ends of the girls will be hanging over the edge of the pan.
A girl can dream, I guess.
The feeder is off the ground and outside, hanging from a cord. Maybe I need to raise it up higher?

 

[CapricornFarm]

Today so far, HC on a second side of the base of the coop, another ditch dug, door painted twice, latch on back door, perches all up in the back half of the coop.

 

[tigger19687]

I have done nothing on my set up. Today had to pick up the lizard cage and the day before it rained all day.
Tomorrow is 1st day of school and temps up to 86 and rain forcasted for 2 days after. Still need to level the shed section.