How can I keep the food dry/rats out of it? Also can chickens eat...

[OrganicEggs75]

Ok how can I keep the chicken food dry? It is pouring rain nonstop here and the food gets soaked even under tarps. Also I have a BIG rat/mice problem. They have been getting into the food and pooping and peeing in it. How can I keep them out. Today there is a huge storm. Rats/mice ruined the food sooo I was out and had hungry chickens. I boiled 12 eggs for them (I have 11 chickens) And gave them 5 cups of bran (soaked it with water) I know they can eat eggs but they can eat bran right?

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Do you have room in the coop to put your feeder. They would have to go inside to eat, but at least the food would be dry. Then put the food away at night. Try a sealed plastic garbage can within a storage shed, garage, or basement. Is any of that possible?
I don't know about the bran...

 

[sheila3935]

I put mine in metal garbage cans. As far as the bran I dont know have never fed mine it. I have given the oatmeal you can cook it or give it dry but I wouldnt do that but for one feeding. You can also give them table scraps

 

[OrganicEggs75]

Yay Chicks! :

Do you have room in the coop to put your feeder. They would have to go inside to eat, but at least the food would be dry. Then put the food away at night. Try a sealed plastic garbage can within a storage shed, garage, or basement. Is any of that possible?
I don't know about the bran...

No they are in a crappy coop for a month or so till i can get a new one. There is a little doghouse shelter thing but the roof has a hole in it covered with wood so it leaks

 

[CoyoteMagic]

metal trash can. I set mine up on a couple of bricks to help keep the bottom from rusting, bunge cord from handle to handle across the top, and then a cinder block. I don't have to worry about bears, just raccoons and they haven't gotten in for 3 years

Build a PVC feeder. I'll see if I can find a thread

 

[GarlicEater]

I've got 16 chickens and I just use the plain ol' dingdong 7lb feeder they sell at TSC for $10. It hangs, and make sure it's not where they can perch over it and poop on it, and you'll be fine - clean feed. The feed main storage is in one of the shipping containers we have here, where it stays dry and so far, safe. If it came to it, I'd keep the feed in here (in my ghetto-fabulous poor excuse for a trailer) or build a little storage house for it.

Metal trash cans are good. Still, keep them inside, at least under a roof and fairly safe from heat/cold variations and damp.

I have a gallon of milk I need to use up before it goes bad, so I've been sharing it with my gals in the form of "chicken muesli" I took some "instant" Quaker oats I got a while back to make energy bars with and never did, and put some of that in a pan, poured in some milk, and let it soak for a while. They like it just fine. You can give them all sorts of things for interim food. I gave them this not because I'm out of regular food but because I like to give them some greens and some sort of treat each day. It's not rocket science to come up with something for them to eat.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Check out these links to some nice feeders

OOOPS!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

You can get those metal trash cans with lids at the hardware store for 20 bucks. Put them in a shed or barn and put a tarp over 'em.

All my food for them to currently eat is inside the coops.

 

[LadyinRed]

Quote:
Umm... Those are Quilting links I think...

 

[rebbetzin]

I too, keep my feed in a metal trash can, in my potting shed next to the chicken coop.

I have a metal feeder with a lid that covers the feed if it rains, but... when I built my
coop and run, I made sure I had a place to keep the feed dry when it rains.
It is not a big area, but it is dry.