How to keep hens from spilling/wasting food?

[Mr Spot]

I had just your standard metal hanging feeder that was open all the way around and they would rake the feed out with their heads, even when I switched to pellets they were doing the same thing, I looked on Amazon and they had two piece plastic hanging feeders that had little sections all the way around so I got one of them to see how it would work. Now the feed waste is zero, I never see food on the ground again, plus it comes apart for cleaning. It was a worth wile investment.

 

[Chicken poppy]

I hand feed into bowls too. If there is spilled food then they don;t get any more until they clean it up.

Tried that but it just doesn’t work for me. They will scratch the hay over it and completely cover it or simply not eat it at all.

 

[3KillerBs]

Tried that but it just doesn’t work for me. They will scratch the hay over it and completely cover it or simply not eat it at all.

If you're willing to leave that bowl empty for a couple days they'll eat it.

You can push some of the bedding around to reveal where the food is and they'll get the idea.

I had a massive spill into the bedding because of a technical issue with one of my feeders once and because it was in the coop and bone dry I was able to let them forage in the bedding for most of a week to get it all cleaned up. (I now know to check that feeder once a month to see if the wingnut has gotten loose again).

 

[TXchickmum]

We use a hanging feeder. The hubby made a tray that goes underneath it. They scratch and beak feed out some, but clean it up out of the tray.