how to keep hens from stealing chick starter

[ams3651]

My chicks and momma hen are still sleeping in their broody box, its about 5' x 2', I keep their feed in side and up till yesterday it seemed like a good idea to keep them separate. They can go in and out as they please and have been exploring and even out in the run. Well i guess the other hens discovered the feeder in the box and are stealing all the food. Theres no way I can keep them out other than locking mom and babies back in the box. Any ideas about a feeder then bigger hens cant access. I thought about a bucket with holes in it like Ive seen on here lately, just holes too small for the larger hens if I can pull it off I dont know. I dont want the little ones to get stuck. I cant do any kind of construction projects right now and pretty much are looking for everyday things I can use with a little modification. If it exists.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

you could put a piece of chicken wire accross in front of where the chicks could go under it and get to the feeder
the hens would not be able to go under the chicken wire
like nail it to a 2x4 in the building structure and put the feeder behind it

any questions email me

 

[cmjust0]

Quote:
Yep...a 'creep feeder.'

Creep feeding is one of the time tested, tried and true, bedrock tenets of the cattle world...lay the grain to the market calves, but let the cows earn their living on grass.

Seems like it will translate perfectly to your hens and chicks.

 

[ams3651]

Quote:
but then mom wouldnt be able to go in and out

 

[cmjust0]

Quote:
No, no, no..

Imagine building a box that has openings only large enough for the chicks to enter and leave -- but not the full grown hens -- and having your chick feeder inside that box. The chicks could go in and out and eat the chick feed as they please, but the hens couldn't get at it because they'd all be too big to go through the opening. The box would only need to be large enough to accomodate the feeder and a few chicks.

Now...take that idea and translate it to your brooding box. It may be as simple as screening off a corner and leaving a chick-height gap at the bottom, then putting the chick feeder inside the screened off area. The chicks run under and eat, then run back out, and the hens looks at the situation and say "Hey, no fair! We can still get in the brooding box, but we can't get under that gap to eat the chick feed!!"

Which, of course, is the idea..

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

put a feeder of hen feed on outside of the creep wire and hen can eat there
the chicks may eat it to but the hens can't get the chick feed
any questions email me

 

[Southernbelle]

I made an all-wire "box" out of econo-wire. It has openings about 3x3" and I set a feeder and waterer in there. The babies were able to run in and out easily, but the mamas couldn't.

 

[Judy]

Is it a problem to let the hens eat the chick feed and offer oyster shell so the hens can get the calcium they need?

 

[ams3651]

Quote:
yes the hens have their own feed, I cant afford to feed them chick starter and their regular feed too

 

[ams3651]

Quote:
No, no, no..

Imagine building a box that has openings only large enough for the chicks to enter and leave -- but not the full grown hens -- and having your chick feeder inside that box. The chicks could go in and out and eat the chick feed as they please, but the hens couldn't get at it because they'd all be too big to go through the opening. The box would only need to be large enough to accomodate the feeder and a few chicks.

Now...take that idea and translate it to your brooding box. It may be as simple as screening off a corner and leaving a chick-height gap at the bottom, then putting the chick feeder inside the screened off area. The chicks run under and eat, then run back out, and the hens looks at the situation and say "Hey, no fair! We can still get in the brooding box, but we can't get under that gap to eat the chick feed!!"

Which, of course, is the idea..

ok, so actually I could take this idea literally and put it inside a cardboard box with an opening for them to get in and out. Thanks