how to prevent stampedes at meal time?

[Yukonchick]

Ya, I'm trying to figure out how im gonna separate them soon. only got one chicken house, 8 by 10. They'll all be out of our house in another week and half.

 

[backintime]

I use a long section of gutter as a trough style feeder. Just screw right through it into some small scrap boards at each end, which keep it from tipping over. They still stampede, but at least there's so much feeder space that they don't trample one another.

 

[AbbyDog]

Well, I am using some 2" PVC pipe cut in half- but already there needs to be another one so I guess I'll make that later today. I have 10 and am not giving them anywhere near a gallon - more like a quart of fermented starter a day, spread out over several feedings. They can finish it up within a few minutes. I didn't want to stuff them- and cause joint problems- but then again i do want them to grow....maybe I will give them more at a time.

There is stating to be a disparity in the sizes- the biggest ones are definitely the fastest to the trough. And, I do have one with a bad leg or maybe two bad legs- every day it is getting worse so i know that she will be the first to go- and she is the smallest....what should 3 week old CXs weigh, anyway?

 

[Yukonchick]

Thats an excellent idea. Think I'll make one. My chicks are growing real fast.

 

[Yukonchick]

I dont know how much they should weigh at that age but apparently you should ration their feed or they'll just keep eating and will get health problems in their legs and will get too heavy. I've got 30 of that breed too. They're just over a week old and getting to be gluttons.

 

[Oregon Blues]

If yo are going to limit feed, and feed several times a day, you need to be feeding enough so that they all stuff themselves and there is still a little bit of feed left when they are done. Otherwise, your big strong chickens will get all they want and the smaller chickens will get what is left and the small ones will get further and further behind, because they aern't getting quite enough at every feeding.

 

[Yukonchick]

Ya, usually when all the big ones are at the feeder, I sprinkle some on the floor around the little ones.

 

[AbbyDog]

My solution has been to pull out the smallest one and feed them separate, and to add a second trough for the remaining. A little more labor but it works to keep them calmer,which makes me calmer.