how to prevent stampedes at meal time?

[AbbyDog]

Hi, my almost-3 wk old CX chicks are really starting to scare me. They have begun to stampede me when I give them food. Not only am i worried about the smaller ones that get knocked over, but I am also thinking ahead to when these baby dinosaurs weigh 8+ lbs each. How do the rest of you get food into the feeder without getting maimed in the process? Maybe I am not feeding them enough or often enough? I am giving them fermented organic chick starter, and they get a slop of it every 3 hours or so from about 7 am until 11pm. Each time, their crops look stuffed so I thought I was feeding them enough....? They don't seem to think so.

 

[KeilFamilyFarm]

I have given up the feeder idea. I throw several scoops over the fence onto the ground and they eat it all up and then dig/scratch where I fed to look for leftovers

 

[AbbyDog]

Hmm, I might resort to that- but the fermented feed is pretty loose and liquidy and as they are still on shavings part-time, i didn't want to make a big mess of it all. But I guess it will all be over in 3-4 weeks!

 

[KeilFamilyFarm]

I drain my FF before I feed so it looks more like chunky oatmeal lol. I throw it and it splats in the yard lol. I feed them in there playyard not in their coop so nowhere near their shavings

 

[Life is Good!]

My Freedom Rangers charge the gate - they're now 9wks old and over 5#'s each, so I know what you mean! Having 25 charging hungry chickens lunging towards you is enough to cause Alfred Hitchock type nightmares!

I've learned that my Rangers are terrified - no, completely terrified - of the sprinkler hose. So guess what's in my hand when I go to their gate? The hose. They watch me VERY carefully, and do eventually come over in a rush - but I can at least get through the gate with their feed! (I'm not sure if they're frightened of the water or if they think the hose is a snake....either way, it works!)

 

[Darin115]

The last batch I had was rough on each other. I had to add another feeder because they would not all fit at the large feeder at one time. There was always a few left out. So the left out ones would just jump on top of the ones eating and it would part the fatties. They took turns eating but not willingly. When a 10+lb bird jumps in the others have to give way. None of them ever got hurt. I soon added another feeder and they would still do it while no chickens ate at the new one. I started filling up the new one first and that fixed the problem. After a while they stampeded a feeder and they could all eat at one time. I think they all had a certain spot that they stood and ate.
If you took one from one feeder and put at the other it would run back to the same spot it was at.

I would say that you are feeding enough food. I fed mine in the morning and that was it. I had 16 chickens and I fed then a gallon and a half each day and that was it. I started off at a gallon and when they were young there would be some left the next day. When they were on up in size I increased it.

I think you could feed them every hour on the hour and they woudl still stampede the feeder.

Darin

 

[Oregon Blues]

I suspect that if you are worried about trampling, you need more feeder space. If the feeder is correctly sized, they don't need to push and shove or walk on each other.

 

[Yukonchick]

Lol, too funny. My birds are only a week old. Now i know what i got to look forward to.

 

[Yukonchick]

How many birds have you got.? I've got 44. Twelve are laying hens and one rooster and the rest are Cornish. Boy do they grow fast.

Got them all a week ago.

 

[anniebethj]

Yukon, keep an eye on your layer chicks...within a week your meaties will WAY outweigh them, and I've lost several chicks to be squashed!