I feel silly asking . . . .

[mfinch29]

But, I have a few chickens, a coop and a run. Their food is in hanging feeder in the coop, where how do most of you give your small flocks their greens and scratch? It seems strange to throw it in the run because they poop in there, but I really can't imagine getting the dish clean again!

Thanks!

 

[7L Farm]

Scratch & seeds on the ground. Leftovers in a dish. My chickens like to take it out of the dish roll it in the dirt & then eat it. The only reason I use a dish is to carry the food to the coop.

 

[featherbaby]

I know everybody's flock is different, so I'll tell you what I do for mine. I take a dog bowl (heavy) and set it on something to raise it up off floor level (a brick would do). Then they have to reach their heads over the edge and down into the bowl to get the treats. Some of them take it out and drop it on the ground, but most of them eat it right there out of the bowl. The boss and scratch just gets scattered so they can have the joy of finding it.

 

[teach1rusl]

Pretty much what 7L said for me too... scratch and such on the ground...scraps in a dish. Evidently my girls are daintier eaters than his though, as they generally leave it on the dish

while eating.

 

[woodmort]

I toss the leftovers on the ground outside the coop in the morning so they've cleaned them up by the end of the day. Scratch and BOSS goes on the floor of the coop--their scratching and digging for it fluffs up the shavings. Keep in mind chickens go into some pretty nasty places to get food including their own poop.

 

[gritsar]

Scratch and treats, leftovers, on the ground. We're talking about birds that will dig thru a pile of cow poo looking for a tasty morsel, so I don't think they have any qualms about eating where they themselves poo.
The only thing I put in a bowl are messier (runnier) foods like yogurt and oatmeal. Although, the other day I was trying to entice my rooster to eat some yogurt with the girls and I put it on a large rock for him.

 

[phaethona]

most everything I give goes straight on the ground, for things like yogurt or oatmeal, I use a couple(for 11 hens so they don't fight) of ice cream tub lids because they're cheap, easily replaceable if ruined, etc.

 

[schmije]

I throw all treats except yogurt on the ground. Most treats I give outside the coop, but occasionally I'll throw something inside to let them scratch up the bedding.

 

[adubsroit]

It all goes on the ground in their outside area. They seem to love scratching around for it.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

I carry it down in dishes. Some stay and eat it out of the dish, others grab what they can and run like the dickens!!! I put several dishes down so that they all get a fair chance at getting some. At the end of the day I hose them off to make cleaning them easier. I rake my run every few days and I look for cleaner spots to put the dishes. BOSS and other dry treats I cast out in the run.