Is it normal???????

[Hteeter2]

I've got a feeder for my chicks that I've been using since they came out. There are roughly about 3 weeks old, and they're getting up on the feeder pooping in their food. Of course I'm going to change the food out but is this something that chicks just do? I'm keeping the brooder box clean and getting them out on the grass everyday for about a week now.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Yes unfortunately this is a very common issue with brooding chicks and can be worse or better depending on the type of feeder being used. And chicks natural instinct is to climb on perch on sit on and unfortunately poop on anything they can. Do you have a roosting bar or others objects for them to climb on in the brooder? What type of feeder are you using some are more prone to being stood on and getting poop in than others. There are some DIY projects that can be done which create a feeder which is able to be kept clean both from poop and bedding that also reduce the waste of chick feed from scratching out as well.

 

[Foster's Freehold]

One thing about chicks is ---- there is always poo everywhere!

 

[sylviethecochin]

If you keep your feed in the 'cold' end of the brooder, waste is greatly reduced. I like a rather hard hot/cool gradient across my brooder--about ten or fifteen degrees. They walk over to eat, spend some time hardening off against the cold, and they don't hang around to make mess. Just like if they were under Mum.

 

[Hteeter2]

The it's sorta like the red and white feeder version of the waterer. You can pour more in the top. One of my chicks likes to roost on top of it, but the others haven't tried it yet. I have a few places for them to roost in their pen out of the yard. They all seem to try it fly more in the yard, but most of them not so much in the brooder box except for the one.

 

[CorvusFarm]

Whatever you think chicks should do, you can count on them doing the opposite! lol

Waterer? Makes a fine roost!
Bedding? That needs to be kicked in the water!
Feeder? We'll eat AND poop here. This is great!

 

[Hteeter2]

Whatever you think chicks should do, you can count on them doing the opposite! lol

Waterer? Makes a fine roost!
Bedding? That needs to be kicked in the water!
Feeder? We'll eat AND poop here. This is great!

Just this morning I found the one that likes to roost on top of the feeder; now on top of the waterer roosting. Others seem to have not figured out how to do this yet, but I assume that they'll eventually be doing the same.

 

[naf_appaz]

I made a kinda spring looking bend on a wire coat hanger 3 complete loops stretched to hang over about inch or 2 of the outer diameter of the feed jar. Taped in place with a piece of duct tape...works like a champ no more roosting on the feed jar. Same thing bigger scale in my big coop. Make sure coils are not to tight so a chick could get its head caught if it attempted to roost, but not possible with 3 coils.