Keeping feed off of the ground

[k625]

My chickens have a regular feed feeder that holds lots of feed but I never fill it up too much or to the top at least, has all the little "slats" where the feed comes out. My chickens seem to fling out alot of the feed somehow, and after a long rain today I go out and whats on the ground is of course wet, and also stinking. How do I keep them to keep the feed in? Do I need to lift it off the ground or what? I cant keep wasting feed, and having the smell.

 

[silkiechicken]

Ok, well... first off you should get that feeder off the ground and put it at back height of the birds. I like to make mine reach up high so put it about resting position head level and so they can't bill as much. Another option is to get a new feeder with a deeper dish with a lip and also keep it off the floor. Higher they reach, less they will spill. Make sure the short birds can get to it though.

 

[k625]

Alright that sounds good to me. Thanks. I will have to look for some differnt feeders, because its everywhere, and its so hard to rake up without getting a lot of my sand..and sand isnt cheap either. Thanks a bunch! I will get on that first thing in the morning!

 

[MJsChicks]

How high off the ground is good for the chickens? We are building our coop now and want to have a wall feeder...how high would you suggest to put it?

Thank you
MJ

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Another good thing is feeding pellets. Some chickens take a while before they get use to pellets after crumbles but it's worth the effort. Far less waste.

 

[andycowboy]

How high off the ground is good for the chickens? We are building our coop now and want to have a wall feeder...how high would you suggest to put it?

Thank you
MJ

silkiechicken has it about right, at least in my opinion - the height of the adult birds' backs, or slightly higher. I use a hanging feeder so I can adjust it as they grow. I've never used a wall-mounted feeder, so I'm not real sure how high would be right - if you have full-grown hens all the same size, mount it as suggested. But, and I'm certainly no expert, what do you do when you introduce smaller birds into the flock? Might think about using wall-mounted at several heights...not real sure how that would work. I prefer the hanging feeders. I have 6 hens that are coming up on 9 weeks, and 7 babies - 3 weeks. I have the feeder hanging where the babies can get food, which is fine with the older girls. A little more spillage, but as the hens all get to the "same size" I can adjust the feeder accordingly. But get it off the floor for sure!

Good luck! Have a great day and God bless!

 

[Den in Penn]

For wall mounted feeders install at the proper height for the adult bird. Use something like cement blocks as a platform for the younger birds. As they get older you can remove the layers to adjust the height.

 

[Fred's Hens]

For wall mounted feeders in stall at the height of the adult bird. Use something like cement blocks as a platform for the younger birds. As they get older you can remove the layers to adjust the height.

X2

 

[ll]

My feeder hangs off the ground. I use a platform wild bird feeding tray and added a long chain. This feeding tray also comes with a grid top that would be perfect for chickens that scatter their food with their beaks, mine don't do the side to side scattering motion -so that piece is still in the box new. The feeding tray has a perforated bottom to allow for air flow. This is especially good for pellet users, not so much for mash because it will fall through. Here's a photo, it's sold in the wild bird feeding aisle at Lowe's and I think at Home Depot too. Good luck!