Large Flock Feeder / Feed

[ChickenCanoe]

I made these for my hanging feeders back when I was feeding dry feed. They caught every speck of beaked out feed. Quick release fasteners make taking the catcher off and putting it back on a cinch to do in about two seconds to dump the feed back into the top of the feeder. Anyone want to patent and market them with me, I'm up for it.View attachment 1911594

Very clever.

 

[NatJ]

I’ve got a large feeder like this that I have used for chicks and used to use for the hens but they bill it out. More winds up on the ground than they eat.

View attachment 1911474

It was sitting on the ground. The chicks are incredibly messy eaters.

Try hanging the feeder, so the lip is about level with the chickens' backs when they stand.
When the feeder hangs, they can't reach as well to scratch with their feet, and it moves away if they try. This even seems to reduce billing it out, although I'm not quite sure why.
Also, with the feeder up in the air, the chickens will sometimes pick up their own mess (i.e. eat any feed on the ground underneath.)

If you hang it with a chain and some kind of clip, it's really easy to adjust the height (chickens grow, or you hatch more little ones, or the bedding piles up, or the bedding gets cleaned out, or you decide it just wasn't the right height the first time.)

 

[aart]

When the feeder hangs, they can't reach as well to scratch with their feet, and it moves away if they try.

They mostly use their beak to 'bill it out'.

 

[Toothpick]

So many great ideas and suggestions. I’d like to try making what aart posted. But the hanging feeder will likely get some use too since I already have one and I just need to hang it.

 

[aart]

So many great ideas and suggestions. I’d like to try making what aart posted. But the hanging feeder will likely get some use too since I already have one and I just need to hang it.

Tho my feeder pics show it on a block, it is actually hanging now...the block was just during testing.

 

[Toothpick]

Tho my feeder pics show it on a block, it is actually hanging now...the block was just during testing.

You think 2 of those water bottle feeders would be enough for 30 birds?

I’m also going to make another 5 gal nipple waterer. So 2 water buckets, 2 feeder buckets.

 

[aart]

You think 2 of those water bottle feeders would be enough for 30 birds?

Probably, but 3 would be better.

 

[Molpet]

After hatching a few batches of chicks I now have roughly 40. I will be getting rid of some of the roosters but I don’t anticipate many being roosters. I intend to keep 2 roosters. All said and done I will have 30 - 40 chickens

let us know how many were pullets
last year i had 13 pullets out of 50+
This year I have, so far, 6 out of 25

 

[Toothpick]

Probably, but 3 would be better.

Better more than not enough I reckon. Thanks.

let us know how many were pullets
last year i had 13 pullets out of 50+
This year I have, so far, 6 out of 25

First batch of 9 is now 9 weeks old. The second batch of 17 is around 5 weeks old. Just from looking at them from a far I’d say only a few roosters. But I really don’t know. Once they get a lot older I’ll be able to better tell and will start kicking them out.

 

[aart]

The second batch of 17 is around 5 weeks old. Just from looking at them from a far I’d say only a few roosters. But I really don’t know. Once they get a lot older I’ll be able to better tell

Should be able to tell now or very soon.
What breed?