LOTS of feed being wasted

[4-H Chickens11]

Another solution to your problem could be to elevated your feeder to where the have to reach to get it. When using this method they eat less and they also waste less

 

[TonysChickens]

I just recently modified this exact feeder to waste 0 feed for chicks. Not sure how well it works for older chickens, but for newly born chicks, and probably good for a month before their head gets too big.
The reason these things are easy to waste food is because the food comes out way too high where the chickens can move it around to cause it to spill out.

This is what you do to fix it:
get a 2 inch PVC pipe, cut it about 2 inches long.
Use a piece of sandpaper, or a utility knife and scrape the lip of the bottle to make it just slightly bigger so that the 2 inch pipe can just barely fit. This part you want done right so that the 2 inch pvc pipe holds tight on the lip of the bottle without falling in or out. Use a hammer if you need to force the pvc into the bottle.
You want the pvc to extend out of the bottle about 1 inch or slightly more. When you close the bottle into the feeder thing, the pvc should not hit the bottom of the feeder, and should have a small gap about 1/4 inch more or less. This causes the feed that falls out of the bottle to only accumulate about 1/4 inches of feed to stay outside. This results in a much deeper feeder box where the chicks cannot move the feed around that will cause it to fall out.
I am using it now on my new chicks, and it has 0 waste so far. They are eating from it just fine.
If the feed you are using is larger crumbles, you might want the gap to be bigger to allow feed to come out easier. If it is fine feed, you want the gap smaller.

 

[Beekissed]

Tiny feed trough...takes about 10 min. to build out of scrap lumber and a piece of fencing. Then I also use fermented feeds, so this too prevents any waste and actually helps them eat less total feed while getting more nutrients.

 

[Tabatha]

for chicks try gring feed with coffee grinder and mix yogurt to make a runny paste less cosumption no waste after 3 to 7 days ferment their starter no waste better nutrition healtier cheeper chickens everybodys goal all methods work better with pasture free range or tractor

I just started fermenting my flock's food and was blown away. They love it and gobble up every bit. I even mix in a few fresh mealworms from my mealworm farm right before feeding. No waste and I know exactly how much they are eating and I'm not finding it all over my yard like the dry.

 

[Triple Willow]

Tiny feed trough...takes about 10 min. to build out of scrap lumber and a piece of fencing. Then I also use fermented feeds, so this too prevents any waste and actually helps them eat less total feed while getting more nutrients.

Ditto on fermented feed - no waste and the feed goes much further.

 

[AmazingChickens]

Followed directions to build a 25# No Waste Feeder. Problem solved. What kind of chicks do you have

 

[Spangled]

Quote:
No, I do not believe that I described culling my hen by removing her from the breeding pool.

Let's go back and keep my complete post all together so that the context of clear because when you quoted me for your posting you removed portions of the conversation making the context unclear so you could make a point that I don't feel is true.
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My original post in context:

Quote:
Your reply to me is:

what you just described is culling the hen. Removing it from your breeding pool.

My new comment:

"... not breed hens...." (which are my words) is not the same as culling. I did not describe culling ... based on my understanding of the meanings of the word.

My hen, who wastes feed, is not removed in any way, nor is she selected in any way nor is she killed. She happily stays with the flock and nothing happens to her nor changes for her. Her life is still blissful.

Well, 'cept I steal her eggs for eatin' when she's not lookin'.

I will not be collecting her eggs for the incubator. Since I can tell her egg from others, her eggs aren't selected for incubation. This is not a description of culling based on my understanding of the word cull. Of course, we don't have to agree on how to use the word cull, but I don't want my post to be misunderstood

since I am not culling her.

My hen sticks around, and I try to mitigate the of loss of feed by having the flock free range and I also put the feeder up on blocks when they are out on grass. It also works to our advantage that almost all chickens prefer to eat off the ground for some portion of the day even when a full feeder is available, so the feed that Sonnie tosses on the ground outside, often gets eaten by others. But now I'm wandering off into another topic altogether.

 

[jtbass2756]

My 8 8 week old chicks have one of those feeders that has the little feeding holes around the bottom and a jar on top. I used that for my last batch of chickens and never remember them wasting a lot of food....my recent guys, however, are spilling it left and right! There is as much food as there is shavings in there! It doesn't help that one of them perches on top of the food, I suppose. My question is - how do I stop them from wasting it and can I let them just eat the food that is in the bedding?

Had the same problem...exactly !! LOL....lifted my feeder up on a brick so it would be above where they scratched thru the shavings. Finally to them out into a kennel and hung the feeder from a board...high enough for them to reach it ..almost head level. But yep, they drove me crazy with all the waste and having to clear out the shavings to get to the food!!!!

 

[subhanalah]

No, I do not believe that I described culling my hen by removing her from the breeding pool.

Let's go back and keep my complete post all together so that the context of clear because when you quoted me for your posting you removed portions of the conversation making the context unclear so you could make a point that I don't feel is true.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My original post in context:

Your reply to me is:



My new comment:

"... not breed hens...." (which are my words) is not the same as culling.  I did not describe culling ... based on my understanding of the meanings of the word.

My hen, who wastes feed, is not removed in any way, nor is she selected in any way nor is she killed.  She happily stays with the flock and nothing happens to her nor changes for her.  Her life is still blissful.   Well, 'cept I steal her eggs for eatin' when she's not lookin'.

I will not be collecting her eggs for the incubator.  Since I can tell her egg from others, her eggs aren't selected for incubation.  This is not a description of culling based on my understanding of the word cull.   Of course, we don't have to agree on how to use the word cull, but I don't want my post to be misunderstood since I am not culling her.

My hen sticks around, and I try to mitigate the of loss of feed by having the flock free range and I also put the feeder up on blocks when they are out on grass.  It also works to our advantage that almost all chickens prefer to eat off the ground for some portion of the day even when a full feeder is available, so the feed that Sonnie tosses on the ground outside, often gets eaten by others.  But now I'm wandering off into another topic altogether. :/

I did not remove anything to make a point. Cull does not mean kill, it means that animal is not included in the breeding pool of the breeding program.
from wikipedia:
"In animal breeding, culling is the process of removing or setting aside animals from a breeding stock based on specific criteria. This is done either to reinforce or exaggerate certain desirable characteristics, or, to remove undesirable characteristics from the group."
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culling

 

[Fancypants1]

Followed directions to build a 25# No Waste Feeder. Problem solved.


What breed are those birds?