Messy hens!

[Kanga77510]

I switched the girls over to a hanging metal bucket style feeder. The top is open and I pour pellets in the top. Lately they've been making a freaking mess out of the feed! Lots and lots of feed will be knocked out of the feeder and on the floor of the coop.

Are they picky or something? I didn't think they were that strong to knock that much feed out of the container. Or maybe they're spilling that much out when they eat?

 

[felidaet]

Maybe you don't have it hanging high enough. It should be about the height of their backs.

 

[jqs birds]

Try putting a lid on the feeder. Mine will get in the top and scratch food out everywhere. The ones without I lid I just don't fill to the top.

 

[ChookHappy]

I have the same problem as well. I recently switched to pellets to concentrate the mess but they still knock it out on the ground. I kept forgetting though, to raise the feeder as they get bigger. My runt pullet was my tester and I put it up high enough so that she had to stretch a little bit to get it. To me it does seem a bit high but they really don't seem to drag their beaks through it. Now when they get to the bottom of the feeders' supply I will wait until they eat most of what they spilled before I refill it.

 

[tuffy]

I made a top to my hanging feeder out of a frisbee. I've had the same frisbee on it for 7 years now. Fits nice and snug and very seldom are the hens able to get ot off.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

I am not sure they are billing it out, when they fly onto it, to top feed, it might sway or swing, there is the wasted food, I put tops on all my feeders, otherwise they poop into them, while roosting on them. so I have tops that dump them off.

 

[pacetruckguy]

I took the food and water out of the coop today and put it in the run. They were never comming out of the coop and they were also filling the coop floor with food. I guess when it stars raining again I will need to put the food and water back in the coop. The top on my feeder just kind of sits there, so they knock it off right away in the coop, but they leave it alone in the run. I need to figure out a better top.

 

[Happy Chooks]

The frisbee is a great idea. I just may have to do that.

I've been using a plastic milk jug. I rinsed it out really well, cut the bottom off, poked a hole in it and hung it upside down. It doesn't cover the top of the feeder completely, but it's enough to keep them off it.