Messy oyster shell/grit

[Tillie43]

Looking for ideas on how to keep oyster shells and grit in the girls run. They step in the containers, fill them with dirt when scraping in the run and poop in them when they slid them around. What do you use to keep them off the ground and creating a mess? Not totally bad now but when winter hits in Michigan I plan on putting either straw or wood chips/shavings on the ground of their run.

 

[Evelyn Walker]

Just use hanging/raised feeders, at around chest level. If you have a run, you can hang them from the ceiling. Otherwise, you can prop them onto a few bricks. Much less mess that way!

 

[duluthralphie]

Just use hanging/raised feeders, at around chest level. If you have a run, you can hang them from the ceiling. Otherwise, you can prop them onto a few bricks. Much less mess that way!

I find hanging the feeders at chest level does not work for the birds that have not mastered the art of hovering...

I would hang them at my ankle height.

I do not worry about the shells that drop as they scratch and eat them like grit from the ground anyways.

 

[Rietta]

I hang rabbit feeders on the fence

 

[featheredplanets]

I use ‘coop cups’ they come in stainless steel and plastic. They clip or bolt onto wood or wire. The pet shop near me sells plastic ones for 99p and metal ones for £1.49. So they’re not expensive.

 

[Rietta]

And I think chest level for the birds was meant...

 

[N F C]

I use something similar to this (found at TSC with the rabbit supplies):

And hang on the side of their run, close by their food.

 

[chickens really]

I toss my Grit outside in the Run for them to scratch and locate. My oyster shell is in my Coop and I only provide it once a week in a dog bowl.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I throw oyster shell in a pile on the ground.

 

[jreardon1918]

I hang rabbit feeders on the fence

I do the same thing. One feeder. On the left there is oystet shell. On the right grit.