My chicken keeps wasting food at an insane rate

[Chickensarecool123]

hi my 17 week old pullet is CRAZY, ill be straight forward with this post, SHE IS ABSOLUTLEY INSANE
maybe that wasn’t necessary but thats how i currently feel

For some backstory she’s 17 weeks and i put some oats in her food less then a handful maybe like 1/4 of a handful, and she ate food so i did it again, BIG MISTAKE! For the past 3 days she’s wasted SO MUCH FOOD, I’m currently switching her to a new all flock (main difference is it has 2% more protein) anyways- im not sure if its the new food or the oats but she keeps, i forgot the name but its when a chicken is looking for a certain piece of food in some grain- except i believe its it oats my chicken is looking for

Do you guys know how to stop this or prevent it?

Thanks in advance see my culprit here

Ps. My chicken is alone, I know their flock animals, we’re getting chicks in exactly a month soonest they have chicks, not sure if this is how she’s dealing with the boredom, might be though, thanks in advance- again

 

[rosemarythyme]

Why are you mixing oats in? If she has a single choice of food then she won't have incentive to bill out what she doesn't want.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

The first thing I would do is stop putting the oats in her food. You can sprinkle some on the ground for her to scratch at but I would stop feed her oats for a few days then give some to her on the ground towards the later part of the day so she eats her regular layer first and has a treat later.

I also do recommend using a feeder this one. It would also be cheaper to make it yourself by purchasing a kit like this. The bucket isn't included in the second one but I would purchase a regular storage bin from the hardware store. This is the one we use and it holds a 50lb bag of feed plus some more. Works great at not spilling and is great if you have a rat problem like we do.

 

[Chickensarecool123]

Why are you mixing oats in? If she has a single choice of food then she won't have incentive to bill out what she doesn't want.

I honestly dont know what i was thinking such a stupid mistake i made, your very right i shouldn’t have, sorry everyone for making that silly mistake

 

[Chickensarecool123]

The first thing I would do is stop putting the oats in her food. You can sprinkle some on the ground for her to scratch at but I would stop feed her oats for a few days then give some to her on the ground towards the later part of the day so she eats her regular layer first and has a treat later.

I also do recommend using a feeder this one. It would also be cheaper to make it yourself by purchasing a kit like this. The bucket isn't included in the second one but I would purchase a regular storage bin from the hardware store. This is the one we use and it holds a 50lb bag of feed plus some more. Works great at not spilling and is great if you have a rat problem like we do.

Dont worry i already stopped a little bit ago, thanks for the advice i will definitely look into getting another feeder, not completely not sure yet, thanks again- I’m very sorry for my stupid mistake, will not make that mistake again

 

[Chickensarecool123]

Why are you mixing oats in? If she has a single choice of food then she won't have incentive to bill out what she doesn't want.

The first time i responded i didnt read this comment completely, i stopped giving her oats a little back, like a week ago yet she still wastes so much i filled her smaller feeder and within 10 hours ALL GONE though she was really hungry, my mistake- filled it the next day and same result not exactly sure what to do now

 

[rosemarythyme]

The first time i responded i didnt read this comment completely, i stopped giving her oats a little back, like a week ago yet she still wastes so much i filled her smaller feeder and within 10 hours ALL GONE though she was really hungry, my mistake- filled it the next day and same result not exactly sure what to do now

She's probably still hoping if she digs enough she'll find oats.

If my birds make a mess they don't get any additional food or snacks. They'll clean up after themselves if you don't give them another option.

What kind of feeder are you using? What feed are you currently giving her? Have you tried serving it wet or fermented, as many birds prefer that over dry?

 

[FarmerGirl101]

Dont worry i already stopped a little bit ago, thanks for the advice i will definitely look into getting another feeder, not completely not sure yet, thanks again- I’m very sorry for my stupid mistake, will not make that mistake again

It's all good. We live and we learn. This is just a harmless mistake. No need to beat yourself up over it.

Just keep it in the back of your mind. I like it a lot as food waste is reduced down to practically zero and so in the long run we save money on feed.

What size is her current feeder? Do you have a picture of it?

 

[Chickensarecool123]

She's probably still hoping if she digs enough she'll find oats.

If my birds make a mess they don't get any additional food or snacks. They'll clean up after themselves if you don't give them another option.

What kind of feeder are you using? What feed are you currently giving her? Have you tried serving it wet or fermented, as many birds prefer that over dry?

Using a cheap feeder as I haven’t found a good one looking for one now, i have fed a different feed wet not sure how I’d do that in the long run

 

[Chickensarecool123]

It's all good. We live and we learn. This is just a harmless mistake. No need to beat yourself up over it.

Just keep it in the back of your mind. I like it a lot as food waste is reduced down to practically zero and so in the long run we save money on feed.

What size is her current feeder? Do you have a picture of it?

It’s the stereo typical chick feeder, getting a new one just looking for it