My hens are wasting a lot of expensive food. HELP!!

[Mrs.H]

I went from using those round hanging feeders to one of those long open metal feeders and put it on blocks, they seemed to like it better and stopped wasting food.

 

[chickenfarminghopeful]

Quote:
Why do the pellets not work as well for you? I have found that when using the mash they don't "clean" it up off the ground once they've gone ballistic with the hanger

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

I agree with the advice to raise the feeder, and also with the sentiment that crumbles get wasted a lot more than the pellets. I do have one pen that are terrible wasters so I only feed a days worth at a time in there and make them eat what they throw out before adding more -that for me has been the most effective method to date.

 

[chickenfarminghopeful]

Anyone have any "hardware" recommendations that I can make to my existing hanger? It was $50. We're just starting our chicken "operation" ,as we call it. We're hog farmers really and have only raised chickens in the past for our own consumption (eggs). Now that we're expanding it they seem to be wasting the food. Which is why we expanded it in the first place: to sell the eggs to pay for feed. Funny, ironic. I understand the concept of raising the hanger, but it is already as high as I can take it. Is it that breed (RIR)? Do they do this? The barred rocks I have found out are egg eaters despite our greatest efforts. Other breeds have other "problems". I really thought the RIR was the perfect breed. HELP!!

 

[lisa new chickens]

Try the metal feeder with all the holes. I am new to this, so i do not know whatr it is called. you can get a long 1 or a round 1.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

it's probably more of a flock habit than a breed tendency. I can't offer hardware advice because I have no idea what you have. thisis what I use, works great. I'm going to make a hardware cloth "cap" for the pen that is being wasteful.

 

[HLAC]

My hanger is just a 'S' hook on a rope. The S hook hooks onto the top of the feeder and the rope goes up to an eye hook in a cross brace above it... then the rope goes out from that eye hook to the edge of the pen. There's another hook at the other end of that rope. Depending on where I hook it to the wire panels on the pen, I can adjust the height of the feeder. I can stand outside the pen to adjust it.
It's super basic but kind of hard to explain.

 

[patman75]

Quote:
Can you elaborate on your baffle design a little?

I was thinking of cutting some aluminium trim or plastic potting containers to be about 1 inch wide and then screw them to my homemade bucket feeder. My idea is rough, I just thought about it about 30 minutes ago. the plan is still in design phase. Soon to move to prototype.

 

[Tala]

My adult feeder consists of a 5gal bucket with holes drilled around the bottom, an upside down funnel inside, and an oil-changing pan bolted to the base. The oil pan is high-lipped and pretty tight around the bucket so there isn't a whole lot of room for playing. It hangs on a chain from the bucket's handle and a double-ended bolt hook attaches it easily at any height.

My chickens waste less pellets, or at least I find less of them on the ground. Crumbles look almost exactly like dirt and pine shavings.....so they are lost when spilled.

Also if there is a lot of feed on the ground I take away the feeder and make them eat their mess.

 

[grundail01]

there are some great ideas for feeders up in the learning center. I've made the feeder and IMO it works better than store bought.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-waterer.html