My hens scatter most of their food on the ground and then don't eat it!

[Cindy in PA]

If they are dual purpose breeds and not getting anything else, the estimate is 1/3 per bird per day. That would be 4 lbs. per day or 40 lbs. in 10 days. Doesn't seem like they are using too much feed.

 

[DenverBird]

Have you considered reading them Miss Manners?

 

[BWKatz]

I use an old coffee grinder to make the egg shells powder after drying them out. No problems with them pecking eggs.

 

[Lilianka]

Hello!
I have a similar problem. I have a rescued baby cockerel (3 months old) that does not eat his food. I have tried pellets and crumbles and he doesn't eat it!

I tried to fool him by giving him yogurt with his feed, he didn't buy it -and oddly he does not like yogurt either-
Maybe he is depressed as he does not have chicken companionship (he is our only chick)? However he pretty much engulfs cooked chickpeas and turnips :/

Does anyone had had this problem?

Thank you!

 

[Chullicken]

I'm having the same issue, cheap plastic self feeder hanging from the run roof. I have been experimenting with a few different brands, which according to the packaging all seem very similar. Maybe its the tangible look of certain brands. Not sure, but they prefer pellets over granules and I notice they tend to eat a lot more of the Purina brand versus Dumar (Tractor Supply) and Poulin (Poulin being their second favorite) I'm also guilty of mixing calcium and regular grit in with their regular feed out of convenience. I stopped doing that a few weeks ago and I've already noticed less grain on the ground. Plus I'm a big chicken softy and have to keep convincing myself they indeed are not actually starving when I check on them twice a day. Unlike my mother next door who is a living nuisance with my whole hobby and is convinced every time my rooster crows or the hens make that odd alert hackle noise, they are starving to death. I'm trying to get them less spoiled. Just yesterday I noticed they destroyed half their flock block and its scattered all over their run. This will not do, so I cut down on their daily feed supply so they get creative and clean the run some before I rake it out on Saturdays. Just trying to encourage them to be more resourceful and stay occupied. Some great tips on here I've read so far. Maybe want to look into the suggestions of feed brands, feeder types, etc. They also have those nifty DIY feeder systems and the more advanced 'step on' and eat feeders that seem to be gaining in popularity. Good luck with everything!

 

[Chullicken]

Hello!
I have a similar problem. I have a rescued baby cockerel (3 months old) that does not eat his food. I have tried pellets and crumbles and he doesn't eat it!

I tried to fool him by giving him yogurt with his feed, he didn't buy it -and oddly he does not like yogurt either-
Maybe he is depressed as he does not have chicken companionship (he is our only chick)? However he pretty much engulfs cooked chickpeas and turnips :/

Does anyone had had this problem?

Thank you!

Sure it's been said as this is a rather older posting, but you may want to get him a mini flock. Chickens in general don't do well solo as they where never made to be that. Good luck!

 

[lazy gardener]

If you continue with the dry feed, you might consider putting a catch basin under the feeder. One resourceful person made a tray covered with HW cloth. He then lifted the lid, and fed all the spilled feed back to the birds. Feed on the ground, or left overnight in the feeder is an invitation to rodents. If you have a pair of rats move into your yard to take advantage of the bounty, you will soon have a whole village of rats.

However, my solution to this issue is to ferment my feed. There is no waste, the feed conversion rate is higher. The birds absorb more of the nutrients, their poo does not smell as bad, nor is it as sloppy. My birds lay sooner than those of same age and same source. The Blue Seal info says that a laying hen should consume .2 - .25# of dry feed per day. On FF, my feed conversion rate has been .18 - .19#/day in the dead of winter when no forage is available.

 

[arwoon]

These feeders are easy to make and are good for reducing waste:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...lon-25-feed-bucket-feeder-for-about-3.834227/

 

[11mini]

I saw a great solution to that. It was a bucket set in a pan type feeder that people make all the time. EXCEPT, the pan has 6" sides. The feed never gets more than about an inch deep and they can't bill food over those high sides. I am now using dishpans with a brick in the middle and no one wastes feed any more. I wish I had that old feeder in the picture above. Those are perfect.

You can see my feeder on the left. Inverted trash can lid and 4 rivits. What they do peck out gets caught by the lid. I also ran a wire around the plastic fins to discourage digging around.

 

[rdadams88]

Hello!
I have a similar problem. I have a rescued baby cockerel (3 months old) that does not eat his food. I have tried pellets and crumbles and he doesn't eat it!

I tried to fool him by giving him yogurt with his feed, he didn't buy it -and oddly he does not like yogurt either-
Maybe he is depressed as he does not have chicken companionship (he is our only chick)? However he pretty much engulfs cooked chickpeas and turnips :/

Does anyone had had this problem?

Thank you!

Yes! after my chickies moved out to the coop, i started spoiling them with fresh vegies (lettuce, celery, peas & carrots) plus their usual pellets & corn scratch. They did well for a while but finally quit eating the pellets which is where they are getting most of their needed vitamins and such. I now just give them pellets in the morning when they are the most hungry and then their scratch for dinner. If they have eaten well, I give them dried milworms for a snack right before bedtime. Hope this helps Rhonda