ChickenHawk12
Chirping
- May 7, 2015
- 153
- 6
- 76
We've had our first batch of chicks (5 BO's) for 2 weeks now (got them at 3-4 days old), and I'm already losing my mind with frustration about feeding them. I use milled starter in a mason jar feeder. My issues are 1)Mess/wasted food, and 2)Getting them to eat the fines/powder left at the bottom.
I posted a few days ago on the baby chicks board about reducing food waste, and upon someone's suggestion, I put the feeder up on a brick so it is chest level for them. But honestly, it really didn't help with the food waste. It seems they are picking through and eating what they like and tossing the rest on the floor.
When there is mostly just fines/powder left (which is usually mid-afternoon when I fill the mason jar in the morning), I put it into an open bowl and mix it with water until it has an oatmeal-like consistency, and it goes back in the brooder on the brick. Once that is gone, I will wait an hour or two in hopes that they pick some of what they have thrown on the floor, and then I fill up the mason jar feeder again and put it back in the brooder.
-Is a mason-jar full of food for 5 almost-3-week-old chicks a normal amount? I still feed like so much is going to waste. I don't want to starve them, but I feel like that's more than I should be going through in a day (but I'm new at this and I'm not really sure)
-They really don't seem to want anything to do with the fines mixture. Also, I have to go in every few hours and break it up with a plastic knife because it dries up on top and cakes up, and then they really don't touch it. I've been thinking about fermenting feed, but will this happen with the fermented feed too? Everyone says their chickens love FF, but I don't want to waste even more feed by fermenting if they are going to refuse wet food, or if it is going to crust over like it is now when I wet it :-(
This is as bad as feeding my two difficult infants! If anyone has useful suggestions, I would love to hear them!
Someone on the other board suggested an ice cube try feeder that I might try, but I'm not sure it will hold enough food for 5 BO's for 1 day, or if I will be refilling it multiple times a day.
I posted a few days ago on the baby chicks board about reducing food waste, and upon someone's suggestion, I put the feeder up on a brick so it is chest level for them. But honestly, it really didn't help with the food waste. It seems they are picking through and eating what they like and tossing the rest on the floor.
When there is mostly just fines/powder left (which is usually mid-afternoon when I fill the mason jar in the morning), I put it into an open bowl and mix it with water until it has an oatmeal-like consistency, and it goes back in the brooder on the brick. Once that is gone, I will wait an hour or two in hopes that they pick some of what they have thrown on the floor, and then I fill up the mason jar feeder again and put it back in the brooder.
-Is a mason-jar full of food for 5 almost-3-week-old chicks a normal amount? I still feed like so much is going to waste. I don't want to starve them, but I feel like that's more than I should be going through in a day (but I'm new at this and I'm not really sure)
-They really don't seem to want anything to do with the fines mixture. Also, I have to go in every few hours and break it up with a plastic knife because it dries up on top and cakes up, and then they really don't touch it. I've been thinking about fermenting feed, but will this happen with the fermented feed too? Everyone says their chickens love FF, but I don't want to waste even more feed by fermenting if they are going to refuse wet food, or if it is going to crust over like it is now when I wet it :-(
This is as bad as feeding my two difficult infants! If anyone has useful suggestions, I would love to hear them!
Someone on the other board suggested an ice cube try feeder that I might try, but I'm not sure it will hold enough food for 5 BO's for 1 day, or if I will be refilling it multiple times a day.