Peeps wasting food. Argh!

[Kevin75]

Okay...so my wife and I have peeps for the first time. We ordered 25 Buff Orpington chicks, and they're doing well except...

They're so messy! They empty a quart feeder in about a day, but about 3/4's of it ends up on the floor of the brooder. (We've got pine chips covered with paper towels.) We're using the standard chick crumbles.

Has anyone had this problem? Any success in preventing it? I've heard some people say that you can just spread the food on the brooder floor, but then it's going to inevitably be mixed with their poop, which concerned us.

Help!

Kevin

 

[Texasboy4ever]

Chicks are messy and they love to scratch around. I have a dirt floor covered with pine shavings, I have two feeders and they will somehow get the feed out and on the floor so they can scratch around. When I fill up the feeders what is left in it I pour on the floor and they go after it. When I raise them in a larger brooder they do the same thing and it ends up in the drop pan. That's why I built a room with a dirt floor to raise them in

 

[gritsar]

Raise the feeder(s) to the level of the smallest chicks back and take up the paper towels. They'll eat alot of it off the bottom of the brooder anyhow. All their lives they are going to be exposed to poop in and around their feed. Their bodies are designed to deal with it.

 

[dwegg]

This was happening to me then someone on here said to mix the chick food with some water...and presto...no more waste...also it makes sure that the chicks get at the vitamins and stuff that is so fine and the first things to spill..

also my girls seemed to like it better when it was wet and mushy...

 

[Alphau]

If you can check in on them often, just don't feel their tray up to the top. I leave mine about half full, but they are never out completely because I'm always sure to add more. Try it and see if it works

 

[PunkinPeep]

I want my chicks to learn to forage early, so i pour some on the floor also. It helps them learn to scratch around and find food.

I know that a lot of people do, but i have never used paper towels, and i have not had a problem.

I like Alphau's tip too. That's a good idea.