Quail Feeders...need help

[Scot1458]

I have seen pix of using rabbit type feeders for Quail. So I purchased a few smaller ones, and install them. They are the external gravity stainless steel types that we all have seen. Well low and behold, appears that a LOT of food gets wasted, they peck at the pile in the feeder and it sprays all over. Anybody find a way to deal with this effiencently?

 

[_Randall_]

It can be done more than one way. Some here like a custom carved PVC trough type feeder. A little searching on this board, and you should stumble up on it....or maybe somebody will chime in that can post the thread. I personally like mine (post #23 of this thread - https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=3636384#p3636384 .

You can down-scale the tall pipe or make it bigger.....whatever fits you needs. But honestly, I was like you on the feed waste ... any feed waste for that matter, and this modification I did literally takes the waste problem completely away....... except for the crumb or two that falls out of their mouth when they hog it down!

Here's one of many that will stop the scratching out of feed, but I doubt it will stop the "raking" out with their beaks.......and thats where I was losing a lot of feed:
http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplie...ftSearchDefaultPerPage=10&mfPartNumber=103913

 

[aprophet]

I am about to try the same feeders you are describeing I was going to try a small piece of hardware cloth in the feeder to keep the strowing of food to a minimumI will let you know how it works. I did sheet metal fabrication for a few years they are pretty easy to make with a little sheet metal from lowes and a few pop rivets

 

[Friend2Fowl]

I use chick feeders for mine, and have little to no waste. The cages with higher numbers of birds in them have the long metal feeders, those with smaller numbers have the base only of the round feeders.

 

[CARS]

I used rabbit feeders and someone here on BYC (sorry I don't remember your name) told me to cover the front half of the feeder with duct tape. (as looking at it from the quails point of view) It kept them from pulling it towards them with their beaks. Before that mod, I would have a pile of feed under the feeder every day

 

[Scot1458]

thanks for the advice. I'll try the duct tape for now and see how that goes. They dive into it and food is going everywhere!

 

[Mrs MIA]

Coturnix are ravenous little piggies.

I hadn't thought to put tape on the front, but will try it. I usually just make them wait for new food until they've cleaned up all the spillage.

 

[Schroeder]

I cut and bended a piece of sheet metal, and then used pop rivets to attach it to the feeder. This narrows the opening by about 50%. I don't know how well it works, however, as I just put my first batch of eggs in the incubator last night. I also used pop rivets to attach a latch on the outside to keep out the raccoons.

 

[rwwjsw]

I have my feeder set up so the have to put their head through the wire to eat that helps out with waist they are not able to play in it, but I did have a problem, with them dragging it out with their beaks. So I went right under it inside the cage and laid in a piece of flat metal on their floor. That really helped when they rake out the food now it falls onto the metal and they eat that right away. That really helped with my waist problem there still is some but nowhere near as much.