Questions, questions, questions.

[Mar_ducks]

First off: Is this chickens wing a cause for concern? It’s just on one side and none of my others have it. Also, is he actually a rooster like I suspect? He’s/She’s a Pearl Star Leghorn if that helps.
Next: Any suggestions for alternatives to a traditional chicken waterer found at a feed store? They’re just a bit spendy and I’m trying to find ways to get water in the different spots in my yard that my chickens hang out at throughout the day.
Lastly: Has anyone found a way to eliminate or reduce food waste? They’re such messy eaters and I always end up with random extra food on the ground that ultimately attracts more pests and can mold.

Thank you in advance and I apologize for the rant of questions!!

 

[nuthatched]

Your chicken looks fine.
Unless you want to use dog bowls, chickens waterers are going to be the cheapest way to water.
What feeder and feed do you have??

 

[Mar_ducks]

I use stainless steel dog dishes for their feed. They tip them over way less than the other feeder I was using. They get organic all poultry feed. Scraps, and free range throughout the day.

 

[WhatsUpDuck]

I'm a newbie, but with trial and a lot of error we have a water feeder like you find in the feed store. The bowls drive me crazy they kick bedding into and poo in it.



My oldest son rigged a thing I can hang it with, and we have it at just the right level the smaller ones can reach it, but the big ones can't kick as much debris/poo into the water. I just shake the excess feed off, and they eat pretty much all of it. So I have not had a mold/pest issue. We do have five cats though so that should help with pest control.


LORD JESUS is KING of kings and LORD of lords!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is this chickens wing a cause for concern? It’s just on one side and none of my others have it.

I'm not sure what is going on with those wing feathers. I do not think it is a disease. Did you worm him when he was feathering out? Some worming medications can affect feather growth, but it usually doesn't look like that. I would plan on not breeding him just in case it is genetic.

Also, is he actually a rooster like I suspect?

I think so. I don't know how old he is so looking at the comb and wattles may not be that much help but with those heavy legs, upright posture, and curved tail feathers I strongly suspect he is a boy.

He’s/She’s a Pearl Star Leghorn if that helps.

I looked that up. Supposedly a Pearl Star Leghorn was developed from Partridge Rock and Sussex. No Leghorn in the ancestry. Their adult size is more in line with a leghorn that a Rock of Sussex. To me that is a cute marketing name, no more. May still be a great chicken, egg production should be really good.

Any suggestions for alternatives to a traditional chicken waterer found at a feed store? They’re just a bit spendy and I’m trying to find ways to get water in the different spots in my yard that my chickens hang out at throughout the day.

Basically anything that will hold water. Pet food bowls. Go to a thrift store and look for bowls. I can get free 2-gallon or 5-gallon plastic buckets from a deli, cut the top off and create a bowl. Put a rock in it to weigh it down. I like to raise them up to shoulder height, say on a cinder block, to stop them scratching trash in the water. You still need to dump them every couple of days to stop mosquito larva from maturing in there.

I like to use white bowls in the summer. Black bowls heat up in the sun.

Has anyone found a way to eliminate or reduce food waste? They’re such messy eaters and I always end up with random extra food on the ground that ultimately attracts more pests and can mold.

Raising the feeders up can help reduce how much trash they scratch into them. Wire dividers to compartmentalize the feed can help. They can stop them swiping sideways with their beaks and raking feed out. Feeding pellets instead of mash or crumbles might help. Putting a pan around the feeder to catch any that is raked out can keep it off of the ground where they are more likely to eat it.

Thank you in advance and I apologize for the rant of questions!!

No apologies necessary. It is what this forum is for. Plus the more posts on this forum the more money the forum owner makes. He likes us to ask questions.

 

[D Uccle Uncle]

Lastly: Has anyone found a way to eliminate or reduce food waste? They’re such messy eaters and I always end up with random extra food on the ground that ultimately attracts more pests and can mold.

Check out aart's (RIP) waste-free bucket feeder. It doesn't require a hangar. I have one, but only outer bucket, meaning I have to scoop food in at least once a day. This has 95% eliminated food being kicked or beaked out.