So much wasted feed!

[MomMommyMamma]

We have 20 chickens and are using a large plastic feeder that we fill in the center and the feed comes down into a red dish at the base. Problem is that I am finding an awful lot of feed on the ground in the pen that is not getting eaten. Sometimes they knock the feeder over and it spills, sometimes I guess they just scratch it out and it's always possible that my kids are careless when filling it.
What are good feeders that are better at preventing so much waste? Any tips (aside from train the children to pay more attention). Are the trough feeders better?

 

[Kittymomma]

I have (I think) the same style feeder except mine is metal. I hang it so that it's about back level on the chickens and also use pelleted food most of the year (except when I have chicks) between those two things there is very little waste now. Don't know what to tell you about the kids, I have two of my own....

 

[MomMommyMamma]

Quote:
Pellet food - I'm not familiar with it. We've been feeding Layena - this is a crumble I guess since it looks just like the chick crumbles.

 

[urbanfarmer101]

hanging the feeder really helps reduce waste. My metal feeder also has three adjustable levels. If I use crumble, it goes on the lowest setting. If I use pellets, it goes on the middle setting. If I feed them whole watermelons, well, then I would use the top setting. JK

 

[urbanfarmer101]

Quote:
Pellet food - I'm not familiar with it. We've been feeding Layena - this is a crumble I guess since it looks just like the chick crumbles.

Layena comes in pellet or crumbles.

 

[swimmer]

Agree. Hanging feeders works best.

 

[can you hear me now?]

Between hanging feeders and the pellets you would be good to go.

 

[sunflowerenvy]

i used a rain gutter chest high that is mount to the side of a wall in my chicken coop n u can see on my byc page and i used pellets i have less waste that way. it hold 4 spatti sauce [26 oz] can fill . i add 1 can a day by the end of the week i add 3 more cans. the feeders are 4 ft long. i have 12 chicken now and i go though 50 lbs every 6 weeks
but people make feeders out of bucket by cut circle in them and chicken put there head in to eat out of it.

 

[welasharon]

I took a sheet rock spackle trough and nailed it to a board so they can't turn it over. Works good. They can't dump it or scratch it over.
sharon

 

[ajaldridge]

I finally figured out why I can hang my feeder and still get food everywhere. One of our chickies, Big Red, has apparently decided its fun to fly up and try to land on the feeder. This results in her getting her feet on the side of the dish and flapping which results in the feeder swinging and the other chickies running around like mad. I caught her doing this today and went out to get on to her for it and just couldn't bring myself to get onto her because it was to funny watching the other chickies. At least she's stopped chasing them around though. I have learned when giving out mealworms to give her some first and let her run around the front yard chasing our cat around. Poor kitty can't even climb the tree to get away from her, she follows him!!! The little terror, the only person who can get her to behave is my nine year old son. He'll pull out his rocking chair and here she goes hopping up on his lap for him to rock her and sing to her.