So much wasted feed!

[pixie74943]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=56638-building-a-treadle-feeder

I'm about to build a big new run that will be too big to cover and keep the wild birds out, therefore will be building one of these. Hopefully it will work well for you

I'm curious to see how much less food I go through when I stop feeding the sparrows

 

[MomMommyMamma]

Thanks for so many replies! I think we're going to try mounted trough feeders inside the coops and pellet food.

 

[jen5680]

I take those plastic ice cream containers and cut out about a 4 or 5 inch hole in the lid and fill it with the feed and them i sit them in
one of those clear plastic trays like you use for the planters to keep the water from leaking out of the bottom.
This works soooooo good and I never have wasted feed all over the floor anymore.

 

[MomMommyMamma]

Quote:
Do you have a picture?

 

[urbanfarmer101]

Quote:
One morning last winter I entered the coop just in time to see 3 squirrels dashing away from the feeder. I go through a lot of feed in the winter time. LOL

 

[PhilErvin]

I made a feeder out of 4" pvc drainage pipe.
It's simply 4ft long with a 90 degree elbow at the bottom and a 1 ft long trough with a cap at the end. I cut out 2" slots about 1" apart so they can get their heads in but can't throw food out. The trough is about 6" off the ground. Works great with very little ending up on the ground.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

We are tired of the chicken food going to waste, so we only put a scoop into the feeder right before bedtime (they'll eat it when they wake up, before we let them out) and give them a scoop when they come looking hungry for food, or to lure them with a mix of treats and feed to lock them into their run if we're leaving for a while.

Our problem has been the birds DECLINING to eat the feed, favoring the forage method of eating grass seed, weed leaves, toads, bugs, worms, grubs and more spiders than I thought we had.

Our other problem was the chipmunks gorging on the (ignored) chicken feed. On one hand, I resented the money wasted on good purina feed which the chickens decline to eat, on the other hand, I feel sorry for the chipmunk who will be eating high protein, high calcium feed all winter which he's stored in his nest somewhere under my garage and agonizing over his new kidney stones.

We prefer the Purina Layena Pellets for grown chickens, the crumbles make them cough and sneeze. Also the crumbles I think might be better as a mash for babies, mixed in small batches with water. We call that "baby mushies" and our chickens consider that a treat.

When our chickens were younger they earned the nickname Little Monkeys for all their antics on the waterer and feeder. The heated waterer was usually unplugged by morning...

 

[MomMommyMamma]

Quote:
Hubby says he likes the sound of this one - do you have a pic?

 

[HorizonSon]

6chickens in St. Charles :

.....Our problem has been the birds DECLINING to eat the feed, favoring the forage method of eating grass seed, weed leaves, toads, bugs, worms, grubs and more spiders than I thought we had.....

Now THAT sounds like an excellent "problem"!

 

[Kittymomma]

Here's a link to a thread all about pvc pipe feeders. There are quite a few pictures of some different designs too.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=109158