Suggestions how to sift shavings out of crumble?

[mithious]

With he old mash we could use a kitchen sifter. I don't want to throw it away as the feed is so expensive and still fine, just full of shaving...I tried picking the shavings out, but the smaller pieces stay in and I have one that will eat the pieces if it's in the feeder.

I had the waterer and feeder raised, and have now raised it even higher with two by fours as they both would immediately fill with shavings. I lost a chick yesterday as I had to keep refilling the waterer, was in the process of building their coop and it must've run under when I set the waterer down

I cried and puked, knowing it was my fault!!! I always count them, but this one time, I didn't, as the guys were outside waiting on me for instructions for where I wanted things ect...I still feel horrible about it!!!!

anyways...I would greatly appreciate any ideas on how you all get the shavings out of the crumble!

Thanks so much!

 

[lavenderorpgirl]

Have you tried a standard strainer like you would use for spaghetti? That may work...

I also find that the smaller screens used to keep predators out will work pretty well...all the feed drops to the floor and the shavings stay on top.

Good luck!

 

[mithious]

Yes, I tried both. The spaghetti strainer doesn't let the crumble through and the wire is too big and most of the shavings fall right through...thanks for the suggestions though!

 

[Sharon Bee]

Awwwwww....sorry to hear about your chick under the waterer. Sometimes things happen even though we try our best. It's all about being distracted. Look at that poor family in Milton, Ontario where the grandmother FORGOT about the two year old in her back seat of the car and left him there for HOURS in the scorching heat. He DIED!! OMG!! Can you imagine??? People are so distracted, bad things can and do happen. Again though, sorry for your loss.

 

[mithious]

Thank you Sharon!!!

The guys didn't want to talk about it...and now I am counting 3, 4, 5 times after doing anything!!!

The guys were great though..they finished as much as they could of the coop...the shell is up...just some minor stuff to do and the chicks can move in!!! The guys will be back next week-end to finish up the last of the basic buttoning up of the coop and putting in the nesting boxes, roosts, ect! Thank the Lord! Everything is going to hang, waterer, feeder with lots of hooks ect for extra protection! That was a hard lesson to learn and a hard way to learn it...I was useless after!!!!! I always shoosh them out of the way..that little one must've run under at the last moment. I have them in my living room, so I can hear them and watch them, but as they get more rambunctious, I really think the coop will be the best thing for them. It's 85 degrees in the house right now...just have a light bulb shining over the top of the brooder as the really don't like not having light!

Thanks again!!!!

 

[Tabasco Jack]

I use a deep-fry basket to sift the shavings out from the crumbles.