Texas

[yinepu]

What kind of feeders do you all use in your brooder? I have one of the round 8 hole feeders that u can attach a jar to the top.

I just put the container on today as they have been eating just the feeder full about twice a day...its been about 4 hours since i put a full container on and it has been conpletely emptied...mostly due to scratching as you cant even see the bedding around the feeder for all the food! Is this the wrong approach? Should i get the longer style? Probably 2 lbs of feed under their feet and im debating whether to refill or to let me eat what they spilled...

I have used the jar feeders.. I prefer these though




Since i have just started fermenting feed I plan to do that for the chicks as well.. should result in pretty much 0 feed waste

 

[Cockle-Dood]

Yeah im gonna have to get one of those longer feeders and try those...wasnt as much of an issue when it was just the base...some scratched out but not enough to really bother me...once they go outside i have hanging galvinzed feeder and waterer so hopefully those will work. Was planning on using those to free choice feed, so might as well grab a couple and see what happens in the brooder...surely wont be worse!

 

[Kilsharion]

Interesting. The only issue I have with the small, round feeders is them scratching all their betting up into it, not the other way around. However, too, I'm going to be having a ton of chicks ~3/13 (20 dorkings and however many of the 42 I have in the 'bator that survive) so I need to find a better, bigger feeder. I'm thinking the one like Yinepu posted; but, I'm going to have to figure out a different bedding because I can't be dumping those every morning due to shavings completely covering the food. And, I'm going to have to figure out something for watering - because...yeah...fun times!!

 

[Cockle-Dood]

Oh they do get bedding in it, but i have both ther water and feed on about a 6"x6" peice of ply wood that lifts them high enough to keep most of the bedding out...and keeps the water a little more level.

But yeah...feed everywhere!

 

[Little Wing]

Interesting. The only issue I have with the small, round feeders is them scratching all their betting up into it, not the other way around. However, too, I'm going to be having a ton of chicks ~3/13 (20 dorkings and however many of the 42 I have in the 'bator that survive) so I need to find a better, bigger feeder. I'm thinking the one like Yinepu posted; but, I'm going to have to figure out a different bedding because I can't be dumping those every morning due to shavings completely covering the food. And, I'm going to have to figure out something for watering - because...yeah...fun times!!

Raising the feeders up out of the shavings will help with the waste AND the shavings in the feeders. I put bricks or wood pieces under trough feeders like those in my brooders. Make them reach up for it. The same with the waterers, raise them up with something. It works with grown chickens too. If you raise their feeders, they will waste less.
I have water nipples that run through all of the coops. It sure beats cleaning pans or buckets.

 

[Cockle-Dood]

Maybe i should try raising them a little higher...im sure i got a 2x4 layin around here somewhere....

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
lol.. raising them never helped me with those jar feeders.. they take their beaks and sling feed everywhere.. my chicks are just little savages! (quail chicks are the worst for slinging feed too)

 

[Little Wing]

I put the shavings down and then a brick on top of that. The bricks get kinda poopy, but it keeps most of the shavings out.

 

[Cockle-Dood]

All in all, i guess if feed spillage is my biggest issue im doing alright! Thanks for the info yine-pu, little wing, and kilsharion

 

[Kilsharion]

Raising the feeders up out of the shavings will help with the waste AND the shavings in the feeders. I put bricks or wood pieces under trough feeders like those in my brooders. Make them reach up for it. The same with the waterers, raise them up with something. It works with grown chickens too. If you raise their feeders, they will waste less.
I have water nipples that run through all of the coops. It sure beats cleaning pans or buckets.

I raise them **laughs** The buggers KICK...I'm thinking of putting some sort of eave over the top to help keep the airborne shavings out.

I have no feed waste issues with my birds once they are out of the brooder. Can't say I've ever dumped feed that's in the coops except when I've worried that it's gotten damp from high wind rains.

I think I've got my husband convinced to give me some poultry nipples in the larger brooder; but, I'm not sure. If he doesn't do it, I'll probably order them and do it myself. But...if I do...my whole "but, you're the big, strong man and I need you to do ABC" will be blown sky high and he'll realize I really can do it myself...