Transitioning from roofed to roofless run

[aart]

so I've gone through 3 feeders until I found one that's truly no-waste.

Billing out can create an insane amount of wasted feed.

(and wasted feed will add up and be a non-trivial amount with 50 lbs bags and only 5 chickens). My best bet would be to split bags (and cost) with somebody else.

Maybe freeze half a 50# bag?
Should keep it 'fresher'.
Would need to be absolutely air tight packages.
Maybe in multiple ziplock bags.

 

[K0k0shka]

Billing out can create an insane amount of wasted feed.

Your feeder design is truly bullet-proof! Especially now that my super-waster chicken is gone. I've tried putting the feeder on different surfaces (where I can see clearly if there's anything pulled outside of it) and there's absolutely zero feed outside the feeder

Maybe freeze half a 50# bag?
Should keep it 'fresher'.
Would need to be absolutely air tight packages.
Maybe in multiple ziplock bags.

I don't have that much freezer space Especially now with COVID and still avoiding going into the store. We do have a chest freezer, but it's almost full. Interesting idea though, I'll think about it.

 

[aart]

Your feeder design is truly bullet-proof! Especially now that my super-waster chicken is gone. I've tried putting the feeder on different surfaces (where I can see clearly if there's anything pulled outside of it) and there's absolutely zero feed outside the feeder

Didja put the tubing around the bottoms of openings?
That was the clincher!

 

[K0k0shka]

Didja put the tubing around the bottoms of openings?
That was the clincher!

Yep! That's what a lot of other designs are missing - a lip of some sort to stop the billing. This one has the tall sides AND the tubing that make it pretty much impossible for them to rake the feed out. I had some large tubing left over from my aquarium hobby.

Here's my big feed waster. Even HE couldn't figure out how to get the feed out! Now he's gone and the rest eat a lot more politely.

 

[countryladyNH]

Haha okay so it was probably more than one bag, but not a lot more! I'm obsessed with controlling waste because of my a-hole neighbor situation - I don't want to give him any more reasons to complain (rats etc.) so I've gone through 3 feeders until I found one that's truly no-waste. So, whatever the number of bags, they do go through them slower than what folks recommend about the frequency of buying feed. I wish there was an intermediate size. I can only find 50 lbs and the next size down is those tiny little bags, I think 5-10 lbs or something like that, that are a LOT more expensive per pound and I'd need to buy those a lot more often.

We did a LOT of research before we ever got chickens, always trying to figure out the best feeders, waterers, runs, etc., and still do. Hubby made our incredible duck feeder and waterer, but I want to share the BEST chicken feeder ever! It was not cheap, but honestly we bought ours almost 5 years ago and it is the BEST money we ever spent!

We got a 'Grandpa's Feeder':

https://www.grandpasfeeders.com/product/standard-chicken-feeder/

Not a single bug can get in let alone a mouse. Never a drop of water, no matter if it rains, snows, etc. We can't recommend this enough. It's clean, and after years of use looks and performs like new. The chooks step on it to eat. No damp or wasted food ever. It is EVERYTHING they say it is! LOL, no we don't work for the company, but have recommended this to everyone we know who gets chickens.

 

[K0k0shka]

We did a LOT of research before we ever got chickens, always trying to figure out the best feeders, waterers, runs, etc., and still do. Hubby made our incredible duck feeder and waterer, but I want to share the BEST chicken feeder ever! It was not cheap, but honestly we bought ours almost 5 years ago and it is the BEST money we ever spent!

We got a 'Grandpa's Feeder':

https://www.grandpasfeeders.com/product/standard-chicken-feeder/

Not a single bug can get in let alone a mouse. Never a drop of water, no matter if it rains, snows, etc. We can't recommend this enough. It's clean, and after years of use looks and performs like new. The chooks step on it to eat. No damp or wasted food ever. It is EVERYTHING they say it is! LOL, no we don't work for the company, but have recommended this to everyone we know who gets chickens.

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I've wondered about those. That was a great review, thanks! I'll consider it if my current feeder fails or if we start getting pests.

 

[countryladyNH]

I've wondered about those. That was a great review, thanks! I'll consider it if my current feeder fails or if we start getting pests.

Not only are they fantastic, but I see the price has gone DOWN! Five years ago it was over $200.! We are always on a tight budget, but this has paid for itself and never any waste so we're happy we made that decision back then!

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Billing out can create an insane amount of wasted feed.

Maybe freeze half a 50# bag?
Should keep it 'fresher'.
Would need to be absolutely air tight packages.
Maybe in multiple ziplock bags.

You could use a vacuum sealer.

 

[K0k0shka]

You could use a vacuum sealer.

We have a sous vide kit with a vacuum sealer so that’s not a problem. The bigger problem is freezer space.

 

[RainbowHen]

We have a sous vide kit with a vacuum sealer so that’s not a problem. The bigger problem is freezer space.

If it was vacuum sealed you should be able to store it safely in the basement