Wasted Feed

[thaiturkey]

Our turkeys forage all day but also have proprietary feed available all the time. It's put out in feeders. Some are standing and one hangs in a coop.

Lately, the turkeys have taken to spilling the feed on the ground from all of the feeders in their eagerness to get it down. I would like to reduce that wastage but can't think how. Any suggestions would be welcome, please.

Thanks.

 

[Sportsterjeep]

When our chickens get over eager and knock a bunch of food out of the feeder, they get to eat it off the ground before they get more. Less waste that way. Don't let it accumulate though, if they knock it out today, let it on the ground and don't refill until they eat most of it. They'll eat it and might even get the hint that they need to be a little cleaner, maybe.

 

[thaiturkey]

Quote:
Thank you, I'll try that.

 

[tomcatbubba]

Quote:
+1 If you hold back feed a little they will search for the rest. I'd go about 1-2 days then refill the feeder once they empty it.

 

[thaiturkey]

It seems that we might be too generous with the feed! I'll leave them to clear up for a day or two as suggested and see if that helps. it might cut down on the free feeding by pigeons too.

 

[tomcatbubba]

I should mention the one caveat I have found out the hard way....I free range and keep food in the house, which seems to keep my flock want to roost well before dark. If I withhold a little food and make them work for it they come back right at dusk when the predators start to become more active. You might want to keep that in mind..

 

[onthespot]

I have a spill/waste proof turkey feeder that is almost free. I take a five quart ice cream plastic bucket. Put the lid on the bucket. Cut a hole in the lid that is plenty big enough for them to eat out of easily, leaving say, an inch and a half of the outer part intact. Fill it as full as you want with feed, near to the top if you want. Put that into another bucket that is about four inches or so deeper. Hang the bucket so they have to reach a bit to eat. If they flick out the food, it goes into the bigger bucket. When they have eaten down the ice cream bucket of food, you can lift it out, and dump the crumbs from the bigger bucket into the ice cream bucket and it goes to making turkeys instead of making a mess.

 

[thaiturkey]

Great tips folks. Thanks very much.

 

[sewchick]

Quote:
Do you have a picture of your feeder? I would like to see it in action.

 

[onthespot]

Here is what it looks like. I don't usually use a kitty litter bucket, but I suppose it would work just as well. My actual turkeys are kept miles from here, so I couldn't show it in action, but this should give you the general idea. Any bucket that is bigger than the ice cream bucket, but that they can still reach inside and eat food, will work. Hope this helps. Another plus of the taller bucket sides is that it keeps most mice out. You can also hang it a few inches off the ground to discourage them more.

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