Wasted food?! Help!

[BBQNuggets]

What do you do to stop your chicks from kicking all of the food out and pooping in it?!
We use sand in the brooder for litter and I have to sift it twice a day to keep the smell/hygiene in check. Every time I sift it, 3/4 of what I have to pull out is food crumbles! How do you keep the food contained so it doesn't just get mixed with poop and wasted?

Edited to add: They are almost 3 weeks old now.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

What are you using for a feeder? I find that at that age the "covered" feeders with the little head holes are better than the more open feeders. Also, raising the feeder up to about chest high will help to keep them from digging in and wasting so much.

 

[Mister B]

Idunno. I use pine shavings and leave the food they scatter in the brooder. They will scratch around looking in the shavings for the food. I guess it is rewarding their innate behavior. In any event, I just leave it there. I also leave the poo. I add more shavings on top. No smell. When I get ready for new chicks, I will clean out everything and start fresh.

 

[BBQNuggets]

We're using one of the standard upright plastic feeders... I wonder if I could cut a hole in a paper plate and add it above the food like a visor so they could only get their heads in? Hmmm...

 

[ShockValue]

Before I built my (25# No Waste Feeder) I was putting a bucket lid under their little plastic feeder. It would collect a bunch of feed and when the feeder got low, they would clean up the bucket lid.

Not perfect, but it reduced the waste by quite a bit.

 

[Mister B]

Tell us about the 25# no waste feeder.

 

[ShockValue]

It's built for full size chickens, but I've found at 8 weeks my chicks are large enough to use it.

Got the idea from this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...te-5-gallon-25-feed-bucket-feeder-for-about-3

This was a test with 3 spouts in 1, 5 gallon bucket. I've since just put 1 spout into a 4 gallon square bucket which seems to work a bit better.

 

[Mister B]

Well, that is just a humdinger of a thing!

I love it. Next payday, I will be getting some PVC elbows. What size are those? about 3"?

 

[ShockValue]

3", yes. It's a stretch for my 8 week olds, but at the proper height they are managing OK. They'll grow into them I figure

 

[donrae]

Idunno. I use pine shavings and leave the food they scatter in the brooder. They will scratch around looking in the shavings for the food. I guess it is rewarding their innate behavior. In any event, I just leave it there. I also leave the poo. I add more shavings on top. No smell. When I get ready for new chicks, I will clean out everything and start fresh.

This is how I do things, also.

Is your feeder elevated? I set mine on bricks or 2x4s or something to raise it up to about the level of their backs. I don't mind if they have to stretch a little to eat, it keeps those little feet out of it.