Wasted food?! Help!

[WalkingOnSunshine]

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.

Me, three. I use those long rectangular feeders with the spots for them to stick their heads in. And like Donrae, I elevate the feeder a bit by putting it on a chunk of concrete I poured just to use in the brooder. About 2" high. I have a round one that I use to put the waterer on as well, so the water doesn't spill.

I have found that my chickies smell if they get too crowded. Is that perhaps the case with you?

 

[colmcmanus]

We've placed ours on an inverted tray that you would use for plants - it's not perfect, but it definitely helps. We've also used bricks in the past.

 

[ourltlflock]

Tell us about the 25# no waste feeder.

I have made 2 of these for my 8-10 wk olds. I absolutely love them! No wasted feed! Also cuts back on the visiting sparrows....

 

[Mister B]

I may build one to put out for the big chickens. The chickens started using their waterer today, so I feel better about using automatic feeders.

 

[WholeConversion]

Just wanted to show you our "no waste" feeder. Go to 3:39 and it will begin the "feeder" part of the video.
It works very well. No waste what so ever!
Very economical to build as well.

 

[WholeConversion]

I built a chicken feeder that has absolutely no waste. We have 125 chicks that have been eating out of this for about 4 weeks. Our chicks are now 9 weeks old. The floor of our mobile coop is a wire mesh, so feed falling through was very wasteful. After watching videos on you tube, this is what I made and it is working our very well. NO food wasted at all. I did cut the 3" elbows to make them shorter. Enjoy the video!