Week and a half old chick won't use bucket feeder

[Jcobbow]

I have 10 chicks at a week and a half old. I started them with a standard farm store feeder. They had feed everywhere. I researched here and found the threads on bucket feeders. So I built them one this morning out of 3 1-1/2" pax elbows and a 3 lb Folgers Coffee can.

They won't use it. I have been working in the garage where their brooder is all afternoon and not one of them has stuck her head in to get feed.

What sould I do?
Leave it and let them figure it out ?
Or put the old feeder back in?
I would rather pick up feed than a bunch of chicks that starved overnight.


Thank you for any help you can give

 

[Percheron chick]

Give them both. Place the feeders in a feed pan to catch what they bill out.

 

[appps]

Agree give them both till they work it out. Also try calling them to the new feeder by scratching your finger in the food and tapping the food. It will only take one to eat from it then the others will end up copying.

 

[Hholly]

Put some food on the edge of the pvc so they can see it.

 

[Jcobbow]

Thank you for the responses

I have tried scratching at the feed and even stuck one of their heads in there thinking that would work.

I will be putting the other feeder back in and hope they figure out how to use the bucket feeder.

 

[kie4]

I love the PVC bucket feeder. So cheap and quick to make. My first lot were about 6 weeks old when I switched them, they took a day or two to get used to it. One chick didn't work it out so Ai was shoving her head ito the hole and drizzling mash on the edge of the PVC.

I just made a brooder version last night by and my 2nd batch of chicks aren't getting it yet. Only one night so early days yet. I'll move the old feeder next to the new PVC and apple cider bottle and see if that works