What are your chicken keeping, cost saving tips?

[Chicks on DL]

I have a wooden box feeder hung on the side of the coop. I put a tray down on the ground to catch the feed that gets pushed out. They will eat the feed on the tray or once in awhile I just pour it back into the feeder. I also use a scrap bucket for the leftovers that are not worth saving.

 

[coffeenutdesign]

Does anyone have any ideas to keep wild birds from eating their food? Lately they have been flying right into the coop to steal food and it's starting to be significant.

I feed in evening. That way they are easy to get back in the coop for the night and they can eat before roosting for the night and they can have what is left while they are in the coop in the morning before I let them out. Wild birds don't bother it during the night and that way I don't have a ton of feed sitting out during the day for birds to feast on.

 

[triplepurpose]

I feed in evening. That way they are easy to get back in the coop for the night and they can eat before roosting for the night and they can have what is left while they are in the coop in the morning before I let them out. Wild birds don't bother it during the night and that way I don't have a ton of feed sitting out during the day for birds to feast on.

I would be concerned about encouraging rodents with this approach. If your coop is fully rodent-proof then congats! But I find that impossible myself and so I try as much as possible not to leave food out overnight and to see that most everything that has been fed (including scraps) has been eaten up before nightfall... It's not perfect but I try...

 

[Red Barn Farms]

I have a wooden box feeder hung on the side of the coop. I put a tray down on the ground to catch the feed that gets pushed out. They will eat the feed on the tray or once in awhile I just pour it back into the feeder. I also use a scrap bucket for the leftovers that are not worth saving.

I had this same problem months ago. My chickens would scratch through their crumble feed to the point so much of it ended up on the ground. My picky eaters would not touch this crumble. I built a special trough style feeder from scrap 1/2 plywood which was left over from an earlier project. Problem solved.

 

[new chick 203]

I really like this idea. It looks like they like it. Do they ever try to roost on it? That's my only concern.

I had this same problem months ago. My chickens would scratch through their crumble feed to the point so much of it ended up on the ground. My picky eaters would not touch this crumble. I built a special trough style feeder from scrap 1/2 plywood which was left over from an earlier project. Problem solved.

 

[Shutter Up]

I dont get it - my 8 Americanas free range - with a little scratch thrown down once a day. Every time I put scraps down - the scraps are totally ignored.

How do I get my chickens to eat scraps?

(my African pygmy goats are the same way - they wont eat an apple for anything, or carrot, turnip, etc)

All my animals are so finicky of eaters!

 

[new chick 203]

The less free choice a chicken has the more the scraps look good. I had a friend who's chickens never left the run and they were so grateful for every green thing she threw in. Mine get out for a bit every day and eat the greens they like so they are more picky. In winter with snow on the ground they can't be so picky.

 

[Shutter Up]

Are the scraps as healthy as free ranging? Educate me here. I'm planning to end the free range freedom here soon, building a decent sized enclosed run - something to the likes of 15x20 ish to keep them away from my dogs.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Are the scraps as healthy as free ranging?  Educate me here.  I'm planning to end the free range freedom here soon, building a decent sized enclosed run - something to the likes of 15x20 ish to keep them away from my dogs. 

I would think that free ranging would be better because they are eating grass and all of those juicy bugs. BUT scraps like fruits and veggies can be just as healthy. So, I guess it depends on what the scraps are. :/

 

[new chick 203]

Some people give them dandelions and other weeds and that is very healthy. Mine won't touch a dandelion unless there is nothing else. picky girls!