Why are my chickens dumping their food?

[rachelam101909]

I recently switched my chickies from purina start and grow to layena pellets, because that is what wilco recommended, as they are old enough. However, I feed them in a feeder, and sometimes twice a day they dump it out and the food gets everywhere and I don't think they are eating it. I have been pouring some on the ground just hoping they will eat, but is it possible for them to just not like that food? Should I change to a different kind or maybe use a different feeding method? Should their feeder be outside? Thanks! I want my chickens to be happy, but I dont like giving them too many scraps, and I am wasting money if they are not eating it! Any help is greatly appreciated

 

[Vicky2479]

It could take them a while to get used to pellets, if they are dumping out the feed then you could try hanging the feeder from the roof of the coop and don't refill it till they have eaten everything of the ground first otherwise they will soon learn that all they have to do is wait you out and they will get more.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Do everything Vicky said!

 

[Quahog]

Make some of these!


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/697951/so-much-feed-wasted

 

[HEChicken]

They will bill the feed out looking for something better in the bottom. Usually if mine make a mess, I just don't refill the feeder until they've cleaned it up. I also found that setting my feeder in a shallow pan helped a lot. I was given some planter bases and those worked perfectly. Now when they bill the food out of the feeder, it lands in the planter base where they can still eat it.