4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Minnie&Moose]

Hi,

 

Moose (our pepperpot) has developed an annoying habit of scooping the layers pellets out of the grub and picking up only a few of them off the ground before having another go at scooping out more! Minnie, on the other hand, has model 'table' manners and eats straight from the grub! We're going through pellets at an unbelievable rate and, because of all the rain, are ending up with a disgusting, soggy mess on the lawn! I've tried putting a shallow tray under the grub to catch the pellets - works quite well when it's not raining, but with the current weather, we end up with a tray full of pellet slurry I'm wondering about trying a plastic, free-standing, hopper feeder - do you think this might curtail Moose's annoying new habit? Any suggestions much appreciated.

 

Thanks, Kate

[Electricbarbarella]

how about one of those plastic planter trays with holes in the bottom?

[Dora]

Know what you mean about scattering food! When I fill their grub pot I put a layer of mixed corn on the top as a treat, my two darlings dive in looking for the sunflower seeds and of course it goes everywhere. The grub pot is inside their run so the debris is contained and they then have to peck it up from there and I don't refill it until the amount in the pot has gone down quite a bit. Is yours inside or outside of the run ?

[Minnie&Moose]

Hi Dora,

 

the Grub is inside the eglu run. I've tried filling it, but Moose can empty most of the contents onto the ground within a day. I've tried giving them only their daily 'ration' - whichever I do, the majority of the pellets are on the ground by the end of the day. Even though the run is covered with a winter shade, and a summer shade, carefully arranged to protect the area around the Grub from the worst of the rain, the pellets on the ground just form a sticky mush which neither chicken seems prepared to eat!

[jomaxsmith]

Know what you mean about scattering food! When I fill their grub pot I put a layer of mixed corn on the top as a treat, my two darlings dive in looking for the sunflower seeds and of course it goes everywhere.

 

Hi Dora,

 

You really shouldn't put either mixed corn or sunflower seeds in the grub with their food - for one thing they'll eat the treat food and not eat enough of their real food to grow, keep healthy and produce eggs and also because sunflower seeds are fatty and shouldn't be given regularly, if at all. Mixed corn is filling and shouldn't be given often or in large amounts.

 

Jo

 

[edit] - sorry, I know this sounds 'know-it-all'!

[Dora]

Hi Jo, thanks for the info re the corn feed. They only get their extra corn treat about once a week, they have the layers pellets for the rest of time. I let them free range but not until early afternoon so they have to eat the pellets. They do have other veggie treats but not until the end of the day.Is this ok do you think?

[Dora]

Sorry, Minnie and Moose,forgot to add this ,probably a feeder with the tray at the bottom might be good, my next door neighbour also has chooks (3) and they have changed to this as they were going through feed quite fast too and it seems to have helped and there is less mess definitely.

[Sandychick]

Try putting the grub a bit higher (as long as they can still reach into it!). If I put mine too low, Pepper sort of charges into it and empties it out on the ground in no time. Haven't had a problem since I moved it up a bit.

[hilly d]

My ex-batts will only eat layers' mash and do the Grub emptying thing all over the ground. It sort of disappears into the woodchips/soil but I was trying to clear up yesterday a bit and was horrified to find that an inch or so down in the soil the food hadn't really disappeared at all but had started to go mouldy. I feel like such a bad mother - I'm scrupulous about cleaning the feeders and Cube out regularly but I don't know what to do about keeping the run reasonably hygienic short of digging out the soil round the feeders regularly. Is that what other people do? I don't have the space to keep moving the run. Is Hemcore/Aubiose good for easy cleaning out. Any help greatly appreciated! Thanks,

 

Hilary

[Lapinou]

Our Millie does this - it's very irritating! I might try the 'tray' idea - it would at least make it easier to clean up because at the moment, we kind of have to dig it up with a trowel! And I do worry about them eating it when it's all minging like that. Putting the grub higher up has lessened the problem a little. Will see if the tray idea works for us and keep reading the thread for other ideas.

[joe14]

When the chickens have gone to bed you could put out a mouse trap or two. Its easier than sitting there all night with your air rifle

[Egluntyne]

Have you got a cover over your run?

[hilly d]

I've got the run completely covered so it stays pretty dry in all but the most torrential downpours.

 

I've experimented today with not hooking the grubs onto the weldmesh, just leaving them on the ground in a corner of the run with the openings uppermost and so far it's been quite successful. Previously the girls would unhook the grubs when they were feeling particularly greedy with the result that the contents would spill everywhere. Now, unless someone clambers over the grubs and rolls them, the grubs seem to hang onto their contents better. I still don't like the idea of mouldy food in the run though, even if it is below the surface. I'm sure it can't be good for the chooks.

[Minnie&Moose]

Thanks for the various suggestions. Tried putting the grub higher but didn't notice a difference until it was so high Moose actually had to jump to get her beak inside it , poor chicken! So, i've decided to try the hopper type feeder with a tray. Will let you know if it makes a difference or not.

[TAJ]

I have one who also has developed this habit - she sees it as her duty to EMPTY the grub on to the ground - I wouldn't mind if it was accidental or if she then ate it.

 

Now I use one of these hung from the roof with a bungee - the little white bits hold the food in and it has completely solved the problem as she cannot scope out of it like the grub.

 

http://www.countrywidefarmers.co.uk/pws/ProductDetails.ice?ProductID=256

 

Tracy

[hilly d]

That looks good. Should definitely stop Pecky (the worst offender) performing her dramatic scooping of mash everywhere! Thanks for the suggestion

 

Hilary