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

[alison]

I need to find a solution to feeding my chickens. They are making so much mess with the grubs, 2 for 7 chickens, and sos much food is getting wasted and then going mouldy where they have spread it around the pen.

 

I have the grubs attached to the wire of the pen, but they manage to disslodge it, even with a bungee securing it!

 

What ground feeders do people recommend m- I have looked at the plastic bell ones and I know that they would tip that straight over!

 

thank you

[woffle]

I've got one of the galvanized feeders - I raise it off the ground on three stakes which sit up into the base of the feeder and this means that the chickens can't push it over. Can't remember where i got it from but unfortunately it wasn't especially cheap...

[..lay a little egg for me]

I've got a galvanized feeder which I hang from a chain from the roof of our wooden hen house. They are good because you can adjust how much feed drops into the feeder. However, the chooks do still manage to get a lot on the floor because they like to flick it around. Hanging it on a chain means there's no way they can knock it over....though having said that, I remember than Jenny once tried to jump onto the top of it and managed to dislodge the top! But apart from that, it has been pretty foolproof.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

We've put a large tray (the type that you put under plant pots on a window sill) underneath the grub. DH has drilled holes in two corners, diagonally opposite & pushed 3 inch nails through, which we press into the ground so the little angels can't stand on the edge & tip any spillages onto the lawn. Works for our 3 muck-muppets!

 

Sha x

[The Dogmother]

I have 12 bantams and two solutions - I use the glugs for feed ratehr than the grub - more hens can feed from them and they don't rake it out. I also have an Eltex galvanised trough with a lip so that they can all feed around that

[alison]

claret, do they stand and poo on the trough?

 

Thanks everyone, keep the suggestions coming!

[The Dogmother]

claret, do they stand and poo on the trough?

 

Thanks everyone, keep the suggestions coming!

 

No, I have one with bars across the top to stop them from doing that.

 

Gravity feeders are also good if you have a number of birds. My girls vary vastly in size, so I have different sizes of feeders.

[bigmommasally]

I have a hanging plastic feeder, it has little bars across which stops the little darlings flicking it out everywhere.

I still have the grubs up but they make so much mess with the mash in them that I'm considering changing over to all hanging feeders. Though like the sound of the plant tray that Wild Mum has, so might give that a go next!

 

Not sure if you can see them in the piccies or not.

 

[The Dogmother]

That's exactly the same gravity feeder as I have. Mine has little pop-out legs on the bottom so that it stands on the ground.

[Milly]

Do you fill the feeders right to the top? I wondered if that is how they flick the food out. Mine never seem to eat very much, so I always have the grubs half full and haven't had a problem.

 

But I can't put any kind of a bowl down, they just stand in it or try to scratch it so it tips up.

 

Milly

[ChickenGeorge2]

Same feeder as we have our has a conical lid and we have it suspended a bit higher than your one, the girls have to reach to get their food and can't scatter it about. I notice you have the same size of run as us where did you get the cover from?

[Janty]

I have 12 bantams and two solutions - I use the glugs for feed ratehr than the grub - more hens can feed from them and they don't rake it out. I also have an Eltex galvanised trough with a lip so that they can all feed around that

 

I use the glugs as feeders too. It works really well but don't overfill them. I also have an eltex trough for the early morning layers mash porridge. They don't scrab the food out at all. I also use the hanging feeders for the dry layers mash and pellets.

[bigmommasally]

Hi ChickenGeorge2

The cover is a 3m x 2m clear tarpaulin from Tarpaflex.

 

http://www.tarpaflex.co.uk

 

I 've only had it a week, It's a perfect fit and was very happy with the speed of delivery etc. Our only concern with it is the condensation, it seems a bit bad in the mornings a bit like my windows before double glazing! We're just hoping the run doesn't get as wet from dripping condensation as it would from the rain!

[The Dogmother]

Pristine run Sally How long do we give it folks?

 

Can't say that I've ever had condensation on the inside of my run covers. Is yours in the sun?

[Willow_Warren]

I've only had my chickens 3 weeks, but I have one of the 4kg green plastic gravity feeder which I hang down from the run with a chain (it is a wooden aviary type run), I also have the large rain hat for it - was about £11 from an online place. So far I haven't found any mess from the food, in fact if one of the chickens does flick a bit of food out they are quite specific about finding it! Oh, I feel layers pellets!

 

Hannah

[bigmommasally]

It did look pristine Claret for about 20 minutes!! 2 days on, there's easibed kicked out all around, mud dug up and mixed in but hey I guess their enjoying themselves.

It's so much easier to keep clean though, it was hard work s"Ooops, word censored!"ping up squashed poos from the grass every night. And it smells a whole lot better.

 

My garden is south facing so the run is in the sun for part of the day so you may well be right for the cause of the condensation.

[The Dogmother]

Glad that you like it. The sun will be the problem - mine is under a tree and doesn't get condensation.

[AJuff]

I read this topic with interest as with the arrival of three new marans I am constantly filling up feeders. I have three grubs and one small plastic feeder and they are empty every day. I had been thinking about a larger feeder but I'm not sure which type. They stand in food, tip it out and kick easibed into it . . . I might try the glugs tomorrow . . .

[The Dogmother]

You can get large gravity feeders and they can't stand in the lip of those. The bigger ones have legs to raise them up off the floor.

 

Have a look at these:

 

http://www.solwayfeeders.com/ProductsResultsList1.asp?cat=4

[Lizzie]

Hi

I have also turned my glugs into grubs - chooks seem to prefer feeding out of these as the grubs catch their combs. They also don't make the mess by digging the mash and pellets out so the grass stays in better condition.

 

Liz

[alison]

I got a feeder that hangs from the roof of the pen and fixed it to the roof with a bungee. They managed to trash it in a morning. I found it in pieces, the screw had come put of the bottom. I will have to secure it tighter.

 

I like the look of the Solway galvanised one and the feed bins. If i order today, they should be here by the time I get back from Saudi Arabia. I hate waiting for things to arrive, so this is a good solution!

 

I am writing this from the business lounge in Doha (Qatar) airport. I have left my chooks in the care of my family, gulp!!

 

It is 39C here, but very humid.