Single hen

[Luvachicken]

THe guy from Omlet told us that the food had to be high on the wire so the chickens had to stretch for their food, but I'm sure I saw a pic on Omlet of a cube with the food lower down.

Where is the best height for it ? All the stuff they peck for themselves is on the floor and their necks aren't stretched.

 

Evie

Charlotte

Matilda

[scrambledhead]

I only got my chickens last Saturday and I did start off with the grub quite high but they didn't seem to like it so I have been moving it about to see what works best! I think its a bit trial and error!

 

Good luck

[percydub]

Ours are at the same hight of the chickens when stood up, they have to reach inwards to get to pellets , they seems to get their food ok so must be ok??

[atsw]

I find that if I put the feeder too high up the girls use their heads/beaks to sweep the pellets out of the feeder and onto the floor .

 

We've settled at the levels shown in the pictures below now.

 

 

 

I suspect you'll need to experiment to figure out what height your girls like.

 

Andrew

[fluffyknickers]

Thats exactly what I have been wondering! I started off with it quite high but they seemed to eat the pellets from the front then have a dip and not bother with the stuff at the back.

 

So I have put it a bit lower now. I also have a very small thing hanging on the wire with some food in just as an extra station and its always emptied by them.

 

Tomorrow I will count up how many bits I am putting it and we'll work this out!

 

x

[..lay a little egg for me]

I think the general rule for feeders/drinkers (which must also apply to the grub) is that they should be level with the chickens' backs.

[fluffyknickers]

Oh really, that would be a lot lower than I was told and have been doing.

 

I just counted up and mine today is on 18 rungs up - if that makes sense!

 

x

[Margalot]

My Feeder is really low as the hens naturally peck at the floor to eat, so thought it would be best to out the grub there?

 

they seem to enjoy eating from it there and still stop and scratch the ground as if they as creating the pellets! funny girls!

Michelle

[Olly]

If you've got a Superglug (the drinker that comes with the Cube) then it needs to be high up, so that when they drink from the nipples they are stretching their necks and the water can trickle straight down their throats. If you ever see them drinking from an ordinary Glug (or a puddle! ) you'll see them tip their heads back to let the water go down - they can't suck!

 

I don't think there is any reason to have the food high up though, they don't need to stretch for that. I'd have it at a height where they can comfortably get their heads in - lots of people put theirs on the ground, and after all when they are free-ranging they will just peck stuff up off the ground.

[Luvachicken]

Thanks for all the advice, I think I might just put it a bit lower.

We have a piece of wire to mark the height at the moment, so we always put it in the same place, but I haven't counted how many rungs up it is. Perhaps I'll do that tomorrow and let you know.

 

Evie

Charlotte

Matilda

[..lay a little egg for me]

I think the rationale for having the feeders and drinkers (not the superglug though) level with their backs is so that they don't poo in it but can reach it easily. When we had our feeder and drinker on the ground it did get rather mucky but we have now hung both from the rafters of our wooden hen house which also means we don't have to take them out when we move the house around the garden.