Solitary chicken - need advice

[TheChookKeeper]

Wotcha,

 

I've got 2 Appleyards, and 2 Indian Runners, who merrily trog about in the garden, destroying my grass...

 

When I was looking into getting the ducks, everything I read suggested that they should be fed when I wanted to feed them... i.e. - I should put out enough food for them all, and the idea is, they eat it when I put it out, and then it's gone.

 

However, this never fitted in terribly well with my routine (what with having a job and all!), so I put their food in an Omlet grub... which seems to work quite well - they certainly tell me when it's empty!

 

 

I was just wondering if everyone else feeds them each day, in a deliberate fashion - or just fills up a food dish every few days?

 

 

Thanks!

[Guest]

Hi I use to feed mine in their house! At night time!

 

But they use to free range all day long and disappear over the hills and far away! Friends use to come to visit and ask where my wonderful ducks were but as soon as they were out off they went across the pond to join the wild mallards.

 

If they on the rare occassion came down I may have fed them out of my hand but I am assuming if there isnt enough grazing /planted area for them to roam you would have to provide some food during the day.

 

Its probably not much help really I just fed mine out of a small galvanised trough(14" longx5" wide dish)

 

I only fed them in the house as they didnt have a run as such and put the food in as at dusk it encouraged them to go into the house

 

indie

[Lesley]

We use dog bowls - the ones which have the base bigger than the top rim so that they don't tip over. Ducks need room to scoop up their food as they don't peck their food like hens.

 

Ours have food at all times - they don't overeat.

[Janty]

When I had my duckies, I used a massive galvanised trough and made sure it was always filled with food. They ate from it as and when they felt like and didn't overeat. I just topped it up each morning when I changed their water before I went to work.

[ajayb]

I have ducks and chooks. They free-range all day long and I feed them all the same way: permanently filled Grub in the chicken run (which the ducks are happy to share!); rain proof galvanised feeder on the lawn & big terracotta plant dish (cheap from Ikea) filled with easily-scoopable food.

 

I put out food in the garden feeders twice a day, but never really allow them to go empty as I notice that they all feed/forage on and off at different times during the day.

 

I do think that the dog bowls may be a good idea and will try that one myself!