Chickens all want to stay in the doorway!

[basilsageherb]

Hello,

we've had chickens for almost a year now. We got 2 new hens about 3 months ago and one of them is wasting so much grain by scratching in the feeder that I just don't know what to do with her! We have a standard plastic feeder, top-hat shaped, with opening at the top and 'bowl' rim around the bottom into which the grain falls. This particular hen gets her big silly chicken feet right into the bowl rim and scratches all the grain out, tramples it into the mud (or grass, or dry ground, depending) where it is ignored by everyone! We've tried to weigh it down with a brick, but that still doesn't stop her knocking it over and scattering the food.

Can anyone recommend a feeder that she wont be able to scratch in / knock over / play football with?

Thanks!

Beverly

[metallica1]

Try the grub from the omlet shop. No spills its impossible.

[Lavenders_Blue]

I have the 3kg hanging feeder on this page. You can hang it from a hook or by looping string through the wire at the top to keep it off the ground, and the 'spokes' stop the hens getting their feet in and scratching the feed out.

If you need to hang it outside, you can also purchase a raincover (further down the page).

[Jools]

I agree with both of the above - I use the old Peanut style feeder for my bantams and the 3kg feed for my LF. Then if there's any spillage, I just remove the feeders until they've cleared up their own mess.

[The Dogmother]

I use a gravity feeder too, but you need to suspend it so that it's level with the hens' backs to stop them raking in it. I use an unravelled wire coat hanger.

[daxigirl]

Hanging feeders work for me. Mine used to waste loads chucking it on the floor before.

[oneyolktoanother]

we had the same problem with our buff orp the food would go everywhere so we bought a galvansied feeder and hung it sloved the problem straight away

[Olly]

Interesting - I've moved to one of those green and white ones, but I haven't tried hanging it up. I stood it on a round of log so it's 2-3" off the ground, as they used to fill it with bark chippings before I did that. I might try hanging it up, a coat-hanger wouldn't be long enough for the height of my WIR and I'm not sure string would support it; will have to look for something stronger.

 

Out of interest, can you hang the drinkers as well? I've got a galvanised metal one and they do tend to kick bark into it (and poo in it occasionally!).

[Pharaoh]

Try the grub from the omlet shop. No spills its impossible.

 

My girls make such a mess and manage to knock the grubs off as well. May not have got the right height for fixing them yet.

 

I tell them I won't fill them up until they clear up the mess but they pay no attention!

[The Dogmother]

Olly, both my green and white feeder and drinker are hung up - they hardly get any Aubiose or muck in them and they can't rake the feed out like that. One has an unfurled wire coat hanger to hang from, t'other has some of those double-ended hooks that are used to hang meat from.

 

Jude uses lengths of tough chain with hooks on each end, that might work for you. You can buy chain by the length and hooks from the DIY sheds.

[daxigirl]

Homebase & B&Q do lengths of chain in various sizes that you can get by the metre. I have that and a couple of quick release clip things (4 for a £1 in the value bins in B&Q) top and bottom to hang it up with.

[JillM]

So far I'm completely happy with my Glug and Grub (other than the fact that I keep mixing my words so I always end up calling them Glub and Grug! ) The girls don't seem to make any mess at all with them.

[Chortle Chook]

Yes, I'm an Omlet Grub/Glug fan too. Till recently you had to customise them yourself if, like me, you did not have an Omlet run to hook them onto, but now they have brought out this sturdy little wire stand thing that you can attach them too whatever your set up. I use one of these and I have to say it is just brilliant. The grub goes on one side and the glug on the other and when the chooks are shut up at night I can easily pick up the whole contraption, bring it inside and hang it in a kitchen cupboard. Then in the morning back out it all goes. Easy Peasy. The rain can't make the food soggy, the chooks can't scratch or poo in their food and I get an easy carrier handle and something that is easy to keep clean. Works for me

[stripeybunny]

one of my girls likes to chuck pellets around too. I find that if I fill the grub up too much she chucks pellets out onto the ground before eating them. However if I put less pellets in the grub so they have to put their heads right in to eat then she doesn't do this.

[The Dogmother]

Mine always used to flick the feed out of the grubs and with a dozen girls they aren't anywhere near big enough; I have a gravity feeder with a 'hat' and it works fine for my lot.