mimi5 Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 So I have my cube and run sited now (since Nov) I was trundelling it over the lawn until all the wet weather made it too difficult to continue. I filled the run with woodchip and with the awful weather we've had it's been brill!! But now on to a problem I've encountered. The girls are really messy eaters chucking pellets out of the grubs, which then falls in to the woodchip. I use stalosan f once a week and rake the woodchip over, poo picking most days as I'm going. Yesterday to my horror I found alot of mouldy pellets under each of the grubs sort of mixed into the soil under the woodchip. I think I need something under the grubs to collect the straying pellets?? Any ideas?? Has anyone else encountered this with woodchip in their runs?? Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 Our girls don't leave anything edible anywhere Probably a daft question but have you got the Grubs positioned high enough so that your girls can peck at the pellets that fall underneath? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted May 27, 2013 Author Share Posted May 27, 2013 Thanks for the reply cheeky chooky! Yes, I do have them high enough and as an interim measure I have been moving away the wood chip and leaving only bare earth under the grubs, so they can hover up any stray pellets. They move the piled aside wood chip back whilst going to and fro so I have to do it each day at the mo! I think probably I go to my local garden centre and get some rectangular garden tub water trays (if you know what I mean ) and place them under the grubs to hopefully collect any pellets, but stop the wood chip covering them over!!! ........still learning!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 I know exactly what you mean The trays will probably end up full of wood chip too You know what chookens are like when they're on a mission Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 I'm not sure which feeder you use, but try a gravity feeder with fins in the tray to stop them flicking pellets out. Position the feeder so it is level with their backs... suspending it from the roof of the run is best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken deficient Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Also try not filling the Grubs up too far - if they are only half full, they should find it more difficult to sling pellets out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 I found the omlet grubs far from satisfactory as it was all too easy for the birds to rake the feed out. The glugs make quite good feeders although smaller birds can perch on the edge, making the glug and food dirty. Personally, I much prefer a gravity feeder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 This is completely unhelpful to all of you who have messy eating chickens...BUT my girls hoover up any spillages of pellets (if I spill some when topping up the grubs) as if it is a bonus to life! Perhaps they are just super thick and think it is a treat, if they think? If they know I've put that about them, they'll probably go on laying egg strike! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
good_egg Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Mine hoover up too - have to kick woodchip back under as they rake it all out just to check there are no nice bits left under! Definitely no spillages here afraid, but I don't fill them too full - slightly more than needed for a day but as they get alfamix not so much they can only eat the yummy stuff. Think I read someone who had put a slab under food so at least they could sweep spillages up regularly/clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 You can use a plastic tray underneath, or just take the feeder out until they eat up all the spilled pellets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
