Force them to eat dumped food?

[cheldi]

Our chicks are 2 weeks old. We have a chick feeder that they are constantly wasting a large portion of the food by dumping it on the ground. If I let the feeder go empty - will all of them find food from the pine bedding? Or is that too mean?

 

[lagrange chicks]

Thats just part of raising chicks, they spill a lot feed. With mine I let them pick through the shavings for food but always had feed in the feeder also.

 

[Sally PB]

Look at a different style of feeder.

How are they dumping it? If they are tipping it over by standing on the rim, get something heavier that they can't tip. Or get a feeder that hangs.

They are like babies/toddlers, figuring out their world.

 

[wrathsfarm]

I've got my chick feeder sitting on a tote lid when it's outside in the run to catch most of the spilled feed. In their brooder coop they scratch around in the bedding and find it.

 

[cheldi]

Look at a different style of feeder.

How are they dumping it? If they are tipping it over by standing on the rim, get something heavier that they can't tip. Or get a feeder that hangs.

They are like babies/toddlers, figuring out their world.

It's the kind pictured. It is raised but I think we may need to dump our bedding and restart, as it's getting pretty deep now from sprinkling over new poops. Far as I can tell they're just super messy. They're not tipping the feeder over but just pulling tons out and dropping as much as they're eating

 

[cheldi]

I've got my chick feeder sitting on a tote lid when it's outside in the run to catch most of the spilled feed. In their brooder coop they scratch around in the bedding and find it.

Ty I may have to try. But isn't it just immediately filled with bedding, too?

 

[Sally PB]

Are you feeding them a chick starter feed? If they're picking out certain parts, is it because the feed is individual grains, and they're finding their favorite ones?

A chick starter crumble is homogenous, so they wouldn't be able to do that.

 

[allosaurusrock]

Chickens spilling feed is part of raising chickens lol. They definitely spill more than they eat here. Scratching to find food is part of chicken psychology, so unfortunately they feel the need to scratch in the food before they eat. Keep that feeder full- for some reason mine prefer to eat from the feeder rather than the floor. They’ll get skinny if you don’t top it up.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

My chicks spill lots of feed. But they scratch around at the bedding to eat it. Its natural behavior. But i always have food in the feeder

 

[cheldi]

Are you feeding them a chick starter feed? If they're picking out certain parts, is it because the feed is individual grains, and they're finding their favorite ones?

A chick starter crumble is homogenous, so they wouldn't be able to do that.

it's a starter/grower crumble so all pieces are the same