Spilled feed. Is it really a problem?

[IamRainey]

I was reading about someone's attempt to keep poultry fed and feed from being wasted. But is spilled feed really wasted?

I feed my chickens in their run. I'm perfectly happy with a cheap, low tech feeder that my hens can bill out. But does that mean that someone won't come along and eat the feed that's on the ground? I have an image of a farm housewife spreading feed onto the ground from her apron. At least inside my run it's only my girls who are eventually going to get it.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Crumble and mash especially will usually get turned into powder/mush and then not eaten. It's not usually a big issue with pellets.

Unless you're like the poor guy who fed his hens out of a pan on gravel. They billed the feed out, it went under the gravel, and is now a stinking, fermenting, rotten mess.

I have an image of a farm housewife spreading feed onto the ground from her apron.

That works, if you're feeding solid grains. Not so much with crumble.

 

[PirateGirl]

If you only feed as much as they will eat in a day, I find they will typically eat it all, whether directly out of the feeder or off the ground.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I was reading about someone's attempt to keep poultry fed and feed from being wasted. But is spilled feed really wasted?

I feed my chickens in their run. I'm perfectly happy with a cheap, low tech feeder that my hens can bill out. But does that mean that someone won't come along and eat the feed that's on the ground? I have an image of a farm housewife spreading feed onto the ground from her apron. At least inside my run it's only my girls who are eventually going to get it.

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Someone or something may eventually come along and eat the food that's on the ground. Mice and rats love spilled feed.
Depending on your location/weather, etc., spilled feed can mold very quickly, you don't want your chickens eating moldy feed.

You can always take up your feeder daily and let your hens clean up what's on the ground or you can shovel/scoop it up.

 

[IamRainey]

I'm lucky to have a basically impenetrable run with a dirt floor in a dry climate. And I feed pellets so I feel OK.

We once had rats and I had to take up the food every night. But we've managed to eliminate them and fortify the spots where they were getting through. We've been vermin-free for 6 or 8 months now. So I don't worry about what's left in the run anymore.

I hadn't considered the differences in climate, flooring and environment. But now I understand better why it can be a concern for others. Oooooffffff for the guy with a smelly rot in gravel!!!!

Thanks!

 

[jlwquilter]

Like most animal keeping it depends a lot on your individual circumstances. I have a no waste homemade feeder that I’m finding does cause a very small amount of waste. Maybe a tablespoon or 2 comes out total when the chickens eat. And that’s before a hen comes along after the sloppy eater and eats most of it. I can lengthen the feeder tubes to reduce the waste or eliminate it but I’ve started wondering if it’s worth doing for what amounts to less than a teaspoon by the end of the day.

I also feed fermented feed. They are messy with that too but also tend to clean it up later. It’s the flies that are now happening that bother me more. Which is weird as I sprayed less than a week ago with permethrin and some had reported a decrease in flies. Not what I’m experiencing. Grr.

I have read of some people whose chickens - or maybe it was ducks - wouldn’t eat feed off the floor. I think I’d take feed away until they cleaned their ‘plate’ - lol!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Spillage can be an issue, but it can be negated by where the feeder is placed.

Back when I had a smaller coop that sat directly on the dirt I did have some issues with feed spillage causing mold on the ground, as we have a wet climate. And it also attracted a number of rats since it was difficult to clean up without scraping really hard.

Now I have the feeder inside the coop so any spillage gets cleaned up by the chickens, usually the next morning, so no pest issues. And it's dry inside, which means no mold issues.

 

[Folly's place]

It is about management, humidity, feeder and feed types, and owner tolerance. I use a feeder that helps limit (somewhat) the billing out issue, even with the crumbles. I also feed in the coop and covered run, so it's not on wet ground, and less available to rodents.
If a bit is wasted, it's okay with me too.
Mary