Feeders.

[bluemoon]

Experienced chook keepers are probably well aware of this, but it might help someone starting out.

When we decided to keep chickens we were on a budget, we spent most of it on really good quality housing and on the hens themselves, but I cut corners with the feeders and drinkers and bought the cheap ones. At the beginning of this month I managed to crack one, so decided it was time to upgrade. The new ones weren't that much more expensive than the originals, but they do have an anti-scratch thingy, making it difficult for the chooks to kick the feed about. I still can hardly believe it, but this has reduced our feed usage so much that a 20kg bag now lasts 3 weeks instead of one. I knew that some of the feed was ending up on the floor, but usually it seemed to disappear, so I assumed they were eventually eating most of it. I was obviously wrong and I've been throwing most of it away with the Hemcore when the houses were cleaned. I can't believe something so basic has made such a difference. I don't mind buying a bag a week if that's what they need, but I object when it's largely being thrown away.

[Glutton4...]

Could you post a piccie/link please?

I bought the expensive galvanised hoppers with the wide-brimmed lids to keep the rain out. They're great, but I think I need to change or adapt them, as the girls do chuck the pellets all over the place. I actually caught one of then laying down next to the feeder just chucking feed around for sommat to do she got my toe up her chuff and told to go scratch about like a proper chook!

[bluemoon]

The green ones with the white plastic bits which radiate from the bottom of the tube are the ones I've bought. You can buy a 'hat' to keep the rain out of the tube and a larger ring to protect the feed in the bottom. I didn't want to spend too much as they are kept on the allotment, but they seem to be doing a really good job. I wish I'd started with them. Lots of poultry suppliers stock them, (Ascott, Solway, etc) but I can't seem to get any links to work this afternoon.

[Suechooks]

Most of the agricultural places round here sell them too. I hang them about 4" off the ground and that stops them scratching the pellets out too.

[TEB]

I use a galvanised hopper on a tree stump which brings it off the ground by about a foot, I rarely have issue with pellets being turfed out.

[snakeshack]

I bought a galvanised feeder ,drinker and grit hopper set and hung the feeder and waterer on chains about 1 ft off the floor,the chooks can reach ok and the feeder rain hat stops them scratching the food out.
may have to buy a plastic drinker though as i now have found out that I cannot use apple cider vinegar with galvanised as it reacts with the metal.

[nigel]

Re cider vinegar and galvanised drinkers, if it reacts with the metal, is this detrimental to the health of the chicks or just detrimental to the life of the feeder. I have been using it for about 12 weeks now in the drinkers, I cannot see any effect on the galvanisation.

[Hilary B]

Re cider vinegar and galvanised drinkers, if it reacts with the metal, is this detrimental to the health of the chicks or just detrimental to the life of the feeder. I have been using it for about 12 weeks now in the drinkers, I cannot see any effect on the galvanisation.

Galvanising is zinc. This can dissolve in the acid, which is not desirable. Before 'tins' were actually lined with a sort of plastic, they used the metal Tin, which does not dissolve in acid (eg tomato juice). Zinc protects the iron base better, but because it dissolves, it was not suitable for lining food cans..... (remembered from school Chemistry lessons!)

[its hilly]

I started off with a couple of dishes, then bought a small hang up feeder (i hang it off a roof beam using a horse halter rope) which stopped the scratching feed out. Now my little ones are big ones I've made some big hang up ones based on a post on here (Mike Bramble I think)
Chop the bottom two inches off a 10l paint tub, take a 5l mayo tub (try your local cafe or sandwich bar) cut 4 or 5 squares out around the base, shove it in the paint tub base, then poke a small nut and bolt through the middle of the bottom of both to hold them together. Use mayo tub handle to hang it up, just around mid chest height. It holds a lot of pellets so I'm not filling up daily, keeps the grub from being spilt and has plenty of room for the chooks to get round it. Needs keeping dry though, but as mine are in sheds or buildings thats easy. Very cheap