Do you throw away uneaten food?

[Curlykale]

My chickens usually leave some food at the end of each day. Should I throw the leftover food away or can it be given to the chickens the next day with some more added to top it up? How often should the feeder be cleaned (it sits on a brick under a small table to keep it clean and dry).

[RichmondHens]

As long as it is dry it can be fed the next day. Wet pellet tends to go off pretty quickly and becomes rancid. You only need to clean the feeders when they start to look "grubby" inside and/or get wet food stuck in them. I have to say I hardly ever clean the adult feeders, although do the chick ones pretty often.

[BarleySugar]

I just leave my feeder until they empty it, then refill. Both the water and food are up on sawn off logs so they can't scratch stuff into them. They are hanging ones, but no where to hang them esily in the run. I do the water each morning, rinsing it out, with a good wash every couple of days, (hot water, detergent), but I've not washed the food one since we've had them (6 weeks or so). I bought a couple of the food dishes designed to clip on to the wire mesh of a hutch, but put some staples in the wood of the run. The ladies can peck at the grit, but can't dislodge them and spill it.

[Mato]

When I had chickens I left the food there, as long as it was dry, and the food was still eaten. The most is would sit out is 48 hours, though. I'm not sure if it lasts any longer.

[chris]

My feeder lasts my current flock around a month. I don't empty the food at night, but most of the time take it away, and put it back in the morning.

[elizajay]

I also remove at night and put back in the morning. If I forget to take it in the slugs help themselves and leave the remains covered in slime. I have removed and squashed up to 30 slugs - good way of reducing the population.

[petal]

i have just realised that the reason we never have any left over chicken food is because our enormous labrador is going round scoffing the leftovers. I am going to muzzle the fat git.

[chris]

Must lay big eggs then?

[polo]

i have just realised that the reason we never have any left over chicken food is because our enormous labrador is going round scoffing the leftovers. I am going to muzzle the fat git.

Stop a labrador eating - never Greediest animals known to man! At least ours was.