The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Womble on March 14, 2014, 06:02:48 pm

Title: Feeding layers pellets without getting them soggy?
Post by: Womble on March 14, 2014, 06:02:48 pm
I've been trying to use one of these feeders outdoors, but the rain just blows in underneath and everything turns into rancid weetabix.

(http://www.chicken-house.co.uk/acatalog/TAY_C_FEEDER_WITH_RAIN_HAT_300.jpg)
Any ideas folks?
Title: Re: Feeding layers pellets without getting them soggy?
Post by: bigchicken on March 14, 2014, 06:27:45 pm
Feed in the poultry house. Or make a covered area shelter type place.
Title: Re: Feeding layers pellets without getting them soggy?
Post by: Stereo on March 14, 2014, 06:34:21 pm
Hat looks too high. We have one of these

http://www.regencypoultry.com/feeders/plasticfeeders/TayCFeeder.htm (http://www.regencypoultry.com/feeders/plasticfeeders/TayCFeeder.htm)

Takes half a bag and it keeps food dry whatever the weather. Plus it's not too low for cockerels which is a problem we found with some, they can't get their combs under the hat.
Title: Re: Feeding layers pellets without getting them soggy?
Post by: goosepimple on March 14, 2014, 06:46:41 pm
Don't feed them pellets, feed them grain, they'll love you for it - pellets are like cardboard.  We feed ours grain and maize all the time and it doesn't matter if it gets wet.  We've never had a fat hen and some of ours are still laying at 8 years old.  Give them something tasty, let them enjoy their short life  :D
Title: Re: Feeding layers pellets without getting them soggy?
Post by: Womble on March 14, 2014, 07:01:42 pm
OK, maybe I should have given some more information  ;D .  We do usually feed just whole wheat, but find our black rocks really don't lay well on it. My theory is that their metabolism is so high, they need the other stuff that's in the layer's pellets, so I set up the red feeder to see.  However, it really hasn't worked, as the rain blows in under the hat, no matter where I try to put it.

That's why I wanted to ask what the rest of you are doing?
Title: Re: Feeding layers pellets without getting them soggy?
Post by: bloomer on March 14, 2014, 07:07:12 pm
we solved the problem, new chook house is on 18inch legs and the feeder goes underneath as its the chooks favourite place to hang out on a wet day anyway... only get damp pellets on the really really wet days!!!



Title: Re: Feeding layers pellets without getting them soggy?
Post by: HesterF on March 14, 2014, 09:01:07 pm
I posted the same question a couple of months back when it hadn't stopped raining for about six months (or so). We've got similar feeders in aluminium and even under the field shelters the pellets were turning into a soggy mess. Treadle feeders seemed to be the top tip although I haven't gone there (yet). We ended up giving mixed grain on the really wet days (but did end up with soft shelled eggs and some funny textured shells - don't know whether it was related). I think the best solution for us would be to suspend the feeders inside the field shelters but that's quite a lot of work!

H
Title: Re: Feeding layers pellets without getting them soggy?
Post by: lord flynn on March 14, 2014, 09:14:03 pm
drum pheasant feeders. the worst you get in an unsheltered site is soggy pellets in the spring bit-easily cleaned out. I honestly think that 99% of poultry feeders and drinkers are utterly useless in Scottish weather.
Title: Re: Feeding layers pellets without getting them soggy?
Post by: doganjo on March 14, 2014, 10:39:27 pm
My feeder is inside and is hanging at chicken breast height, and I also scatter a couple of handfuls in the free range area when I let them out.  I must get some grain for mine - poor souls are deprived  :innocent:
Title: Re: Feeding layers pellets without getting them soggy?
Post by: chrismahon on March 15, 2014, 05:10:33 am
Hi Womble. The protein level of wheat is far too low for layers. It's only 10% and laying hens need at least 15%. We use wheat when we want to stop them laying -in the case of a prolapse. Hens for show have wheat only in the week before. Our neighbour boosts his wheat with sunflower seeds, but they still don't lay that well. There is no economical substitute for layers pellets kept out of the rain under a field shelter or the coop. They will eat it wet but it goes off very quickly indeed, depending on the temperature.
Title: Re: Feeding layers pellets without getting them soggy?
Post by: Tala Orchard on March 15, 2014, 08:25:40 am
I purchased this from ebay and followed the instructions works great and it does work, check out there video on ebay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Automatic-Chicken-Duck-Poultry-Feeder-free-from-vermin-/251468866448?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Poultry&hash=item3a8cb66390 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Automatic-Chicken-Duck-Poultry-Feeder-free-from-vermin-/251468866448?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Poultry&hash=item3a8cb66390)
Title: Re: Feeding layers pellets without getting them soggy?
Post by: fiestyredhead331 on March 15, 2014, 10:31:43 am
Ours get pellets in the morning when they get let out, scattered about and none of it stays on the ground long enough to get wet. Then mixed grain in the afternoon, same again gobbled up then the rest of the time they scratch around. I tried feeders like yours but got too many birds now for those to be any use. I used to find it half way down the field on a breezy day so had to put a heavy base on it.
Title: Re: Feeding layers pellets without getting them soggy?
Post by: Womble on March 15, 2014, 07:35:54 pm

Thanks for the advice folks. Tala Orchard - I'd not seen a contraption like that before, so it got my interest. I work with solids handling equipment (powder conveyors etc) for a living, so I was trying to figure out how it worked.

Anyhow, I've still no idea, but what I did discover is that if I drill a 19mm hole in the bottom of a blue keg, and put a long bolt through, with another bolt welded across the inside to make a t-shape, a little spurt of grain comes out when the dangly bolt gets knocked, but then stops due to the grain "bridging", just like the chookamatic in your link!

So, I've set the keg up outside as an experiment. So far none of the hens have actually pecked at the bolt yet - they just keep walking around underneath and nudging it by accident. However, it will be interesting to see if they do catch on  :thumbsup: .
Title: Re: Feeding layers pellets without getting them soggy?
Post by: Greenerlife on March 15, 2014, 09:19:28 pm
T he feeders I use have the "hats" a little closer to the actual feed, but they still went weetabix like in the bad weather, so I just put a board on the prevailing wind side and it cured the problem.