I just realized my chickens have been trying to tell me something for months

For the past year, I've been giving my five hens their layer feed in a big, flat pan on the ground. I thought it was fine, they seemed to eat it. Then, my friend from Sacramento came over and watched them for a minute. She just pointed and said, 'You know they're kicking half that feed into the dirt, right?' I looked closer. Every single time a hen took a bite, she'd scratch backwards with her feet, sending a little shower of pellets into the bedding. I was basically paying to feed the compost pile. I felt so dumb. I bought a proper hanging feeder that same day. Has anyone else had a simple fix like that slap them in the face after way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

cole_bailey8523d ago

Hang on, you were cleaning a chicken water bowl three times a day? For how long? I would have lasted maybe three days before I started looking for another way. That's a level of patience I just don't have. The nipple waterer is a total game changer, you're right. It's funny how we just accept the extra work sometimes.

parker_bell23d ago

Oh man, that scratching thing is so real. It's like they're programmed to do it, even when it makes zero sense. I had the same lightbulb moment with their water. I used a regular bowl and they'd kick pine shavings and poop into it constantly. I was cleaning it three times a day. Switched to a nipple waterer and it was like magic, just clean water all the time. It's wild how you can miss the obvious fix when you're just in your daily routine.