[bygrace]

Do wet layers pellets go off if they lay on the ground for a time? My girls scatter their pellets and in the wet weather everything has got very mushy and muddy on the earth (despite a cover over the part of the run where the food is). But they still continue to peck at stuff that's been there for days. I've tried raking it up but it just spreads it in the mud more. I'm worried in case they might get tummy upsets or worse.
It's only the beginning of December so things will get worse!

If I put miscanthus down, does it matter that most of it will be exposed to rain? Does that defeat the object?
Thanks. BG

[joyfull]

layers and mash when wet can go sour very very quickly and lead to crop problems, they really do need cleaning up. Ideally you should have their feeders undercover - I have mu feeders under old lorry wheel arches and some people but wooden purpose made food shelters.

[Casey76]

What kind of feeder do you have?

I'd realy recommend one with a grill in it to prevent your hens getting their claws in.  If they are flicking the food out with their beaks, then that's a little more dificult to solve.  Don't mix foods in the feeders.  Keep to one brand of pellets, and never mix grains with pellets, otherwise you will find your hens chucking the pellets around to eat the grain first

[JaK]

If you put down a good layer of miscanthus it will be fine. It seems to last a really good amount of time even when it gets rained on. It is also really good for composting once you've finnished with it.

[bygrace]

If you put down a good layer of miscanthus it will be fine. It seems to last a really good amount of time even when it gets rained on. It is also really good for composting once you've finnished with it.

Thanks JaK - What do you mean by a good layer/ 3" or so?

(You're a great promoter of micanthus! I see you're from Devon - you're not from Fen*** Fibres are you by any chance??)

[JaK]

Yes, 2 or 3" should last a  you while.

Hehe, no I don't work for them. I found out about miscanthus when I couldn't track down any hemcore to use. A guy at the feed store said miscanthus was great for chicken's so a bought some, he was right too.  :blink:

[hillfooter]

Do as Joy suggests and also under the feeder put a "mat" of batons of 3cm square section treated wood nailed into a square grill with 5cm spaces between each rail so any feed falls through.  keep the area dry with a cover and periodically dig or scrape it out and put down Stalosan disinfectant powder.  I slightly raise my mats off the ground so they don't rot and make them big enough so that the area around the feeder doesn't get walked on and paddled. Raise the feeder off the ground and suspend at back height and as casey suggests use compartmented gravity feeders.

http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/chickenhouses/Stalosan_F_Disinfectant.html



An alternative solution is to use a wood pallet and suspend the covered feeder over this and also place the drinker on the pallet.  Works in muddy conditions and in snow.



Wet feed rapidly goes mouldy and moulds can produce a toxin and spores can cause a disease called aspergillosis.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/7/aspergillosis

Also spilled feed attracts vermin so do not allow this problem to persist.

Best wishes

HF

[bygrace]

Oooh, thanks HF. I sense a project coming on for the next free day when it's not tipping it down! I have plenty of suitable timber offcuts. I didn't realise the spaces between lengths could be as much 5cm - thought the girls might fall through! I like the grid idea.
Lovely pics btw - do you find they go under the tarp for shelter?
BG

[hillfooter]

Oooh, thanks HF. I sense a project coming on for the next free day when it's not tipping it down! I have plenty of suitable timber offcuts. I didn't realise the spaces between lengths could be as much 5cm - thought the girls might fall through! I like the grid idea.
Lovely pics btw - do you find they go under the tarp for shelter?
BG

Yes the tarp is covering a small entrance run which goes on the front of the house and keeps the entrance dry and the house mud free.  The feeder hangs under it.  They also have a run shelter using a corrigated onduline panel raised on a stand with ribbon plastic curtaining to stop the wind and rain from three sides.  See below
HF

[indigo]

Hi
My two feeders are under a cover.  Its just 4 stakes knocked into the ground, and a piece of old sign board nailed on top.  But I put the feeders into bowls.  One is in a washing up bowl and the other is in an old enamel bowl.  These bowls are  bigger than the feeder bases, so when they peck around for food, the bits that they throw out go into the bowl - and can be tipped back in for a few times.  I get the feeders and bowls in every night (cos of rats) and reuse what is in the bowl a few times.  None of the food goes on the ground as the bowls have higher sides than the base of the feeder. 

[Beano]

Before I start, apologies for going off piste but:- What breed are those lovely brown hens of yours hillfooter? They are gorgeous.

[joyfull]

welsummers 

[henamoured]

Have you thought of using a treadle feeder?

I don't personally as this seems to be one of the few problems I haven't had! 

But a friend of mine uses one and says it was his best investment chicken-wise.

[bygrace]

Thanks for all the ideas. I might try the washing up bowl idea for starters. Have just bought a bale of miscanthus and some Bio-Dri - now I just want it to stop tipping it down so I can go out for more than 2 minutes!
BG