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03/10/2003
Eating off the floor encourages intake
Traditional advice for setting the height of the chain feeder in a free range house has always been “level with the chickens’ back”, but in recent times more and more producers are putting the feeder down at floor level.
One of those is BFREPA member Des Bradley, who tried the trough on the floor six years ago and has kept it there ever since. Des told the Ranger that he has seen a big improvement in appetite with newly housed pullets.
“We used to have pullets with appetites in the 70 gram range between week 16 and 18,” said Des, “but now they are regularly eating 90 grams plus in those critical first two weeks.”
But Des advised anyone contemplating lowering the trough to be careful not to create a red mite trap.
“It shouldn’t be laid directly on the floor because it will make a haven for mite. It needs to be raised at least 10 mm or so off the slats.”
Although this can be done using the existing legs, Des believes they are another potential mite trap and he has now settled for a piece of angle iron turned upside down which leaves very little point of contact with the trough.
The reason the pullets are now eating more is because the trough is now at a level similar to that in the rearing house believes Des.
“It was noticeable the very first lot of pullets we housed having lowered the trough,” said Des, “the birds just went straight for the food in a way that I’ve never seen before.”
Des applies the same philosophy to drinking water and hangs the bell drinkers just a few inches off the floor for two to three days after housing to ensure the pullets quickly find them.
Apart from encouraging birds to eat, some producers claim that by having the trough on the floor it removes an obstacle from out of the hens’ way and can lead to fewer floor eggs with birds finding it easier to move across the shed to the nests.
So are there any drawbacks? BFREPA vice chairman John Widdowson has been tempted to try it but has been concerned about droppings contaminating the feed trough.
“I had never considered the prospect of increased feed intake but I’m sure it must help with floor eggs,” said John, “but I have been put off by the possibility of the hens messing in the trough which they can’t do when it’s up in the air.”
Des Bradley told the Ranger he has not found this a problem but he did take the precautionary step of fitting cleaners to the feed track.
Another potential hazard, according to some, is that when the hen has got its head down eating, its rear end makes an easy target for an enquiring beak. Again, Des has not found this a problem.
It could be argued that a hen’s natural feeding position is at ground level, so which is best? The Ranger would be interested to hear from readers who have tried floor feeding, either successfully or unsuccessfully.
One of those is BFREPA member Des Bradley, who tried the trough on the floor six years ago and has kept it there ever since. Des told the Ranger that he has seen a big improvement in appetite with newly housed pullets.
“We used to have pullets with appetites in the 70 gram range between week 16 and 18,” said Des, “but now they are regularly eating 90 grams plus in those critical first two weeks.”
But Des advised anyone contemplating lowering the trough to be careful not to create a red mite trap.
“It shouldn’t be laid directly on the floor because it will make a haven for mite. It needs to be raised at least 10 mm or so off the slats.”
Although this can be done using the existing legs, Des believes they are another potential mite trap and he has now settled for a piece of angle iron turned upside down which leaves very little point of contact with the trough.
The reason the pullets are now eating more is because the trough is now at a level similar to that in the rearing house believes Des.
“It was noticeable the very first lot of pullets we housed having lowered the trough,” said Des, “the birds just went straight for the food in a way that I’ve never seen before.”
Des applies the same philosophy to drinking water and hangs the bell drinkers just a few inches off the floor for two to three days after housing to ensure the pullets quickly find them.
Apart from encouraging birds to eat, some producers claim that by having the trough on the floor it removes an obstacle from out of the hens’ way and can lead to fewer floor eggs with birds finding it easier to move across the shed to the nests.
So are there any drawbacks? BFREPA vice chairman John Widdowson has been tempted to try it but has been concerned about droppings contaminating the feed trough.
“I had never considered the prospect of increased feed intake but I’m sure it must help with floor eggs,” said John, “but I have been put off by the possibility of the hens messing in the trough which they can’t do when it’s up in the air.”
Des Bradley told the Ranger he has not found this a problem but he did take the precautionary step of fitting cleaners to the feed track.
Another potential hazard, according to some, is that when the hen has got its head down eating, its rear end makes an easy target for an enquiring beak. Again, Des has not found this a problem.
It could be argued that a hen’s natural feeding position is at ground level, so which is best? The Ranger would be interested to hear from readers who have tried floor feeding, either successfully or unsuccessfully.
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