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Every chicken farmer must ask himself or herself how to feed their birds in the best way possible. Chickens will still need the nutritional benefits of feed added to their diet, even if you choose to allow them free range. When you’re first starting out with chicken farming, finding the appropriate chicken feeder can be challenging.
Our Top Pick for the Best Chicken Feeder
The amount of money saved from feed loss and waste far exceeds the cost, despite the fact that the first investment is a bit high. You don’t have to be concerned about getting home to feed your hens after they’ve been taught to utilize it.
Finally, you don’t have to be concerned about the hens running out of food if you have to go away for a weekend. We recommend this feeder unless you have baby chicks.
What to Consider When Choosing a Chicken Feeder?
When choosing the best chicken feeder for your flock, there are a number of factors to consider.
The size of your flock will be one of the variables that determines which sort of feeder you’ll need. Your feeder needs will be different than someone with a bigger flock or who requires a feeder that can hold more than a day’s worth of food if you have just 2-3 chickens and are planning to fill the feeder every day or two.
The age of your flock is another factor to consider.
Your chicken feeder needs will vary depending on whether you have a flock of adult hens or just a few baby chicks. There are several chicken feeders available that are only suitable for baby birds and others that are suitable for full-grown birds. If you’re expanding your flock and have both young and adult birds, there are some that are suitable for mixed flocks.
From the simple plastic feeder that sits on the ground to the fully automated feeders that measure out the food based on your preferences, prices for chicken feeders range from cheap to expensive.
From a basic container that will need to be replenished daily to automated feeders that only need to be replenished on occasion depending on the size of your flock, there are numerous kinds of feeders out there. There are feeders that hang and feeders that sit on the ground; some are simple to put together, while others take an engineer to do so.
We reviewed seven sorts of feeders and assessed the benefits and drawbacks of each before making a decision on which one to purchase.
The one we like the best is listed below.
7 Best Chicken Feeders – Reviews
1. Grandpa’s Feeders Automatic Chicken Feeder
This feeder, designed by Grandpa’s Feeders, can hold 20 pounds of food and feed four to six chickens for up to a week. If you work late or travel frequently, this is a fantastic option. It ensures that the birds are not hungry. It’s not advised to put it in a mixed flock. Baby chicks may get trapped when bigger birds step off, so use only with fully grown chickens.
While operating, the feeder is noisy, which may take some time for the birds to get used to. Most chickens will quickly take to the feeder, notwithstanding the fact that there will almost certainly be a training period.
Pros
- Eliminates the need to check the feed every day.
- Prevents rodents and wild birds from stealing food; no more stolen food.
- Prevents feed from being wasted, saving money.
- Only requires refilling every 7 to 10 days for four to six birds.
- Prevents the birds from spoiling their meal by fouling it.
Cons
- Requires training
- Edges are sharp
- Food tends to stay elevated for a long time.
- Not waterproof
- Because of the noise produced when it is operating, chickens may not use it.
2. LITTLE GIANT Miller 12lbs Galvanized Hanging Poultry Feeder
This feeder from LITTLE GIANT holds 12lbs (approximately 20 cups) of food and is a basic hanging style feeder. For ten to fourteen days, it may feed up to 12 people. There is no lid included with it. It’s a wonderful method to feed your birds without the feeder sitting on the ground since it’s made of galvanized metal, so it won’t rust. For a mixed flock of adults and chicks, this would be a great option.
You’ll have to shake the feeder daily in order for the food to move into the trough since this feeder does not do a very effective job of keeping rodents out.
Pros
- Assembly is simple and quick.
- Won’t rust
- Feed is kept off the ground by magnets.
- Inexpensive
Cons
- There is no lid included with the product.
- Without a lid, it cannot be used outside.
- In order to fill the troughs, you must shake the feeder.
- Rodents will not be kept out of the feed, but
3. Little Giant Large Steel Poultry Feeder
This wall-mounted or standalone feeder from LITTLE GIANT can hold up to 25 pounds of food. It’s rusted-resistant and made of galvanized metal. The chickens cannot kick the food out of the feeder, and they cannot soiled in their feed, thanks to the feed saver grid.
This feeder is only for use with adult birds and is not compatible with baby chicks.
Pros
- This is a bird that can store a large amount of food.
- Keeps the rain out of feed
- Reduces food waste
- Chickens are prevented from contaminating the meal
Cons
- Adult birds only; not for use with chicks
- The feeder can be kicked by chickens.
4. Ware Manufacturing Chicken Feeder Troughs
These two Ware Manufacturing chicken feeder troughs are made of galvanized metal, which means they won’t rust and are both inexpensive and simple to use. The feeders contain a wire lid that prevents the birds from scattering their meal across the ground and help to reduce food waste by limiting scratching.
The feeder troughs are simple to clean and suit the farmer with a little flock who just wants to give the birds daily. They only hold a limited quantity of food.
You can wall-mount the feeders despite the fact that they have a predisposition to topple over and are not meant to keep rodents and other creatures out of the food.
Pros
- The wire top prevents chickens from scratching up the feed, resulting in less waste.
- Won’t rust and is made of galvanized metal.
- Easy to maintain
Cons
- It is possible to store a small quantity of food in this holder.
- Tips over easily
- Rodents and other animals will not be kept out of the feed.
5. PawHut Automatic Chicken Feeder
For any chicken coop, the PawHut Automatic Chicken Feeder is a fantastic space-saving feeder. Your chicken’s food will stay clean, dry, and safe from wild birds, rats, and squirrels thanks to a tightly-fitting waterproof lid. The feed is kept dry as well thanks to a little ceiling above the outlet. When it rains or snows, the feeder will not rust because it is made of galvanized steel.
This large 13-liter capacity automatic fast-filling feeder is ideal for mixed flocks and can handle up to four chickens at the same time. You can install the feeder inside or outside a wood or wire chicken coop, and it comes with an installation kit.
Pros
- Wall-mounted, space-saving design
- Waterproof lid
- Galvanized steel will not rust
- Feeds up to four chickens at once and is ideal for a mixed flock.
Cons
- Expensive
- The feed outlet is still available to small rodents.
6. Harris Farms Plastic Hanging Poultry Feeder
This plastic chicken feeder is simple to use, cost-effective, and capable of holding 10 pounds of feed. It does not include a cover, although one can be purchased separately. The plastic construction of this feeder makes it simple to tell when it’s time to refill when up to 10-25 birds are fed.
The feed will spill if the tray separates from the top too easily. The feeding device is simple to fill and maintain, and it may be hung or kept on the ground. Chickens will have the inclination to disperse the feed while eating since the feed tray is shallow.
Pros
- Simple to assemble
- Easy to fill and clean
- It may either be hung or put on the ground.
- There are three different sizes available.
Cons
- It does not come with a cover to keep moisture and other animals out.
- Feed spill and waste are common when the trays separates from the top.
- The chickens are able to spread the feed because the trough is shallow.
7. PECk-O-MATIC Chicken Feeder
The PECk-O-MATIC Chicken Feeder is an innovative and easy-to-use feeder that will keep rodents and other animals from stealing your expensive feed. It protects the birds from wasting food and provides good protection from the rain and other wet elements.
There are six regulator disks included in the feeder, which are used depending on the size of the feed being supplied. If you reside in Alaska, Puerto Rico, or Hawaii, the manufacturer will not ship this item since you must teach your hens to utilize this sort of feeder.
Pros
- Food is not wasted
- Rain and rodents are protected here.
- Reduces the frequency with which feed needs to be replenished
Cons
- It isn’t included in the five-gallon bucket.
- Must train chickens to use it
- May not work with pellet type of feed
- Alaska, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii are not permitted to receive the product.
Our Top Pick for the Best Chicken Feeder
The Grandpa’s Feeders Automatic Chicken Feeder is our top pick for the best chicken feeder.
The amount of money recovered from feed loss and waste greatly exceeds the expense of purchasing feed in the first place. You won’t have to worry about rushing home to feed your chickens once they’ve been taught to use it.