It is not easy raising chickens in your backyards. Especially when it comes to feeding chickens, all the varied choices keep overwhelming and confusing you.
How do you decide which is the best chicken feeder amongst all the styles? Gravity-fed, automatic, treadle, trough, etc. all of them may feel like jargons to even the experienced backyard chicken keepers, let alone amateur ones.
But lucky for you, we took a deep dive and have done the research for you. In this article, we shortlisted our 6 top choices based on different types, the size of your flock, materials, etc.
All you need to do is read through them and choose one that suits you!
Benefits of Automatic Chicken Feeder
There are many benefits of switching to an automated chicken feeder. Some of them are:
Convenience
An automatic feeder is nothing short of a blessing for farmers. It saves them labor and time, amping up their work efficiency. Many farmers love how it takes off the pressure of manually feeding the chickens as well as ensuring the uniformity of the flock.
Save Money, Time, and Energy
With a premium chicken feeder, you will be able to reduce your manpower by a dozen people. It will improve your farming level while being energy-saving. And fortunately, this machine, with all its benefits, come at a very affordable price range.
Reduce Feeding Time
It does not take much time for the chickens to get used to the machine since there is barely any noise produced. The machine pushes forward the loose feed freely and is extremely safe, feeding multiple chickens in a single turn.
Prevent Feed Wastage
All you must do is set the amount of feed and let the machine do the rest of the work. It will ensure your chickens have plenty to eat without wasting much feed. You can also use it for transporting vehicles, storing eggs, and other management tasks. There are also rat-proof chicken feeders designed to prevent pests from feeding on chicken feed.
6 Best Chicken Feeder Reviews
If you want to increase the size of your flock but still maintain or improve your work efficiency, getting an automatic chicken feeder might be a great idea. Here are 6 products worth checking out:
1. KEBONNIXS Automatic Chicken Cup Waterer and Port Feeder Set
The KEBONNIXS set is a great choice for your growing hens or flock because it saves you time and money while helping reduce waste. You can get both the feeder and the waterer for the same price as other lowest-price individual feeders. That is, you get two items for the price of one!
With this set, you can focus on other tasks without having to worry about your chickens getting fresh, clean water or fresh dry feed. They are covered with rain hoods to prevent wet feed even in hellacious thunderstorms.
As for the water cups, they are lined with inner cups to remove any dirt or grit and keep the water clean. And while the system includes nozzles and other hardware for winter watering, it is not very compatible with severely cold climates. Even if you put a heater inside, it still fails to stop the water holding cups from freezing during winter.
However, this problem does not persist in warmer weather or summer. They automatically fill themselves, with the waterer holding up to gallons of water and the feeder having a capacity of 4.5 kg of feed. For 2 chickens, you would need to refill every 2 weeks and a week for 4.
The containers are translucent, so you can check out the remaining level from a distance without having to remove the lid. They are easy to set up, and the system comes with all the screws and metal hooks you would need. This chicken feeder is perfect for a medium flock.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
It is a near-faultless system for a small or medium backyard flock. With this set, the feeding and hydrating process would be made much simpler while minimizing food waste at the same time.
2. RentACoop Chicken Feeder
For a medium to a larger flock, RentACoop’s outdoor metallic feeder is an excellent option for outdoor feeding. It can hold at most 25 pounds of feed, ranging from pellets, and crumbles to grains or scratches. You can feed up to as many as 25 birds at a time.
Installing this feeder is a breeze. You can either screw it into a wall or have it on a stand to keep it away from the reach of insolent pests.
The edges are rolled, so not only will your birds be happy and well-fed, but they will also be safe. There is also a hanger acting as a handle, making it convenient for the chicken keeper to move the feeder around.
Made with high-quality galvanized steel, this product was built with durability in mind and is made to last for a long time. It can handle harsh weather conditions without letting water into the feed.
However, there is no cover for the container, nor does it close all the way through, so pests might enter and nibble at night. Although it is a slight inconvenience, you can just use ceramic tiles or other strong blocks to close the mouth.
You just have to remember to get the height right to produce as little waste as possible so that it can lead to higher savings in the long run. It should be around 3 inches above the ground so that adult ducks, geese, and chickens can eat at ease with less wasted feed.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
This chicken feeder is quite versatile, with both indoor and outdoor options alongside the choice to have it on a stand or hang it somewhere. It is perfect for a growing flock and is the right size for them to eat at ease to prevent waste.
3. Grandpa’s Feeders Automatic Chicken Feeder
When you think of the best chicken feeders, Grandpa’s Feeders is often the first name to pop up in mind. Rightly so because their products have the highest quality and are the ones to beat.
And just like others, these galvanized steel chicken feeders are sturdy and affordable and are designed to maintain the birds’ natural feeding behavior.
For the hens to eat, they would need to stand on top of the metal platform. This opens the box, giving access to the food. And do not worry because the birds can quickly pick up this habit and learn to operate the feeder. So, this treadle feeder is a self-feed chicken feeder.
It releases the right amount of feed based on the demand. So, not only do you have less food waste, but you also decrease your feeding costs. With this stellar product, you do not have to worry about starving chickens anytime soon.
Besides, this gravity feeder is also pest-proof and keeps out wild birds, small vermin such as rats, mice, and maybe even squirrels. However, it is not safe from raccoons because those animals can be quite smart, and they can learn to operate it as well.
So, when not in use, store the chicken feeder in a secured location or have some kind of locking mechanism installed.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
What makes Grandpa’s feeders automatic chicken feeder one, if not the best automatic chicken feeder on our list, is its design to maintain the birds’ natural feeding behavior. It keeps the chickens happy to ensure optimal laying while keeping the farmers happy as well by reducing your poultry food bill and saving their time and effort.
4. OverEZ Chicken Coop Store Chicken Feeders
If you are looking for high capacity and high-quality chicken feeders, then this OverEZ chicken feeder might be what you are looking for. It can hold up to 50 pounds of feed, so unless you own a very large flock, you can easily go weeks without having to refill it.
For 3-5 hens, you would have to restock every 4-6 weeks, 2-3 weeks for 6-11 hens, and every 2 weeks for a dozen to 15 hens. And there is even a port overhang and hidden recessed channel to keep the chicken feed dry at all times.
It is specifically designed to avoid spoiled or spilled feed, with a smart feeding port supplying feed by the right amount. However, no mechanism stops the chicken from eating non-stop, so there is a possibility for them to over-feed.
This automatic feeder is durable and made to last both indoors and outdoors with recyclable plastic materials that are UV-protected, food-safe, and BPA-free.
It has a wide opening mouth with a lid which makes it easy to refill. However, the food holes do not have any covering, which makes it easy for mice and rats to get into at night.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The OverEZ chicken feeder is suitable for feeding bigger-sized flocks, so you can fill it up and let the birds eat without worrying about wasted food, extra cleaning, or running out soon. But it is not all vermin-proof which can be very annoying.
5. Rural365 Treadle Chicken Feeder
This is another great automatic chicken feeder designed to encourage the birds’ natural feeding behavior. The most prominent aspect of this feeder is the weight-activated design that only allows animals of certain weights to eat while blocking the others, making it one of the best pest-proof treadle chicken feeders there is.
To set up this system, you would need to adjust the minimum pressure of the levered platform. For chickens, ducks, rabbits, and other medium-sized pets, it is usually around 12.5 oz to 3 pounds (350 to 1400 g).
This ensures that smaller birds, squirrels, and rodents are unable to access the chicken feed since they will not meet the weight minimum.
Made with a mix of 1mm heavy-duty galvanized steel plates and molded plastic parts, these treadle chicken feeders ensure stability, damage resistance from weather and harmful UV rays. While the cover is sloped to prevent chickens from roosting on top, it is not very efficient.
Another drawback of this equipment is its small size which does not allow too many birds to feed at the same time. So, you might want to consider the feeding dynamics of the coop before purchasing this.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
This chicken feeder may be small, but it works great. With a smart and adjustable weight-activated design, it keeps the wild birds, rodents, and vermin out while ensuring only the right pets get access to the food. However, it is not suited for feeding multiple chickens together.
6. RentACoop 25LB Outdoor Rainproof Galvanized Steel Chicken Feeder
We have got another RentACoop chicken feeder on our list, and this one is amazing at what it does. It has a very unique design with feeding ports that helps keep food inside the unit, not splattering outside.
To access the food, your hens would need to slide their heads in through the ports. Might look a little funny, but at least no other unwanted guests would be doing the same. And the best part about it is that you do not have to assemble anything since it comes in just one single piece.
With the food-grade and BPA-free plastic used, your hens will be completely safe. And while your chickens can eat to their heart’s content without getting bullied or bullying one another, it can be hard for taller breeds to get their head through.
RentACoop is trying to solve this problem by improving this design, so hopefully, your taller hens can give this a try soon.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
This relatively inexpensive RentACoop feeder can be great equipment for your backyard chicken breeding. It is quite easy to operate, requires no assembly whatsoever, and has a unique design that makes for a simple feeding system. The manufacturers are trying to improve their design to make it more inclusive.
Before You Buy What to Look for?
To increase your work efficiency, you would need the right chicken feeder. Choosing the wrong product would do the opposite and would increase chicken feed costs which defeat the purpose of buying them in the first place. Here are a few things to look out for:
Size of Flock
This is the most important prerequisite to determine the type of feeder that would be the most suitable for your backyard.
If you have a small flock with only a couple of hens, getting one with a large feed capacity would cause feed wastage. You do not want to restock it for an entire month and have your chicken feed on stale foods.
On the other hand, getting a smaller feeder for a larger flock would entail you refilling the container faster and more frequently. You have to keep this factor in mind, especially if you think you might not be home during some feeding time.
You can use our chicken feed calculator to get an idea of your chicken feed requirements.
Age of Flock
For ease of eating, you also need to keep the age of your flock in mind. For baby chicks, the poultry feeders tend to be lower on the ground and have an accessible feed outlet. It also ensures that your baby chicks do not fall and get stuck inside the container.
Feeders for larger hens can be hung from a higher height and have bigger feeding ports as well. There are also feeders for mixed flocks, which can be quite versatile. You might want to look for this if you have different aged birds or are planning to expand your backyard farming in the future.
Pest Infestation
If you need to deal with wild birds, vermin, rodents, and other unwanted pests accessing your chickens’ feeders, then you would need to pay extra attention to how pest-proof it is. Some come with a hanging feeder design, others come with a weight-activated platform mechanism.
If you do not need to protect your feeder from pests as much, you might not have to worry too much about rodent covers or lids. You can even DIY something, if need be.
Price
Depending on the quality, materials used, assembly, you would have a lot of products with different price ranges. Some of these would be quite affordable with a simple design and built with plastic. Others might be more expensive, with complex mechanical operations that might seem too fancy for your good.
You can get the latter if you are comfortable with the price. However, a low price does not equate to low quality. For example, the KEBONNIXS Automatic Chicken Cup Waterer and Port Feeder Set is one such system that includes both waterer and feeder and is very inexpensive. It is highly favored by many.
Materials Used
The use of plastic anywhere is often frowned upon. But in this case, manufacturers are now making non-porous, chemically resistant, non-rusting plastic feeders which farmers cannot get enough of. These feeders have become the standard now because of their low price and high performance.
A plastic feeder is so much easier to clean due to its resistance to caustic solutions. You can use disinfectants and other cleaning agents to get rid of all kinds of bacteria to ensure your flock has a healthy eating environment.
There are also great metal feeders if you are still hesitant to use plastic, and you can easily find one that suits all your needs.
Types of Feeders
There are mainly two types of feeders basic and automatic chicken feeders. They are discussed in detail below:
Basic Feeders
These traditional feeders are made from PVC pipes cut in half. The long thin pipe is kept slightly elevated using bricks or small pieces of pipes to make it easier for hens to eat.
The elevation also prevents feces contamination. However, it tends to lure in other animals.
Automatic Feeders
Automatic feeders act as self-feeders, supplying food only when the chickens feed. Most people often think that only a treadle feeder to be automatic. But a gravity, trough, or hanging feeder can also be assumed to be automatic since you just fill them up and chickens eat.
With automatic feeders, you do not have to worry much about your hens growing hungry or about rats and mice infestation. These feeders also keep the feed fresh and dry. Now, there are 3 types of automatic feeders. Let’s get to know them.
- Trough Feeders
A feeding trough is flexible in size. It is either fixed to one corner of a chicken coop wall or placed as an independent container. It is easy to refill them and have several birds feed together. The build is quite slim, with high sides to prevent adult birds from scratching out their food.
- Hanging Feeders
A hanging poultry feeder belongs to the line of gravity-fed feeders, which consists of open containers along with a plastic bucket at the bottom. They can also be wall-mounted, and in both cases, the oldest food gets eaten first.
- Treadle Feeders
Treadle feeders are the ones with a lever and sealed box that only opens when your chickens apply a minimum pressure or a certain weight. These boxes are the best at keeping rodents away and open when chickens prefer to eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many feeders do I need?
It depends on how many chickens you have. You can get away with using just one for a smaller flock but would need at least a few medium-sized feeders for larger flocks. A few chickens should eat at the same time and have at least 5 centimeters of space when they eat.
2. How to train my flock to feed on feeders?
Chickens require no training for basic plastic or steel chicken feeders. However, with automatic feeders, you might have to train them initially. To do that, you would have to tempt them by placing some of their favorite food inside the feeder.
It will not take them much time to get used to, and they will pretty soon get the hang of it.
3. What should be the capacity of my chicken feeder?
Full-grown hens need about 100-150 grams of feed per day. So, counting the number of hens that you have multiplied by the several numbers of days should give you a rough estimate for the capacity for the pounds of feed. A 2.5kg feeder should be good to go.
4. Where should you place your feeders?
Even though most feeders are waterproof and will keep the food dry, you should place it under a shelter to ensure that the weather does not affect your chickens when they eat.
5. How high from the ground should be my hanging feeders?
A hanging poultry feeder should be placed at a minimum of 3 inches above the ground. But usually, 4-6 inches should be perfect for your hens to reach in and eat without any difficulties. You might have to assess and readjust for taller breeds.
Final Words
If you are looking for the best chicken feeder for your backyard chickens, then you will be easily satisfied with our list.
All of these are made with durable materials, have a suitable price tag, and are highly efficient. These feeders will make both you and your hens extremely happy. And if nothing is up to your liking, you can always make a DIY chicken feeder.