The Best Chicken Feeder - 8 feeders compared

Ultimate feeder - branded.png
Its all to common for people to give up on backyard chickens because of the problems and hassles that can come with it.

But a lot of these problems come from how you feed your chickens and the feeder that you use. Chickens are messy eaters and they love to flick and spill their feed everywhere. This attracts pests like rats and wild birds which can cause a whole range of problems. Pests eat and contaminate your chicken feed, spread parasites and diseases and stress out your chickens - which can then cause a drop in egg production.

What a pain!

The right feeder can get rid of many of the problems that often come with chickens

It doesn’t have to be this difficult. Because feeders are such an important part of keeping backyard chickens, I have put together a comparison of 7 commonly used feeders. I have compared them based on 8 key factors for easy and stress free chicken feeding:

1. Setup effort: Effort to make (where required), install, setup and introduce to the chickens.
2. Cost: Cost to purchase or make.
3. Storage capacity: How much grain does the feeder store and how often does it need to be filled up.
4. Chicken capacity: How many chickens can you have per feeder.
5. Space efficient: How space efficient and attractive is the feeder.
6. Mess and waste: How effective the feeder is at preventing chickens from flicking and spilling grain feed which causes mess and waste?
7. Pest proof: How effective the feeder is at keeping pests away.
8. Water proof: How well does the feeder keep water out of the grain.

So whats the best feeder?

In the table below I have given each feeder a score out of 5 for each of these factors and used it to calculate an overall score.

1 = Very Poor
2 = Poor
3 = Average
4 = Good
5 = Excellent

The best feeder for you will depend on your own situation, such as: priorities, number of chickens, location, climate, type of block and type of coop. Because of this, the feeder with the highest score will not necessarily be the feeder best suited to you. This comparison aims to make it easy to compare the feeders to make it easy to find the right chicken feeder for you.

The feeders in the table below are ranked from highest to lowest score.
Feeders compared infographic.png


1. Pipe gravity feeder (PVC)

Description

This is a feeder made out of PVC pipe, with feed filled in the top and dispensed out the bottom. This feeder has an enclosed opening, which means the chickens have to put their head into the tube to get at the feed.

** DIY Instruction manual **

Because I think this is a great feeder design (with some modifications), I have created a detailed instruction manual on how to make and use this feeder >> here <<

Ultimate feeder - branded.png



Factor
Score (out of 5)
Details

Setup time and effort​
4​
Easy to make and quick to setup. Chickens may be hesitant at first to use the feeder (to reach inside the tube) but will be up and running very quickly with a few treats as encouragement.
Cost​
4​
PVC tubing is cheap tube buy, which makes this feeder very cheap to make.
Storage capacity
4​
Holds enough feed to last 3-4 birds a couple of weeks. A longer pipe can also be used if more storage is needed.
Chicken Capacity​
2​
Can only feed one chicken at a time. Because of this it’s recommended that one feeder is used for up to 4 chickens.
Attractive and space efficient​
5​
Slim and attractive design
Mess and Waste
5​
The enclosed design and front grain guard stop chickens from scratching and pecking out grain from the feeder - keeping grain in the feeder rather than on the ground.
Pest Proof​
5​
Easily seal the feeder with an cap at night to keeps rats and other pests away.
Water Proof​
4​
A rain guard keeps the feed dry and stops a lot of waste.

2. Hand feeding

hold.png

Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com

Description

Most simple way to feed your chickens – measure out the amount eat per day and scattering in backyard. Store feed in secure pest proof container



Factor

Score
(out of 5)
Details

5
5
1
5
5
3
3
4
[td][/td] [td][/td] [tr][td]
Setup time and effort
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
No setup time is required. Can’t get easier than that.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Cost
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
Free
[/td]
[tr][td]
Storage capacity
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
The biggest downside with hand feeding is that it requires feed to be measured out and fed to the chickens each day. It could be a problem if you wanted to go away for a weekend or for longer holidays.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Chicken capacity
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
This approach to feeding can easily be scaled based on the number of chickens you have. More chickens simply means more feed put out each day.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Attractive and space efficient
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
No ugly feeder equipment needed. It takes up no space at all.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Mess and Waste
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
The trick to hand feeding is to get the portions right. You don’t want your chickens to go hungry but you also don’t want any leftovers to have to clean up. The amount of feed needed also depends on if they free range, the amount of free range space and any other treats or supplements they get.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Pest Proof
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
The key to keeping night time pests away (like rats and mice) is to get the portions right or to clean up any left overs at the end of each day. However hand feeding will attract pests during the day such as wild birds.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Water Proof
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
Rain and moisture is not really an issue when hand feeding. If it rains, it will only affect a days worth of feed and will likely still be eaten by the chickens that day. This gets rid of any worry about the feed getting clogged in a feeder or going moldy.
[/td]


Other benefits

Mirrors chickens natural foraging where they pick up grit and other goodies on the way

Other cons:

Egg production is maximised when chickens have plenty of access to feed. This balance is harder to get when hand feeding.


3. Bulk Feeder with PVC inlets

bulk with pvc.png


Description

This is a DIY feeder which is essentially a bulk storage container with holes cut in the bottom for the chickens. To stop the feed spilling out of the holes, 90 degree PVC bends are inserted.




Factor

Score
(out of 5)
Details

5
4
5
4
3
4
2
3
[td][/td] [td][/td] [tr][td]
Setup time and effort
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
Easy to make and quick to setup. Chickens may be hesitant at first to use the feeder (to reach inside the hole) but will be up and running very quickly with a few treats as encouragement.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Cost
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
A container and PVC tubing is cheap to buy, which makes this feeder very cheap to make.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Storage capacity
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
The great thing about this feeder is that it can have a large storage capacity. The size of the container can be adjusted to suit the number of chickens you have
[/td]
[tr][td]
Chicken capacity
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
Because multiple holes / access points can be added to this feeder, multiple chickens can use it at once.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Space efficient
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
The container can be bulky and takes up space. It also needs to be mounted onto a raised base or stand to give chickens access at the right height.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Mess and Waste
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
This feeder is relatively good at reducing mess and waste. Chickens can not get their claws in the flick the feed, however can flick feed out with their beaks.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Pest Proof
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
Based on current designs there is no way to keep rats and mice out of the feeder at night. It does protect against wild birds and other larger pests.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Water Proof
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
While this design would keep light rain from getting into the feeder, it would not prevent heavy rain. With a large storage capacity, this could cause a lot of wasted feed. For this reason it should ideally be kept under cover.
[/td]


4. Commercial feeder


Description

These are commercially made feeders that you will find at most pet and produce stores. They can be made out of plastic or galvanized steel.


Depth of the sides where the chickens eat can be changed using the screw at the top

Acts as a dispenser and releases feed out bottom

Can be hung to help keep out rodents and keep it clean – dirt and water free and deter birds from roosting on it.






Factor

Score
(out of 5)

Details

4
4
4
3
3
3
3
2
[td][/td] [td][/td] [tr][td]
Setup time and effort
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
This is a purchased feeder and therefore does not take any time to make. There is a small amount of set up time which involves hanging the feeder to deter rodents.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Cost
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
These feeders are cheap to purchase online
[/td]
[tr][td]
Storage capacity
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
These feeders come in many sizes from small (1.5kg ) up to large (20 kg).
[/td]
[tr][td]
Chicken capacity
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
Has room to feed multiple chickens at once
[/td]
[tr][td]
Space efficient
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
Attractive and clean design however it does take up a bit of space when hung up correctly
[/td]
[tr][td]
Mess and Waste
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
If used correctly this feeder does a reasonable job at preventing mess and waste. The dividers prevent scratching and beaking of the feed and by hanging the feeder up it cannot be knocked over.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Pest Proof
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
Hanging up this feeder provides some deterrent to rats and mice however they are great climbers and in my experience they will still find their way into the feeder. It also provides no protection against wild birds and other pests.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Water Proof
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
These feeder usually come with a top hat that provides minimal protection from rain. This feeder needs to be kept under cover when its raining.
[/td]


Other cons:

If this feeder is not hung up, it can easily get knocked over, dirt kicked into it, pooped on and generally a lot of mess made.


Links:

ebay

5. Trough feeder (PVC)







Factor

Score
(out of 5)

Details

4
4
4
4
5
2
1
1
[td][/td] [td][/td] [tr][td]
Setup time and effort
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
Easy to make and quick to setup.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Cost
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
PVC tubing is cheap tube buy, which makes this feeder very cheap to make.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Storage capacity
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
Holds enough feed to last 3-4 birds a couple of weeks. A longer pipe can also be used if more storage is needed.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Chicken capacity
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
The long trough design means that multiple chickens can feed at once without it getting over crowded. A slightly longer trough can be used to accommodate more chickens if needed
[/td]
[tr][td]
Space efficient
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
The slim design means that it is space efficient.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Mess and Waste
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
One of the down sides with the trough feeder is that it does not stop chickens from scratching and beaking out food. It is also an easy target for chicken poop. The slim design and high sides provides a small amount of protection from mess.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Pest Proof
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
This feeder provides no protection against pests.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Water Proof
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
This feeder must be kept undercover because it provides no protection against the rain. To make it worse, the pipe will clog up when it gets wet.
[/td]


Link

http://www.instructables.com/id/Chicken-Coop-Gravity-PVC-Feeder/


6. Bulk Bin

bucket.png


Description

Bucket / bin of any size





Factor

Score
(out of 5)

Details

5
5
5
4
2
1
1
1
[td][/td] [td][/td] [tr][td]
Setup time and effort
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
No construction or assembly required. Buy a container, fill it with feed and your ready to go.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Cost
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
Cheap to buy
[/td]
[tr][td]
Storage capacity
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
The great thing about this feeder is that it can have a large storage capacity. The size of the container can be adjusted to suit the number of chickens you have
[/td]
[tr][td]
Chicken capacity
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
The round bin shape provides easy access for multiple chickens
[/td]
[tr][td]
Space efficient
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
The container can be bulky and takes up space. It might also need to be mounted onto a raised base or stand to give chickens access at the right height.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Mess and Waste
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
Chickens will have the freedom to scratch and beak food around which can make a lot of mess. Smaller bins will easily be knocked over. You might also find that chickens will poop in the feeder.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Pest Proof
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
Pests will have free range in this feeder. It will likely become a rat motel.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Water Proof
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
This feeder will need to be kept under cover in the rain as it provides no rain protection. With a large storage capacity, this could cause a lot of wasted feed.
[/td]


Other Pro’s

Useful as an extra feeder – for treats, scraps, supplements and sprouting grain.


7. Treadle feeder

Description

Feeder with a lid that opens when the chickens step on a peddle.

treadle feeder.png




Factor

Score
(out of 5)
Details

2
1
4
3
2
3
4
4
[td][/td] [td][/td] [tr][td]
Setup time and effort
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
This is a purchased feeder and therefore does not take any time to make. From my experience it can take a significant amount of time to get your chickens used to this feeder. Chickens are “Chicken” and they especially hate shiny things that move when they go near it. It tried this feeder and gave up trying to get my chickens to use it.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Cost
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
These feeders tend to be very expensive.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Storage capacity
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
These feeders have a reasonable storage capacity from 4kg up to 18kg
[/td]
[tr][td]
Chicken capacity
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
These feeders can generally feed 1 to 2 chickens at a time and can accommodate a reasonable number of chickens.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Space efficient
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
These feeders are bulky and can take up a significant amount of space.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Mess and Waste
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
The better designed treadle feeders have a wire mesh covering the feed. This does a reasonable job reducing mess and waste
[/td]
[tr][td]
Pest Proof
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
This feeder provides good protection against pests. Aside from any spilled feed, it generally keeps rodents and wild birds out.
[/td]
[tr][td]
Water Proof
[/td][td][/td][/tr]
[td]
The better designed treadle feeders do a good job keeping water out.
[/td]


Links

Grandpasfeeders

Ebay

Conclusion

As mentioned at the start of the article, the best feeder for you will depend on your own situation and preferences. The scoring approach I used assumes all factors are equally important - which is far from true in reality. Because of this, the feeder with the highest score will not necessarily be the feeder best suited to you.


The feeder with the highest score was the PVC Pipe gravity feeder. The main down side with this feeder is that it only accommodates about 4 chickens. More information about this feeder and detailed DIY Instructions are available here.

If you are after the cheapest option, that you can use immediately, then daily hand feeding might be a viable option. The down side is that it can be hard to get quantities right and you will have to get into a routine of putting feed out every day.

If you are after a feeder suitable for a large number of chickens and that doesn't need filling very often, then the Bulk feeder with PVC could be a good option for you.

I hope this helps you find the best chicken feeder to suit you.

Marcus
Patch To Table[/td][/tr]
About author
PatchtoTable
Marcus Looby
Marcus looby is the founder of Patch to Table, which helps busy people grow and cook Real Food at home. Marcus is also a director at Millen Farm, which is developing a sustainable urban farming system, based on permaculture principles, that can be replicated by other communities.

Latest reviews

Very helpful with good explanation of pros and cons. Thanks. Helped me make my decision.
Clearly charted comparison of a number of common feeders. Appreciate the video with instructions for DIY feeder. Very clear instructions. Thanks!

Comments

Very interesting. I just made one of the bucket-with-PVC-angles feeders for my new flock &amp; one of the reasons I did it is because i don't have inside space for a feeder. They have NOT been able to beak food out &amp; spill it, and we've had a couple seriously heavy rain storms with no leakage -- and I didn't even use silicone, i just put white duct tape on the inside around the pipes to hold them in place. Definitely not pest-proof, I move it inside the garage at night. Hanging it would probably help. or putting it on a taller base that was narrower than the bucket bottom!
 
Interesting that you had no spillage at all? Did you put a guard or anything on the opening? I guess it also depends a bit on how you make it. I think the height of the opening (when its propped up on a base) makes a difference and If elbow isn't deep enough then it makes it easier for them to beak out. Also if you use a mixed grain feed I think they are more persistent in picking out the best bits. With the rain - we get heavy rain that comes in on an angle so I found it would leak a little without some sort of guard. I'm sure there are different designs around that deal with these issues. Can you put caps on the opening at night to deal with the rats?
 
Great and really interesting article! I loved the table which made it very easy to compare the different feeders by just looking at the score.
 
Great ideas. I wonder with the bucket feeder if you could use tin saver caps (you know, like cat food lids) to cover the ends at night if you use a similar size pipe? I have a roofed trough feeder right now to stop water coming in and I just put a plank of wood over it at night. They don't seem to make much mess with this, although the bought feeders I have they kick over and generally make a mess of so I'm after another feeder. Thanks for this, I will mess around :)
 
Psychochick - I have found that with the commercial (bought) feeders they really need to be hung up to work well.

I am sure there are plenty of ways to improve the bucket feeder.

Happy chicken feeder building
 
I have a problem with the pvc feeder that goes into the bucket. I have some similar to that and I have found that smaller birds can climb in and get stuck. It REALLY sucks to pull out a dead bird from a feeder. Another problem is the roo's with the bigger combs. It starts getting floppy and bent. So either you make the hole big enough for their combs or small enough that the small birds don't climb in. As far as spillage, it's wonderful! And for the most part it works great. Just those two problems that I think people should know about.
 
Terrible to hear you have had a dead bird in your bucket feeder - not good at all. You could try propping it up onto a stand (so that smaller birds cant get to it) and making another (smaller) feeder that only the smaller birds can get into?
 
I built the treader feeder 4 years ago. It hanged outside my box coup and has been functioning well. I do like to PVC pip feeder. The only issue it doesn't hold much feed, pain to refill unless modify, and not rat/bird proof. I sure rat can jump 12-15" when discovered food.
 
I built the treader feeder 4 years ago. It hanged outside my box coup and has been functioning well. I do like to PVC pip feeder. The only issue it doesn't hold much feed, pain to refill unless modify, and not rat/bird proof. I sure rat can jump 12-15" when discovered food.
 
I built the treader feeder 4 years ago. It hanged outside my box coup and has been functioning well. I do like to PVC pip feeder. The only issue it doesn't hold much feed, pain to refill unless modify, and not rat/bird proof. I sure rat can jump 12-15" when discovered food.
 
Nice discussion of pro's and con's.

I went with the bucket feeders 18 months ago and have had no problems. I used a 5 gallon bucket and three 3 inch (I think, could be 4") elbows and there was just enough room for the three elbows to fit. There are different styles/diameters of 5 gallon buckets so have one on hand at the store when you are testing for the fit of the 90 degree elbows.

I inserted a piece of pipe that had been cut at an angle to make a rain hood and set it on a square cinder block that is smaller than the bucket bottom.

Since the bucket feeder is essentially the same as the vertical pipe in that both use PVC pipe/fittings as the feed opening, it should be equally easy to cap either one if you need to.

Even in heavy rain, the only water that gets in mine is a little that runs in on the top of the pipe at the pipe/bucket junction. Very little feed gets wet and it has not been a problem. A bead of caulk around the pipe/bucket junction would eliminate it. Someday if I have nothing else to do I might caulk mine, but I doubt I'll bother. No rain gets in through the feed openings.

I have pictures but see no way to post them here in the comments.
 
I went with the bucket feeders 18 months ago and have had no problems. I used a 5 gallon bucket and three 3 inch (I think, could be 4") elbows and there was just enough room for the three elbows to fit. There are different styles/diameters of 5 gallon buckets so have one on hand at the store when you are testing for the fit of the 90 degree elbows.

I inserted a piece of pipe into each elbow to make a rain hood. The pipe is cut at an angle so it is flush with the elbow on the bottom and sticks out on top to form the hood. The feeder sits on a square cinder block that is smaller than the bucket bottom.

Since the bucket feeder is essentially the same as the vertical pipe in that both use PVC pipe/fittings as the feed opening, it should be equally easy to cap either one if you need to.

Even in heavy rain, the only water that gets in mine is a little that runs in on the top of the pipe at the pipe/bucket junction. Very little feed gets wet and it has not been a problem. A bead of caulk around the pipe/bucket junction would eliminate it. Someday if I have nothing else to do I might caulk mine, but I doubt I'll bother. No rain gets in through the feed openings.

I have pictures but see no way to post them here in the comments.
 
I love the pipe gravity feeder - my first ever effort at DIY and I'm very proud of the result. Wonderful clear instructions, just like a recipe. My local irrigation shop found all the required bits for me and the instructions were really easy to follow. Best of all, the girls took about 3 seconds to get the hang of it, and it is now their "Al Fresco" feeding station. Fantastic article, thanks very much
 
These are the kind of feeders that bring rats, mice, and wild birds to a coop. Fine for in the beginning till the critters figure out where the buffet is. And along with the vermin comes pests like mites and lice and plenty of disease agents. The spillage of five of these feeders cause will pay for a decent treadle feeder with a proper spring loaded door, a counterweight, and an inner feed lip. None of them are vermin proof.

But when starting off they will work. I started out with a PVC pipe feeder, bred a huge rat colony so I bought one of the metal hanging feeders and bred an even larger colony of acrobatic rats. Finally started working on prototypes of a proper treadle feeder and my feed costs were cut in half and the rats were staggering around starving in the yard till the dogs killed them. I think it took about a half year till the rats found my pen, by a full year it was out of control and I was forced to do something.
 
I tried to access the directions for the PVC feeder and was asked to join a web site. I wondered this whole article was just an add to get my personal information. I tried to sign up anyway to get the directions and watch the video but they never sent me the email to verify my email address.
 

Article information

Author
PatchtoTable
Article read time
11 min read
Views
56,640
Comments
23
Reviews
2
Last update
Rating
5.00 star(s) 2 ratings

More from PatchtoTable

Share this article

Back
Top Bottom