For past chick stage and coop ready
Once your pullets are at least four pounds, if you are dealing with rodents or wild birds, a treadle feeder is the best feeder. You do not need one until you need one though.
The other issue is feed waste where again a treadle feeder is the best feeder. Look for an inward swinging door with tall sides so the hens can't sling feed out the side. Avoid the ones that require a hen to reach way up inside the front of the feeder, a recessed feed tray is what I am trying to describe. They will have to reach in two to three inches but past that the feel uncomfortable as a prey species being blind to threats while eating. There also needs to be a half inch lip protruding into the feeder hopper, horizontally, to prevent feed raking for 95% of the hens. And it needs to have an optional feeder lip extender available for that last 5% of hens that are raking queens.
Just do your research online and avoid sites that claim to review the best feeder and have affiliate links leading back to
Amazon or a manufacturers websites. Those are earning commissions and they recommend the feeder that pays the best. Pay close attention to the negative reviews. There will be plenty of crazy people unwilling to follow instructions or even read about a product before they buy but you are looking for reviews stating the rats or wild birds or squirrels were able to use the feeder. The Karens and Chads that complain about shipping or stupid things like "Oh, possums can still steal the feed" can be easily identified.
Waterers, the red nipple waterers on a bucket set on a large round cookie tin with a 60 watt light bulb works for me. Thermostats are great but a 60 watt bulb will prevent freezing for most of us, only fails when the bulb burns out (poke a hole in the side to act as a pilot light), and is cheap to install and easy to fix.
