Best type of feeder?

[FuryanGoddess]

Opinions? What is the best feeder for a small flock? Should I make one w/ a bucket and two lids or would a commercial one be the best. I don't like how they don't have a lid. Do I put it in their coop or the run... or one in each?

 

[Eggcessive]

Old frisbees make good covers for the feeders especially the metal hanging ones. Don't get one too large. My chickens would rather eat out of a large flat rubber or metal pan. For the small plastic feeders you can use a plastic yogurt or cottage cheese lid with a slit cut in it as a cover. I like to put food and water in the coop and run, plus out in their field since they like to eat wherever they are. The feed pans are good outdoors because if it gets wet, they love wet food. Just don't let it sit there more than 1 day because wet food gets moldy.

 

[FuryanGoddess]

ok. Right now, I'm using an old plastic coffee container, glued to a frisbee lol. It's not too sturdy, needs to be screwed together, but this was a quick fix to the small jar one w/ the lots of little holes that they kept spilling EVERYWHERE! It was wasting so much food. So, that's why I was thinking about the bucket thing, but I think it might be a bit big to put in their coop... Humm..... Maybe time to redesign...

 

[mikecnorthwest]

I used a homemade plastic bucket feeder for years and never liked the amount of spillage. A couple of months ago I bought a Little Giant metal feeder and love it. Some things are worth spending a little money on, and frankly, it's not that much money considering how long you'll have it.

 

[rungirl]

I use a large hanging feeder in the coop only. If I'm going out of town for the weekend I can fill it up and it will hold them for a couple days, which is nice. I also invested in a good 5 gal galvanized waterer with a heater under it in winter. I hate filling those plastic ones and they end up leaking anyway. I also keep a black rubber feed pan in the run for extra water. In the winter, if you have a sunny day it will often stay thawed. In the summer, I put it under in the shade to keep algae from growing in it.