Chicken feeders might seem a little like a pointless purchase for your flock, as surely you can just use a regular dish or scatter food on the ground?
If you have that same impression, read on and learn why chicken feeders are essential for a flock.
Best Hanging Chicken Feeder
Best Treadle Chicken Feeder
Not only do they prevent less mess and vermin attraction, but they also keep your chicken feed clean and dry, which means healthier birds!
Choosing a Chicken Feeder
There are a lot of different types of chicken feeders available, so finding the right chicken feeder for your flock can be a bit of a head scratcher.
As someone who’s gone through a lot of chicken feeders over years of chicken keeping, I hope I can simplify your search and save you a bit of confusion.
So, let’s get started finding the best chicken feeder and look at what your chickens need from a feeder.
In a Rush?
If you simply want to know the best feeders for your chickens, then my top picks are the Little Giant Hanging Poultry Feeder, Harris Farms Galvanized Hanging Poultry Feeder, and Rural365 Galvanized Chicken Feeder.
Top 5 Chicken Feeders
Here’s a summary of the top 5 chicken feeders from the lineup sorted by category…
Top Pick
Little Giant Hanging Poultry Feeder
A great choice if you need an affordable but effective feeder for chicks or small flocks.
Little Giant Hanging Poultry Feeder
My overall recommendation is the Little Giants feeder as it’s inexpensive, easy to use, and suitable for small or large groups of chickens.
Best Hanging Chicken Feeder
Harris Farms Galvanized Hanging Poultry Feeder
An effective and inexpensive hanging feeder. It features a heavy metal construction and prevents pests from accessing feeds.
Harris Farms Galvanized Hanging Poultry Feeder
An effective and inexpensive hanging feeder.
It has a heavy metal construction and prevents pests from accessing feeds.
Best Treadle Chicken Feeder
Rural365 Galvanized Chicken Feeder
A sturdy and robust unit that protects and dispenses chicken feed.
Rural365 Galvanized Chicken Feeder
My top pick if you need a trough chicken feeder for your coop is the Rural 365 Galvanized Feeder as it’s robust, sturdy, and keeps nuisance pests out of your feed.
Rat Proof Feeder
RentACoop Chicken Feeder
Prevent waste and mess with this rat proof feeder designed to keep 99% of your feed inside the unit.
RentACoop Chicken Feeder
The RentACoop feeder for chickens is a solid choice if you want to stop rats and rodents getting into your feed.
The device features a port design, which is not only different from a lot of other types of feeders, but also helps make it inaccessible to vermin.
No Waste Automatic Chicken Feeder
KEBONNIXS Automatic Feeder Set
Save feed and time spent cleaning with this automatic chicken feeder.
KEBONNIXS Automatic Feeder Set
One of the best feeders for chickens that minimizes waste is the KEBONNIXIS Automatic Chicken Feeder Set.
It comes with both a waterer and a feeder, making feeding and hydrating your small flock simple.
Best Chicken Feeders – Top 6 Reviewed
Here are the full reviews of all the products from the lineup…
Top Pick
Little Giant Hanging Poultry Feeder
A great choice if you need an affordable but effective feeder for chicks or small flocks.
Little Giant Hanging Poultry Feeder
Although simple in design, the Little Giant feeder for chickens is a great pick if you need an affordable but effective way to keep your birds fed.
Build
It’s made from sturdy plastic to increase its longevity, while the base minimizes food spillage. A great feature about this feeder is that it can be adjusted to multiple heights, making sure your hens can eat in comfort.
Size
As the feeder can only hold 2.866 pounds of feed, I think it’s a good option for chicks or small flocks.
However, this plastic feeder can be a bit frustrating to assemble as the provided instructions are a bit vague.
The washer can also fall off occasionally when the container is filled with feed.
Specs
- Product Dimensions: 8.25” x 8.75” x 8.25”
- Product Weight: 6.4 oz
- Material: Plastic
- Capacity: 2.866 lbs
Pros
- Simple design
- Made from sturdy plastic
- Ideal for chicks or keepers who don’t have many chickens
- Can be adjusted to many heights for any size chicken
Cons
- Washer can fall off from time to time
- Can be a bit hard to set up
Best Hanging Chicken Feeder
Harris Farms Galvanized Hanging Poultry Feeder
An effective and inexpensive hanging feeder. It has a heavy metal construction and prevents pests from accessing feeds.
Harris Farms Galvanized Hanging Poultry Feeder
If you’re looking for the perfect hanging feeder for your backyard chickens, this one from Harris Farms is a great choice as it’s effective and relatively inexpensive.
Build
It has a heavy-duty galvanized metal construction so it will supply your birds with food for a long time.
The design allows you to position it to multiple heights, which is a good feature as it makes it suitable for game birds, chickens, and young chickens.
I appreciate that the metal feeder has rolled edges for safety – you don’t need to worry about your chickens injuring themselves on jagged bits of metal.
It’s easy to set up as it has spring loaded clips, so you should have it up and running in no time.
Portability
Another aspect I appreciate about this galvanized steel hanging feeder is the convenient handle located on the top, allowing you to easily and quickly transport it.
The galvanized steel hanging feeder is best used for medium and large flocks as it can hold up to 14.9 pounds of feed.
This should be plenty for between 15 to 30 birds, so it’s one of the best choices for either a small flock or big one.
My only gripe with this galvanized steel hanging feeder is that it doesn’t come with a cover.
To avert your feed from getting soaked from rain, I’d advise using a lid with this feeder.
Specs
- Product Dimensions: 11.63” x 11.63” x 11”
- Product Weight: 2.5 lbs
- Material: Steel
- Capacity: 14.9 lbs
Pros
- Made from heavy-duty galvanized steel
- Can be adjusted to a wide range of heights
- Rolled metal edges for safety
- Easy to set up and carry
- Holds enough feed for 15 to 30 hens
Cons
- Doesn’t come with a lid
Best Treadle Chicken Feeder
Rural365 Galvanized Chicken Feeder
A sturdy and robust unit that protects and dispenses chicken feed.
Rural365 Galvanized Chicken Feeder
Next up is the Rural 365 Galvanized Feeder, a sturdy and robust trough unit to dispense feed to your chickens.
Build
It’s made from galvanized steel that’s built to last and water resistant, the latter of which helps prevent it from rusting when used outside.
The trough makes it difficult for rats and rodents to access your hens’ feed, a feature that I always look for in the best feeders.
You can mount the trough with ease as it has pre-drilled holes on the back panel.
Design
The trough comes with an attachable awning to keep the feed dry in wet weather too, which is a nice design feature!
I think the Rural355 is perfect for both small and large flocks as it can hold around 11.5 pounds of feed.
However, the opening at bottom of the trough is a bit tight, which can restrict the amount of feed the unit dispenses.
Specs
- Product Dimensions: 8” x 6” x 13”
- Product Weight: 3.12 lbs
- Material: Steel
- Capacity: 11.5 lbs
Pros
- Made from water-resistant and long-lasting steel
- Prevents vermin accessing your feed
- Can be mounted easily
- Holds enough feed for both small and large flocks
Cons
- Opening on bottom of trough is a bit small, restricting the amount of feed it dispenses
No Waste Automatic Chicken Feeder
KEBONNIXS Automatic Chicken Cup Waterer and Port Feeder Set
Save feed and time spent cleaning with this automatic chicken feeder.
KEBONNIXS Automatic Chicken Cup Waterer and Port Feeder Set
The KEBONNIXS Automatic Chicken Feeder is a great choice for your chickens as it minimizes spillage, saving you both feed and time spent cleaning your chicken coop area.
Dual Purpose
One of the best aspects of this feeder is that it comes with an automatic cup waterer, so you get two items for the price of one!
The cups automatically refill when they’re empty, which is convenient for those busy days when there never seems to be enough hours in the day.
I appreciate that the feeder has a rain hood to ensure your feed is kept dry outside – no bird wants to eat wet and mushy feed.
Assembly
Both the automatic waterer and feeder are easy to set up, and can be installed or outside your coop using the provided screws and metal hooks.
The waterer holds 2 gallons of water and the feeder holds 10 lbs of feed, so they’re a perfect fit for a small or medium flock of hens.
It’s hard to find a fault with this automatic chicken feeder and waterer set – the only slight issue is that they’re not the best option for large flocks as they don’t hold enough water or feed.
Specs
- Product Dimensions: 16.75” x 12.75” x 7.5”
- Product Weight: 4.06 lbs
- Material: Metal
- Capacity: 10 lbs
Pros
- Minimizes feed waste around your coops
- Comes with a waterer
- Feeder has a hood to keep your feed dry when used outside
- Holds 10 lbs of feed – best used for a small or medium flock
Cons
- Not the best chicken feeder for big flocks
Rat Proof Feeder
RentACoop Chicken Feeder
Prevent waste and mess with this feeder designed to keep 99% of your feed inside the unit.
RentACoop Chicken Feeder
Need a type of feeding device that is rodent and rat proof?
The RentACoop Feeder is a great pick for you as it’s designed to keep 99% of your feed inside the unit, not on the ground.
Design
The feeder looks different than some of the other feeders I’ve looked at as it has a port design.
This requires your hens to slide their heads inside these holes to access the feed. It might look rather strange, but this design is what makes the feeder inaccessible to pests.
Build
The feeder is made from food grade and BPA free plastic, so it’s completely safe for chickens. What’s better than simple assembly? No assembly!
The plastic feeder doesn’t need setting up, which means it’s ready to be used as soon as it arrives. As someone who isn’t great at even the most simple DIY, this is a feature I can get onboard with.
Size
My main complaint with the RentACoop plastic feeder is that it can be hard for tall breeds of chicken to feed from.
This means it’s best used for smaller or bantam varieties.
Another minor issue is that the lid on the unit isn’t very easy to open. This makes refilling the container a bit of a hassle.
Specs
- Product Dimensions: 10” x 14” x 10”
- Product Weight: 2.5 lbs
- Material: Plastic
- Capacity: 20 lbs
Pros
- Great for keeping rodents, wild birds, and any other type of pest out
- Large capacity which holds 20 pounds of feed
- Made from food grade plastic
- Unique and design to most other feeders
- No assembly – this means it can be used straight away!
Cons
- Lid is not very easy to open
- Not the best chicken feeder for tall breeds
Royal Rooster Chicken Poultry Feeder with Rain Cover
A unit designed specifically to prevent feed wastage as the divisions located on the base discourage your birds from swiping their food onto the ground.
Royal Rooster Chicken Poultry Feeder with Rain Cover
The last chicken feeder I recommend is by Royal Rooster, which is constructed out of durable PVC and ABS plastics.
It’s UV resistant so it keeps your feed dry even in hot weather. It’s also super easy to clean and easy to fill.
Design
The unit is designed specifically to prevent feed wastage as the divisions located on the base discourage your birds from swiping their food onto the ground.
It’s easy for your chickens to feed from – all they need to do is peck at the feed and the device will flow into the tray as they eat.
Rain Cover
I think the cover on the Royal Rooster Feeder is a fantastic feature as it not only keeps your feed dry, but it also makes it hard for pests to access.
You can use most feed types in the unit, including grain mixes and pellets, but it’s not the best choice for moist food such as crumbles.
Capacity
The feeder is adequate for up to 6 chickens as it has a feed capacity of 6 pounds. It comes with 2 brackets so you can easily mount onto a solid wall or your coop.
Unfortunately, this feed from Royal Rooster cannot be used freestanding – it needs to be attached to something such as mesh or a wall. If you will be using pellet type feeds, they can also easily clog the device.
Specs
- Product Dimensions: 5” x 9” x 20”
- Product Weight: 2.64 lbs
- Material: Plastic
- Capacity: 6 lbs
Pros
- Design helps reduce feed waste and deter pests
- UV resistant to withstand the elements
- Made from durable PVC and ABS plastics
- Easy for birds to feed from
Cons
- Cannot be used freestanding
- Pellet feeds can clog the unit
What Is a Chicken Feeder?
A feeder is a container that dispenses food for your chickens. While you could simply scatter feed on the ground or in a shallow bucket, it would create a lot of waste and attract vermin.
Poultry enjoy scratching their food around (and generally making a bit of mess), so a feeder designed for chickens will help decrease feed wastage, helping you keep your coop area clean and tidy.
Advantages – Why Use a Feeder?
Although chicken feeders might seem like an unnecessary piece of equipment for your chickens, there’s a lot of benefits to using them.
Here I’ll be explaining the many advantages of using a feeder for your chickens.
It Can Help Reduce Waste
The biggest benefit of using a feeder for your backyard chicken flock is that it helps reduce waste.
You’re more likely to waste food if you feed your chickens by hand, which not only means you’ll have to purchase feed more frequently, but it also creates more mess that you’ll have to clean up.
Using chicken feeders results in less spillage so your feed will last longer, as well as keep your flock’s environment hygienic.
It Keeps Feed Safe From Pests
Pests and unwanted intruders such as rats, racoons, and even other birds can be a nightmare to deal with when you own chickens.
Your hens’ feed will attract uninvited visitors such as these, especially if you leave it scattered on the ground.
Dealing with rats, mice, weasels, or any other type of critter in a chicken coop is frustrating as it puts your hens and chicks at risk. And those fresh eggs you were hoping for dinner will be long gone!
Protection
Most types of chicken feeders provide a safety net or cover around the food, making it much more difficult for pests to access.
Better yet, choose a hanging, automatic chicken feeder, or similar type of feeder to make it even harder for other animals to steal your flock’s feed.
It Keeps Food Clean
Feeders for a chicken coop are designed to keep your hens’ feed protected from all weather conditions.
This helps your flock’s food stay dry and free of germs, and also means it won’t blow away in windy weather.
Furthermore, chicken feeders stop your flock from standing on their food and soiling it. Before I got a feeder for my flock, this was an unpleasant issue I always had to deal with.
FAQs
How Many Feeders Do I Need?
Observe Your Flock
it’s best to monitor your flock when they eat to see if you need multiple feeders…
Do You Need to Teach a Backyard Chicken How to Use Chicken Feeders?
What Size Chicken Coop Feeders Do I Need?
How Large a Hole Should Feeders Have?
Where Do You Place Feeders?
How High to Hang Feeders?
How to Prevent Feeders From Getting Wet From Rain
How to Keep Mice Out of Feeders
When Do I Need to Upgrade to a Large Feeder?
NOTE
You can use any type of feeder for chicks as long as it holds enough feed, but I personally use hanging types. I find this type of feeder for chicks is more simple to use than some other types.
How to Clean a Feeder
Final Thoughts
After looking at many different feeders for chickens, I think the top ones overall are the Little Giant Hanging Poultry Feeder, Harris Farms Galvanized Hanging Poultry Feeder, and Rural365 Galvanized Chicken Feeder.
Best Hanging Chicken Feeder
Best Treadle Chicken Feeder
Top Pick
Little Giants Feeder is a good choice if you need a simple but efficient way to feed chicks or small chickens, in addition to being budget friendly.
Hanging Chicken Feeder
The Harris Feeder is a fantastic hanging unit for chickens that’s sturdy, reliable, and easy to use.
Treadle Chicken Feeder
Lastly, the Rural365 Feeder is a solid choice if you need to feed a lot of chickens.
I hope I helped you find the best chicken feeder for your flock. Which feeders are your favorite? Be sure to let me know on our social media platforms, and check out our other guides like this waterer review or this automatic waterer review.
