Chicken Feeder Design - What do you use?

I can't say that I am satisfied with my chicken feeder and that is frustrating.

Calling out to all Permies, show me your poultry feeders! (Do you even use a feeder?)

The current design that I use is similar to the following picture.



While it worked good for pelleted food, I have found a local source of chicken feed but it comes in crumble. The issue is that it gets bound up in the hopper and doesn't disperse out appropriately. Worse off, the exposed hopper can catch rain/drips and then you get clogged. While the arm workout could be appreciated, I'm getting tired of shaking the feeder every day.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

I typically use a two stage feeder... ;)

Matt McSpadden wrote:I typically use a two stage feeder... ;)

It's definitely the best way to mimic the way they naturally feed.

Timothy Norton wrote: Worse off, the exposed hopper can catch rain/drips and then you get clogged.

We were able to get some cone-shaped "lids" that are large enough in diameter that the hopper is well enough covered for most of our shelters. However, we keep our feed inside shelters hanging above the perches if only feeding chickens, as that makes it harder for rats to access it.

Most of the people  I know who feed crumble, don't use that style of feeder, but either one without the dividers, or just an open tray.

We do have one oversized feeder that we use for ducks. There was enough condensation in their shelter to be a problem. Hubby took a large, round garbage can lid and made a hole in the center and that solved the drip problem.

I use a 55gallon outdoor trash bin, with a handle &attached flip-lid. I cut 5 holes around it, close to the bottom, and shoved in angled pipes, (angled down to the inside), for the chickens to reach in. It holds 200# of feed (depending on the season and how many birds we have, that's a 1 - 2month supply), keeps waste to a bare minimum, protects it beautifully from weather, and we've never had it invaded by other critters.

Carla Burke wrote:I use a 55gallon outdoor trash bin, with a handle &attacted flip-lid. I cut 5 holes around it, close to the bottom, and shoved in angled pipes, (angled down to the inside), for the chickens to reach in. It holds 200# of feed (depending on the season and how many birds we have, that's a 1 - 2month supply), keeps waste to a bare minimum, protects it beautifully from weather, and we've never had it invaded by other critters.

Two things.  First, the Missouri Ozarks - stunning area!  It's my back up location if, for some reason, the Appalachian region doesn't work out for my relocation.

Secondly, I have a question about having such a large capacity, long lasting feeder (or feed storage bin).  Do you have to worry about it getting moldy, whether it's from humidity or just the length of time the feed just sits in the barrel while exposed to air, etc.?

Hi, Emmett! I've been using this exact feeder for 5 of the 6yrs we've had chickens, here, and have never had trouble with rats, mice, moisture, bugs, or mold - and it's humid, here. We're less than a mile from the (ginormous) lake, as the crow flies. I think the key is that it pretty much self seals, at the top, and the chickens don't let the food at the bottom stay exposed longer than overnight. Plus I turned the whole coop/run into a fortress, before ever letting the first pullets in, which really helps keep most of the predators out (only 2 dogs, 1 raccoon & 1 opossum have made it in, and those were all while the door to the run was open, to let the chickens out, to free-range). There really haven't been rats (probably because we have coyotes, foxes, bobcats, cougars, bears, owls, hawks, bald eagles, & both black snakes & copperheads - how I'd LOVE for them to cut the squirrel & chipmunk population by half!). The mice that do manage to find their way to the run are very quickly eaten by the chickens.

Here's the thing - I'm disabled, and so is my husband (his is more imminently life threatening), so there are times when neither of us can get out there, to do much more than collect the eggs, and do simple, observatory health checks. So, when I am able, I fill/top-off everything, so that if the next day, I can hardly get around *inside* the house, my critters are all still good to go, for weeks, if necessary. This has happened, and when it does, the only help we have to ask for, is a neighbor to collect the eggs, so the chickens don't start eating them. I have similar setups for the ducks & 4leggers.

Here's my (current) setup, though I'm going to try again, this year, to upgrade the water to an old water heater reservoir on the outside of the run, with an attached pipe (inside the run), onto which I'll move those cups, and add a few more:

Carla's setup is much like the one I am making this spring for my 52 chickens.  It uses 4" 90 degree elbows.  The elbows don't go quite to the bottom of the garbage can, more like an inch or two from the bottom.  The can needs to be raised, as Carla's is, or the chickens can't bend down far enough to eat from it.  With as many chickens as I have, I'll probably have to make three that are spread apart a good way, or the dominant rooster won't let any other rooster eat.  It will cost more that way, but I shouldn't have to feed more than every two or three weeks, as opposed to every other day or so with my hanging 40 lb feeder.

I have 2 metal "Grandpa's Feeders," which are a treadle style. They've worked well for over 10 years... until this fall/winter, when mice discovered that they can squeeze under the lids and eat all they want. I'm going to build tables that are 18" off the ground, and put the feeders on top. The tables will be wide enough that the chickens can hop up and then step onto the treadles, rather than having to land directly on the treadles from ground level. The edges of the tables will overshoot the 4 legs by several inches, so that mice can't climb the legs and then get on top. Hopefully that will take care of it. And even if not, there are other benefits to putting the feeders up on tables:
1. Easier to refill when I don't have to bend down.
2. Don't have to worry about mud gathering around them.
3. Chickens have more space to hide from intense summer sun and winter rain.

My grandparents use feeders like this one, which they made with their own means on their farm

Carla Burke wrote:Hi, Emmett! I've been using this exact feeder for 5 of the 6yrs we've had chickens, here, and have never had trouble with rats, mice, moisture, bugs, or mold - and it's humid, here.

Wow, thanks for the pictures, Carla!  I love seeing people's set ups about anything and everything.  And thanks for the explanation.  I've never kept chickens but it's something I'm surely looking forward to.  I still have a lot of learning to do though.  They'd have the space to free roam but my area has a lot of the same predators.  I reckon the eagles and hawks would be the most worrisome in the daytime.  I'm really looking forward to see just how good of a set up I can creatively manage for the chickens to enjoy as well as leave me available for occasional overnights away.  

It sounds like you've got a pretty good set up for your situation.  Having friendly neighbor folk makes a world of difference.  

Emmett Ray wrote:

Carla Burke wrote:Hi, Emmett! I've been using this exact feeder for 5 of the 6yrs we've had chickens, here, and have never had trouble with rats, mice, moisture, bugs, or mold - and it's humid, here.

Wow, thanks for the pictures, Carla!  I love seeing people's set ups about anything and everything.  And thanks for the explanation.  I've never kept chickens but it's something I'm surely looking forward to.  I still have a lot of learning to do though.  They'd have the space to free roam but my area has a lot of the same predators.  I reckon the eagles and hawks would be the most worrisome in the daytime.  I'm really looking forward to see just how good of a set up I can creatively manage for the chickens to enjoy as well as leave me available for occasional overnights away.  

It sounds like you've got a pretty good set up for your situation.  Having friendly neighbor folk makes a world of difference.  

A good dog makes all the difference in the world if you want to free range your birds.

Juniper Zen wrote:Hopefully that will take care of it. And even if not, there are other benefits to putting the feeders up on tables:
1. Easier to refill when I don't have to bend down.
2. Don't have to worry about mud gathering around them.
3. Chickens have more space to hide from intense summer sun and winter rain.

This is why I'm researching everything about chickens before I even get relocated.  And I'm glad I did.  Never in my life have I ever folks talk about how chickens naturally live in the wild and the kinds of environments they like.  I don't reckon I've ever seen a wild chicken either.  My idea of having chickens in a nice little coop for the eggs turned into being genuinely excited to give them a place to really enjoy while keeping things as simple as possible for me when it comes to feeding, cleaning, etc.,

Your post reminded me of my research of how chickens like/need covering to feel safe from predators, too.  It's going to be mighty fun for me to plan every detail to work together for them and me.  Feeder designs, especially my favorites - the DIY feeders - are endless.  That's why I like reading about and seeing what other folks use and how they're working out.

Trace Oswald wrote:
A good dog makes all the difference in the world if you want to free range your birds.

I have friends that live in a holler and their holler dogs are mostly outside dogs who do a good job keeping animals out of their gardens and away from the chickens.  Geese are supposed to be pretty good at that, too.  I've seen videos on the YouTube where geese have protected chickens from eagles.  Donkey's, too.  I definitely plan to have a dog but he'll be an indoor dog so I'm not sure how much use that would be.  

As much as I like the idea of free ranging the chickens, right now I'm leaning more towards not.  At least until I get to the point where I know I'll be home more often than I'm gone during the day.

Emmett Ray wrote:Your post reminded me of my research of how chickens like/need covering to feel safe from predators, too.

This, and the fact that it shelters me from rain and snow while I check the birds, fill the feeder, waterer, & oyster shell tub are why I love my coop/run set-up. We bought it from a local Mennonite business, which brought it out & set it up. Then, I got down on the ground, and attached a 'skirt' of hardware cloth 2ft up the sides of the run, and 2ft out, on the ground (all the way around), to keep raccoons from reaching in and any critters from digging under.

Emmett Ray wrote: Your post reminded me of my research of how chickens like/need covering to feel safe from predators, too.

And every ecosystem is different, and the risks range widely from "constant risk, so do it right" to "never seen one, but theoretically it could happen".  We use a pastured system with portable open bottom pens which has a few upsides and several downsides.

I would love to couple it with a "paddock system" where chickens are directed to a new safe zone every 4-7 days depending on the weather. This allows for planting "self-service chicken food" plants, as well as human food such as fruit trees. However, this requires a lot of quality fencing and the time to install it.

It would also be helpful for me to have a "chicken moat" system around my garden. The two ideas are compatible, as there are times when having them do bug control near the garden are needed, whereas other times, they can be sent off to a paddock to play.

And wrote:

It's going to be mighty fun for me to plan every detail to work together for them and me.  Feeder designs, especially my favorites - the DIY feeders - are endless.  That's why I like reading about and seeing what other folks use and how they're working out.

That's a great start, but unfortunately, there is an old saying, "no plan survives contact with the enemy"! We started with DIY feeders, but out grew them because, a) the ones Hubby made weren't as rat proof as needed, and b) as the number of chickens increased, his chosen design was too time consuming to fill. Being in a maritime environment, rats are a huge issue for us.

So yes, enjoy your planning and learn everything you can, but please don't be discouraged if some things don't work out. Try to figure out why, and then look for solutions. Don't be shy about asking here on permies - we have lots of chicken lovers here, with lots of experience at finding solutions!

Jay Angler wrote:And wrote:

It's going to be mighty fun for me to plan every detail to work together for them and me.  Feeder designs, especially my favorites - the DIY feeders - are endless.  That's why I like reading about and seeing what other folks use and how they're working out.

That's a great start, but unfortunately, there is an old saying, "no plan survives contact with the enemy"! We started with DIY feeders, but out grew them because, a) the ones Hubby made weren't as rat proof as needed, and b) as the number of chickens increased, his chosen design was too time consuming to fill. Being in a maritime environment, rats are a huge issue for us.

So yes, enjoy your planning and learn everything you can, but please don't be discouraged if some things don't work out. Try to figure out why, and then look for solutions. Don't be shy about asking here on permies - we have lots of chicken lovers here, with lots of experience at finding solutions!

Oh, ABSOLUTELY!! For example, I've already blown through 4 or 5 different watering systems, and am working on yet another. Only one lasted 2yrs, the others, not even a year, each. The feed bin is the 4th one, but the first 3 only lasted a few months, each. The oyster shell bucket is the only thing that hasn't been revamped, at all.

I was going to extend the front of the run by adding arched hog panels and raised beds, then ran into an issue with the goats, and needed the hog panels for them, and we decided the cattle panels being removed from the doe paddock (which is where the hog panels had to go) would instead be moved to the front porch, to discourage the ducks & chickens from hanging out where I want to walk poop-free.

The only thing on the farm that doesn't change and evolve is that everything changes and evolves, far more frequently than you'll believe.

I use one similar to this one https://petandfarm.com.au/products/metal-treadle-trough-feeder-5kg
I got mine here in Australia.

Automatic Chicken Feeder provides a protected way of feeding your backyard chickens on demand.
● The lid can be opened when chickens (minimum 500g) step onto the platform.
This clever design allows.
● chickens to access their food when hungry.
● Made from rust-proof aluminum.
● Prevents wild birds, rats and mice stealing feed.
● Water proof, saves valuable feed from rain.
● Solid construction and long lasting
● 500 grams weight can open the lid
● Keeps feed clean and fresh
● Coated in protective film just need to be removed and polished
● Saves on feed costs, no more wasted or stolen feed
● Easy to assemble and low maintenance
● Large capacity can hold up to 11lbs of feed
● Suitable for most bantams

I also means I don't have to be home every day to check on their feed. There are different sizes available for larger size flocks.

Emmett Ray wrote:

Matt McSpadden wrote:I typically use a two stage feeder... ;)

It's definitely the best way to mimic the way they naturally feed.

I scatter the feed on the ground.  Wouldn't that be the best way to mimic how they naturally feed?  I've never used a feeder for adult chickens, just chicks growing up.

I made a feeder like some others here.   I bought a heavy duty 50 gallon plastic trash can.  Cut 5  4 inch holes around the base, put 4 inch pvc 90's in almost to the bottom, put it up on blocks so it is in the air a bit so chickens can access the feed better.  It will hold 200 lbs of feed but I have never gone more than 100 lbs at a time.  It stays inside the coop.  I had it outside and found the deer would lay down and stick their nosed into the openings trying to get the feed.  Really cut down on my waste.

I have noticed less mice since going with this feeder.  Didn't do away with the them.  I have an automatic door on the coop and one of our cats that will sit in the coop looking for mice.  Several days a week I have to go let the cat out.  

I still toss a scoop of feed out on the ground for them when the weather is good.  It is natural for them to scratch for their food.

My girls free range most of the time.  We have lost a few to predators over the years.  Hawks mostly, but a fox got one a couple years ago when she went for a walk-a-bout through the forest on her own.  

Our dog is of the mind that the chickens are just dumb pets.  Her presence is enough to keep the predators away most of the time tho.

We like to use silicone backing pan for our birds 🐦.
We have 1 duck and 4 🐔 chickens. Seams to work for us.

Annette Jones wrote:I use one similar to this one http://www.zimtown.com
I got mine here in Australia but I found a similar one on the site at zimtown.com.

Unfortunately, the link goes to the whole site, not the product you're describing, and I couldn't find it.

Daniel Wilmot wrote:We like to use silicone backing pan for our birds 🐦.
We have 1 duck and 4 🐔 chickens. Seams to work for us.

No reason not to use it if it works for you.  Most people that are looking for "inventive" ways to feed their chickens have a lot more birds.  I have 52 birds, so I need something substantially bigger if I don't want to fill feeders constantly.

I've had all kinds of feeders: The bucket and round donut around it, the same, but suspended, the rubber pan. None were really what they liked.
This year, I decided to be more efficient in the way I feed my 33 birds and made the 55 gallon barrel as in this U-tube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_dT9BnSX6w
I would like to say it works perfectly and indeed, I don't have to constantly refill. I know long before them that "I need to go get more".
Because I have this barrel inside a rodent proof chicken coop, rodents are not a problem. [I have examined the entire coop for mice scat and I found zero].
Also, even if I had it outside, I don't think I would lose grain to mold or wetness.
That's about the extent of the plus.
They still spill, and I noticed that the whole floor is littered with pellets and crumbles which they don't care for [in the same way that we would not want to eat the same ho-hum "mystery patties" day after day]. but they also spill also a fair amount of whole grains, which I also feed them.
Also, this feeder never empties completely because of the PVC spouts that look down into the barrel. So you need to let it go down completely, then empty what's left of the grain. Toss it out and let them forage.
Other folks have referred to the fact that foraging for good tidbits on the ground is their preferred method of feeding, and that's quite true. Also, you can train them to come like Pavlov's dogs by calling them to eat every time.
To the point that I have taken the grain they have spilled in the coop and no longer seem interested in, and I tossed it in the sand of their covered run, which is also pretty much rodent proof, (although I've seen tin tracks in the dust)  
Well, they started tearing the ground to get at these morsels that they were ignoring yesterday.
So perhaps what all of these feeders have in common is :
^ they cost money;
^Some keep the feed from getting moldy;
^They don't really like them.
^It isn't their *natural* way of finding food.
^Perhaps they help you *dose* the amount of food we give them each day?
I realize that the thought of tossing good food on the ground runs contrary to our ethno-centered sense of 'good hygiene', and WE feel more comfortable knowing that they have 'clean' grain.
^ But that's not what they like...

Cécile said: "Also, this feeder never empties completely because of the PVC spouts that look down into the barrel. So you need to let it go down completely, then empty what's left of the grain. Toss it out and let them forage."

I've never had this problem, with mine. I think maybe it depends on the size of the pipes used & the type of barrel? I think pipes mine are big enough that the chickens can reach in pretty well, but I also think that in using the trash bin (55gal, and has wheels, and flip-top lid & handle), the bottom is narrower, so they can reach more than halfway across the bottom, from each of the pipes.

There is still a little bit of waste, but only maybe 5% of what it was, before I switched to the trash bin. I'm really glad you posted your feedback, on this, because I'd actually been considering building one like yours for some meat birds, we've been thinking about. Now, I know to stick to my version. *IF* we get more birds.

If my birds are spilling chicken pellets on the ground and not cleaning them up, I remove the feeder overnight. Since they tend to wake up hungry long before I'm going out to the field, they clean up their mess. I generally only have to do this for a few days to give them the message.

That said, our feed company is not completely consistent. We have some pellets that are quite uniform in colour, and some that aren't and for some reason they seem to spill the more colourful pellets.  I'm suspicious they're looking for specific pellets that they desire.

I'm almost tempted to purchase a stainless steel version of the feeder I already have. My current one has decided to spontaneously dissemble the barrel from the base and I'm a bit frustrated at it. This however has a bit of a price point but should be 'bullet proof' to the seasons in my mind.



I appreciate my hens having free access to food without requiring me to go out several times a day to replenish feed.

I'm still rolling around ideas.

Timothy Norton wrote:I'm almost tempted to purchase a stainless steel version of the feeder I already have. My current one has decided to spontaneously dissemble the barrel from the base and I'm a bit frustrated at it. This however has a bit of a price point but should be 'bullet proof' to the seasons in my mind.

I appreciate my hens having free access to food without requiring me to go out several times a day to replenish feed.

I'm still rolling around ideas.

I like stainless steel a lot. My folks poke fun at us because we will always get stainless if it is an option. Our dinner plates are even stainless and they say its like being in prison. Although, neither has been to prison so I am not sure about that observation.

I have the galvanized version of the link you posted and I withhold food for 24 hours after it empties so they eat all the wasted pellets they leave strewn all over the ground around the feeder. Maybe the 90 elbow and bucket will reduce the amount that ends up on the ground.

From the posts above, this should easy to make with street elbows and a 5 gallon bucket to hang or a 30 gallon can or even plastic tote.  It also seems to reduce wasted feed stuffs. You can buy the DIY feeder ports and they may end up cheaper than the PVC fittings. Qty-1 4" 90 degree street elbow is $21 at the Lowes here.

I dump a bucket of feed in a 55 gallon drum and lay it down on its side.    This leaves the feed in the bottom or back of the drum and the chickens walk in there to eat.   The feed stays clean, dry and animals can eat out of the weather.  


Another thing I like to do is put way too much whole grain feed out for the chickens.  They eat some but the rest sprouts and they get some micro greens in a few days.  


I like to ferment the feed too.   I make up a big glass crock of fermented feed and lay that on its side so they can work their way through it.  


I grow flats of fodder.   Usually wheat grass.   They can peck at the grass and matted roots.  Good times to be had by all.

Timothy Norton wrote:I'm almost tempted to purchase a stainless steel version of the feeder I already have. My current one has decided to spontaneously dissemble the barrel from the base and I'm a bit frustrated at it. This however has a bit of a price point but should be 'bullet proof' to the seasons in my mind.



I appreciate my hens having free access to food without requiring me to go out several times a day to replenish feed.

I'm still rolling around ideas.

I have a few of those, and use them in the duck tractor, and in smaller spaces, for birds I'm keeping apart from the main flock, for whatever reason - like the pullets & cockerels that weren't ready to be combined with the older birds, yet. They're very handy.

4 in pvc that’s about 4ft tall. Very easy todo and you can water seal them as well as put caps over them. The way the chickens get food out saves on feed as well.