What is the Best type of Chicken feeder?
Types of chicken feeder, best chicken feeder, compare chicken feeders
The best chicken feeder – we compare types of chicken feeders
What is the best way to feed chickens? There are so many types of chicken feeder available, it is hard to know. We have rated a range of feeders:
Dine a Chook PVC Chicken Feeder
| Pros Keeps feed fresh Stores a few days feed at once Water-proof Chickens can feed in the rain without wetting feed Reduces waste and spillage with patented interior paddles UV-resistant plastic Life-time guarantee No BPAs Space-saving No contamination with droppings | Cons Only 1-2 chickens can feed at once Only suitable for dry feed
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Treadle Feeders
| Pros Keeps feed fresh Stores a few days feed at once May deter rats and wild birds May be waterproof when the hopper is closed, depending on the make | Cons Rats often learn to use them Even Galvanised Treadle feeders rust Short life span Screws and moving parts seize up and fail Feed gets wet if chickens feed in the rain Only suitable for dry feed |
Hanging Feeders
| Pros Cheap No contamination with droppings Stores a few days feed at once Many chickens can feed at once | Cons Rarely water tight Lots of mess, spillage and feed waste Not resistant to rodents or wild birds Does not keep feed fresh Short working life Plastic degrades in the sun Only suitable for dry feed |
Troughs and hoppers
| Pros Cheap Easy to clean and use Suitable for all feeds | Cons Cannot store feed Open to contamination with droppings Open to wild birds and rats Becomes dirty quickly Needs filling daily Lots of mess, spillage and feed waste |
Hand Feeding
| Pros Free Suitable for all feeds
| Cons If chickens eat from the ground they are more likely to get parasites and disease Food becomes contaminated with droppings Open to wild birds and rats Left over feed must be cleaned up or it will rot and attract vermin |