Compared to other types of farm animals, chickens are easy to take care of as long as you have everything needed to keep them happy and healthy. Every chicken owner knows how important a good chicken feeder is. Feeding is made easier by a chicken bucket feeder since it minimizes waste and ensures chicken feed isn't wasted. Here are some of the best chicken bucket feeders on the market.
Our best bucket chicken feeder is the KEBONNIXS Automatic Chicken Cup Waterer and Port Feeder Set, which is a no-waste feeder with a large capacity. Our second chicken feeder is the RentACoop Chicken Poultry Feeder with Rain Cover, which is a space-saving invention, and keeps food safe. Lastly, our third option, the ZenxyHoC Chick Feeder and Waterer Kit, is the perfect solution when you have baby chicks.
Best Chicken Feeders
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1) KEBONNIXS Automatic Chicken Cup Waterer and Port Feeder Set
- AUTOMATIC CUP WATERER - The drinking cup automatically replenishes itself with clean water, no need chickens to...
- EASY CLEAN CUP WATERER - The unique doubel wall drinking cup design make it very easy to clean the debris in the...
- NO-WASTE FEEDER - The feeding port makes chickens can't spill or soil feed which save your money
- FEEDER WITH RAIN HOOD - Keep feed always dry, no need to put the feeder under cover when using outside of the coop
- 2 GALLON / 10 LBS CAPACITY - Holds 2 gallon water and 10 pounds of feed which will result in feeding much less...
Last update on 2023-09-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This Kebonnixs dual chicken feeder and waterer are perfect for backyard chickens. When I purchased this set, I knew it would be the best for my chickens. They aren't fully grown yet, and it does take some getting used to, but the chicken gets used to it. Furthermore, the feeding port ensures there's no waste or chickens pecking at the feeder aimlessly. Not to mention how clean the coop and run are.
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A great feature of this feeder is the rain hood that ensures the chicken feed is kept dry in wet weather. We all know you can't feed chicken wet food due to bacterial growth. I also appreciate the 10 lbs capacity since I can leave the chickens for a few days without refilling them during the week.
Of course, the feeder and waterer are easy to clean since you can easily rinse them out. Furthermore, the plastic holds up to weather elements and doesn't crack in the sun. Assembly is very easy, and it was easy to mount the feeder and waterer to the side of the chicken house.
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2) RentACoop Chicken Poultry Feeder with Rain Cover
- One Long-Lasting Feeder for Your Flock: Our Large Ports are safe and accessible for chickens 12 weeks and older,...
- Ideal for Small Spaces: Suitable for smaller flocks, or as an additional feeder for larger flocks! This compact...
- Compact and Efficient: Innovative design keeps dirt and debris OUT and feed IN. No more wasted feed on the ground!...
- We Thought of Everything: Large Port includes a Rain Cover to keep feed dry; Anti-Roost Lid keeps your chickens...
- What's in the Box: 1 10lb BPA-free plastic Port Feeder with Rain Hood, 1 Anti-Roost lid, and mounting kit
Last update on 2023-09-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This space-saving bucket chicken feeder works for all types of poultry. My ducks, geese, and chicken shared this feeder without a problem. Additionally, when I installed the feeder, it didn't take up as much space as I thought. Furthermore, even my messiest girls couldn't pull the feed out of the feeder.
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This feeder can attach easily anywhere you want it to. Furthermore, the rain roof prevents the feed from getting wet and infecting your chickens. While it took a while for my chicken to get used to it, they pecked at the food happily once they got the hang of it. This is a great feeder if you have a few chickens.
The feeder itself has one feeding hole. This means only one chicken can feed at a time. So if you have many chickens, you might want to buy multiple buckets and fill them with chicken feed for your chickens. I bought 3 and installed them at different points, so it worked for all the birds.
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3) ZenxyHoC Chick Feeder and Waterer Kit
- 🐣ENSURE HAPPY CHICKS - This feeder and waterer combo is invaluable in helping your baby chicks get off to a...
- 🐣KEEP YOUR CHICKS SAFE - The durable 1.5L waterer jug is translucent, so you can see the water level, and the...
- 🐣PROTECTS YOUR WATER - Our chicken water feeder has 3 height options. Honestly a very good choice right here,...
- 🐣EASY INSTALLATION & CLEANING - Easy to wipe out and refill. Extremely simple to use, easily twist the bases off...
- 🐣NON-SPILL TECHNOLOGY - The water tank is perfectly balanced to prevent tipping and spilling, less mess for the...
Last update on 2023-09-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
I bought this chicken feeder due to the adjustable system that makes it perfect for baby chicks. The feeder can be adjusted from when your chicken is a chick to when they get bigger. Additionally, the feeder has 8 holes so multiple chickens can eat simultaneously, but not low enough, so they push it over.
Image Source: walmart.com
The water feeder is also low enough that small chicks can easily drink from it but not so low that they can accidentally drown. For the chick house, this duo works perfectly and remains perfect for the hens in the chicken coop. The feeder and waterer also make it much easier to hang when needed.
I placed a tray under the feeder to save food since the chicks can be messy. They also kick pine filling into the waterer, but that's fine since I change it out every few hours. Cleaning the waterer and feeder is a breeze, so I decided to buy a bunch of these just in case I need an extra waterer and feeder.
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4) Chick2Chicken 10lb 4-Port Feeder
- One Lifetime Feeder for Your Flock: Our Chick2Chicken Medium Ports are safe and accessible for chicks as young as 3...
- Large Capacity: Fewer fills for easy maintenance! The feeder holds 10lb of pellets, crumble, or scratch grains with...
- Clean and Cost Effective for the Whole Flock: Innovative design keeps dirt and debris OUT and feed and water IN. No...
- We Thought of Everything: Medium ports include sliders to close off access and keep unwanted guests out; Anti-Roost...
- What’s in the Box: 10lb. Feeder; 4 easy-to-install ports with slider port covers, Anti-Roost Cone, and lid
Last update on 2023-09-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
You need this feeder if you don't like to worry about your chicken spilling their food onto wood shavings in their coop. It has 4 feeding ports, which my chicken liked. Between scratching the ground for insects and pecking at the feeder's heads, they are happy, and so am I.
Image Source: rentacoop.com
The feeder is made of strong BPA plastic materials to ensure chickens can't peck at the container, and even if they do, the plastic is strong enough to withhold the abuse. Since my chickens can make a mess, this bucket feeder has a lid that screws on tight and can be hung where the chickens only have access to the feeding ports.
This bucket has a large capacity and can hold food for a flock of 12 adult chickens. Since I have more, I decided to buy 3 of these. Of course, having one is preferably a good idea if you also have small chicks since it can easily be set on the ground.
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5) RentACoop Chick2Chicken 2.5lb Single-Port Feeder
- One Lifetime Feeder for Your Flock: Our Chick2Chicken Feeder with Medium Ports is safe and accessible for chicks as...
- Ideal for Small Spaces: Feeder holds 2.5 Lbs. of pellets, crumble, scratch grains, or oyster shells with a single...
- Clean and Cost Effective: Innovative design keeps dirt and debris OUT and feed IN. No more wasted feed on the...
- We Thought of Everything: Medium ports include sliders to close off access and keep unwanted guests out; Anti-Roost...
- What’s in the Box: 2.5lb BPA-free pre-drilled feeder, one easy-to-install port with slider port cover, Anti-Roost...
Last update on 2023-09-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
If you keep small chicks, this is the perfect feeder for your flock. It's very versatile, especially when rearing chicks close to the ground. Regardless, if you know how to care for chickens, you automatically know that no one likes pests in their chicken coop eating the chick feed. However, I'm pleased that squirrels and chipmunks can't access this feeder no matter how hard they try.
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My chicks adapted to this system in a few days, and I couldn't be happier. Setting up the feeder is easy and only takes a few minutes. Additionally, it's easy to set the feeder on the ground or mount it on the side of the coop when the chicks are old enough to reach it. Perhaps one problem I had was that the feeder was very small.
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Factors to Consider Before Purchasing a Bucket Chicken Feeder
Anyone who keeps chicken knows that they aren’t choosy when it comes to meal times. However, despite that, they deserve the best feeders to make it easier for meal times. A quality chicken feeder can lessen human effort while ensuring the chickens are well cared for.
a) Size of Your Flock
If you’re keeping more than 5 chickens, you have a flock. The size of your flock ultimately matters because it would be more efficient to feed them from a feeder. Additionally, a good feeder guarantees access to food for all your chickens, regardless of how many chickens you have.
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Chickens usually adapt to a feeder quickly if it’s easily accessible. If there is food in the feeder dish, your flock should be covered. If you have more than 5 chickens, you might need more than one feeder to accommodate the rest of the flock. If your girls don’t have enough feeders, they might bully each other.
b) Size of The Feeder
Feeders come in different sizes. There are feeders to accommodate different chickens of different ages. Small 3-day-old chicks need small and shallow feeders to access their feeders without being too high to reach. Generally, feeders should be on ground level and shouldn’t be large.
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As the chick’s progress, the size of the feeders should also slowly increase because they won’t be able to stick their heads in the feeding holes meant for small chicks. Fully grown hens can’t use smaller feeders, especially since they can’t hold enough food for many grown hens. Additionally, larger bird feeders can be mounted on higher and cooler areas to prevent pests from getting to the feed.
c) Capacity of The Feeder
The capacity of the feeder you buy is important. If you plan to keep your chicken flock fed for a week, you have to consider that you might need a feeder with a large capacity. Large capacity feeders generally start from 11 lbs for 6-12 chickens for a week. The more chicken you have, the larger your feeder has to be.
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Additionally, depending on your infrastructure, you might need multiple mid-level capacity feeders compared to one large feeder. It all depends on where you want to mount the feeders. Furthermore, having multiple feeders is a great idea to prevent the chicken from fighting over feed.
d) Materials
Different chicken feeders are made from different materials. Most of them are made from high-quality plastic or metal sheets. Plastic is a great option if you don’t like to mount the feeder. Additionally, plastic is quite durable since it is also weatherproof and protects the feed from getting wet.
Image Source: manomano.com
On the other hand, the galvanized metal sheet feeders are excellent when it comes to durability. While plastic feeders last long, metal feeders last longer. However, you have to protect them from humidity or too much heat. They have to stay in the shade.
e) Ready-Made Vs. DIY Chicken Feeder
Ready-made feeders are sometimes expensive, depending on all the specifications it comes with. However, that’s not to say they aren’t a great option for your chicken. Buying a feeder and waterer, especially for a first-time chicken owner, is recommended. They are made well, and you will get great use out of them.
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Sometimes, making your DIY bucket chicken feeder can be less hectic, especially if new feeders aren’t fulfilling your chicken’s needs. Therefore all you need is a bucket and feeding ports or pipes that you can get from your nearest hardware store. You can then drill holes in the bucket and attach shortened PVC pipes to the holes to provide access to the food.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Chicken Bucket Feeder
i) Which chicken feeder is the best?
The best chicken feeder is the KEBONNIXS Automatic Chicken Cup Waterer and Port Feeder Set, with excellent recommendations from other chicken owners. It is also very durable and will keep chicken feed dry.
ii) How many chicken feeders do I need for my chicken?
It depends on the number of chickens you have. Additionally, buying a feeder should have enough feeding ports for at least 4 chickens. A general rule of thumb is 2 or more feeders for 12 chickens.
iii) How do I choose a chicken feeder?
Choosing a chicken feeder largely depends on one that can hold enough feed for your chickens between your visits. If you have a few chickens, you will need to make more trips with a smaller feeder.
iv) Should I put the chicken feeder in the coop or run?
Feeders run best when placed in the run instead of inside the coop. Since the coop is used for roosting, and chickens don’t eat after they go to roost, it makes sense to place the feeder in the run. Chickens are awake and fed during the day, so placing their feeder in the run is the best option.
v) How far off the ground should a chicken feeder be placed?
It should be mounted on the same level as the chicken’s head. Usually, it will be between 100mm-150mm above the floor.
The Bottom Line
A bucket chicken feeder is a great investment for the healthiest and happiest chickens. Finding a way to feed your chicken is the most important part of keeping chickens. A good feeder will last you for ages despite the size of your flock.
