3D Printing for Chickens (Feeders and Other Accessories)

This article's main page includes an attached ZIP file of 3D model files (stl) for several chicken-related 3D printing projects. Each design fills a particular need I’ve found in my chicken-keeping experience that wasn’t met by the regular market of plastic things. Here is a direct link to the ZIP file of project stls:

Download 3D-Printable Project Files

Reminder: only use a food-safe type of filament like PLA or PETG for anything that will be in contact with chickens or other animals! Stick to clear or basic solid-color filaments. Avoid silk PLA and PLA+. Avoid filaments with inclusions of other material like wood fiber, glow-in-the-dark substances, or glitter.

An important prerequisite to diving into these projects: make sure you have a slicer app installed, have opened it, and looked up how to load the right settings for your particular printer and filament. Also make sure you know how to load new gcode files onto your printer. These steps are different with every slicer and printer, so it's something you may have to google search; there are simply too many different possible factors to cover this basic step in detail here. Manufacturers typically have instructions and slicer config files available online. You do not need to know how to add supports to print any of these projects.

Each project below is support-free, and the stl files are already in the orientation the author deems best for printing. The stl files should also import at the correct scale. So, all you need to do is import a .stl file into your slicer, dial in any special settings noted, export gcode, and get that gcode running on your printer (often done via USB stick but some printers let you do it over your home network).

There are 6 included projects:

1. Ornamental chicken model – ok this one isn’t functional, but it's a great way to test slicer settings with your printer.
2. Simple/small feeder – a small feeder design for small spaces. It has a high back and side walls to minimize mess. You can customize the size based on your limitations.
3. Feed scoop with lid – a scoop to keep your feed dry between the bin and the feeder.
4. Weather-resistant grit holder – a big-comb-friendly way to keep grit and oyster shell clean and dry in the run.
5. Rooster-friendly feeder port – a great big feeder port design for great big chicken faces that can’t fit through the readily available feeder ports on the market.
6. Extension cord thru hardware cloth adapter – an easy way to run an extension cord through hardware cloth only when you need it and plug the hole when you don’t, such as for running heated waterers in the winter.

To get the files for these projects, download the ZIP file called 3d_printing_files_for_chickens.zip and extract it (please note the license for these files below!). It contains nested folders labeled by project name. Some projects contain multiple stl files.

3D Printing File License: the stl 3D model files included as attachments to this article are all designed by Donya Quick (the author) and are for personal & BYC use only. Do not upload the stl files to other public platforms without the author’s permission. All stl files are provided ‘as is’ and without any warranties, express or implied.

Project 1: Ornamental Chicken Model​

You know you want at least one of these on your shelf. It's also a good test for new filaments and/or testing slicer settings. Quality issues to look for:

• If the comb looks a lot worse than the rest of the model and doesn't seem to quite line up properly, or if it fails completely and is stringy, you likely have Z-shifting issues. This means your print is getting subtly out of alignmet over time. Sometimes this is just a matter of slowing down the print speed and/or tightening belts. A small amount of Z-shifting is normal and just manifests as a slight sheen difference. Too much and you may end up with holes that expose the interior of the model, which is bad for the other models on this page since it presents a place where water or dirt can get into the model and collect.
• If you see sagging filament lines on the underside of the chest, your printer or filament isn't doing terribly well with overhangs. Sometimes variable layer height will help with this, as will decreasing print speed or adding extra wall perimeters.
• Check the bottom of the feet - the bottom surface should be completely solid and sturdy. Holes, flexibility, or filament strands not holding together well when pressed on means you have some first layer issues to resolve. This can be a calibration issue with the printer, a lack of bed adhesion (try cleaning the bed), extrusion or bed temperature too low (particularly if you have a drafty room and open-air bed-slinger printer), or slicer settings (try going back to defaults if you customized a lot of things).
• The top surfaces of the wings and back should also be completely solid. You will see layer lines if you look at the right angle but shouldn't see grid texture, porosity, or any gaps at all between lines of filament. Gaps and excessive top texture can sometimes be fixed by enabling ironing on top layers, but that doesn't necessarily solve the underlying cause of the texture. Bad top layers can be slicer settings (not enough infill, extruded rows too far apart, etc.) or even a more chronic under-extrusion issue like a partially clogged nozzle.

Print difficulty: easy; even if it shows some of the quality issue above, it's quite unlikely to fail more seriously unless you have more fundamental issues with how your printer is functioning.

Files in the ZIP: ornamental_chicken.stl

Scalable: yes (uniformly) – it will just lose detail as you go smaller and may show some issues with overhangs on the underside of the chest if scaled up a lot.

Recommended material: anything you want! This is, of course, just an ornament.

Recommended slicer settings: it should work with most defaults. This is a good file to test different filaments and printer settings. The example model was printed with variable layer height to improve quality but that's very much an optional setting.

Project 2: Simple Feeder/Waterer​

A minimalist feeder/waterer for use in space-constrained situations. Use this to hold feed, grit, or water* in a hospital/isolation crate or other temporary home a chicken where just a small amount of feed/water needs to be supplied. If using the supplied clip design, note that the shorter, wider end is what attaches to the holes in the feeder. The long, thinner side is intended to snap over bars like in the picture above.

*Regarding water-suitability: to hold water safely and be easy to clean, this container needs to be solid when small or have quite thick walls when scaled up, and it needs to have smooth layers and excellent layer-to-layer adhesion. Unless you live in a dry climate, a filament dryer may be required to achieve the level of smoothness needed (filament exposed to moisture produces a rougher print texture). Any visible gaps due to Z-shift (when layers get out of alignment over time) needs to be addressed post-print before use with water. If you have a 3D pen, you can load some of the same filament to fill gaps or “paint over” iffy-looking spots and then sand own as needed. A soldering iron may be a tempting alternative to correct imperfections, but if the hot end has ever been used with solder that contains lead, then it is unsafe to use on feeders/waterers.

Print difficulty: easy for feed-suitability. Difficult for water-suitability (requires a higher level of smoothness).

Files in the ZIP: simple_feeder.stl. Optionally you may want two instances of clip.stl.

Recommended material: clear or solid-colored PLA.

Scalable: the feeder is scalable to a degree - non-uniformly scalable as well! Stretch and squash it a bit as needed to meet your dimension needs, but pay attention to wall thickness when sacling down. Clips should not be scaled much, if at all (the snap mechanism can easily become too stiff or too brittle), and they may not be able to snap onto scaled versions of the feeder.

Recommended slicer settings:

• If your slicer has a setting like a “precise wall” tick box, make sure that setting is enabled! Otherwise, you may see some odd distortions around the clip holes.
• Set infill to 100%. If you scale up, you can use sparser infill but should increase the number of outer wall loops.
• Enable ironing on all top layers if this setting is available. If the ironing setting is NOT available and you often see small gaps between parallel rows in your prints, then the resulting print will not be suitable for holding water (too much chance of water getting inside the walls, even potentially a full slow leak to the outside, cleaning difficulty, etc.). However, it will likely still be suitable for holding feed.

Usage/assembly: you can use the included printable clip, store-bought small clips, wire / twist ties, or even zip ties in a pinch to anchor this little feeder to either hardware cloth or the bars of a small kennel.

Project 3: Feed Scoop with Lid​

Tired of rain/snow getting into your chickens’ feed on the way to the coop? This scoop will let you slog out into even the nastiest weather with confidence.

Print difficulty: easy but takes a long time (allow 6+ hours)

Files in the ZIP: feed_scoop_base.stl and feed_scoop_lid.sl

Recommended material: clear or solid color PLA or PETG.

Scalable: with caution, but not recommended. Any scaling must be uniform on all axes to preserve the shape of the hinge.

Recommended slicer settings:

• Seam position: aligned or back. For the lid, the “back” should ideally be the front of the lid (try to avoid seams along the hinge).
• I recommend printing one piece at a time.
• If you have had trouble with flat surfaces warping, try enabling an outer brim for both pieces of the feed scoop.
• Optional: enable ironing on all top surfaces. This will help create a less textured, easier-to-clean surface on the bottom of interior of the scoop, although the top of the scoop body may require some scraping to clean up.

Project 4: Weather-Resistant Grit Holder (Rooster-Friendly)​

These grit holders are designed to keep rain/snow out from the back and to a more limited degree from the sides. If water does get in due to condensation, snow blowing around, or just a really windy rainstorm, small drainage holes help the grit to dry out again rapidly. This design accommodates large combs and is best mounted midway along a wall of hardware cloth or welded wire and can be anchored with zip ties or clips.

Print difficulty: easy but takes a long time (allow 6+ hours)

Files in the ZIP: grit_holder_single or grit_holder_double. The double version has two bins to keep regular grit and oyster shell separate. The single version is better for smaller build plates.

Recommended material: clear PLA or translucent white PLA. Avoid dark and/or very opaque colors as it makes the grit harder to see (both for you and for the chickens).

Scalable: NO - drainage holes may cease to work at smaller sizes.

Recommended slicer settings:

• Enable outer brims to minimize the chance of corner warpage. Avoid having inner brims if your slicer allows, since those will be hard to trim away from the hanger loops.
• Don’t use ironing on this design; it prints best on its back, so the only significant ironable surface is the inside of the back wall.

5. Rooster-Friendly Feeder Ports​

Port feeders can be an easy way to keep feed dry when wind regularly blows rain through the sides of enclosures, and they can also stop chickens from digging feed out onto the ground. However, standard feeder port kits for chickens are really only suitable for small-combed chickens. A lot of roosters can't fit their heads through those ports. I got tired of using excessively open feeders to accommodate my roosters, since my hens were shoveling food out at an alarming rate. I designed these ports to reach a balance between allowing roosters to reach into a feeder port while making it not entirely easy for hens to dig in the food.

Caution regarding chicken size: this design is for adult, standard-size chickens. Do not put small chicks in with this feeder, as they would be able to get fully into the port and may also be able to get under the back lip of the port and into the larger container when the feed level is low.

NOTE: this design is not a complete feeder, just the port. You must still purchase or a suitable container and some other materials in order to set up a feeder like the one pictured above.

Print difficulty: easy but takes a long time (allow 6+ hours)

Files in the ZIP:

• feeder_port_front.stl
• feeder_port_back_A.stl OR feeder_port_back_B.stl. My birds preferred design B, but A is more space-conservative for smaller containers.
• gastket_template.stl - useful for mounting the port accurately even if you don't want gaskets.
• (Optional) vent_cover.stl. These are for environments with large temperature/humidity swings that can cause condensation in well-sealed feeders. On larger feeders, use 2-3 of these ABOVE the max feed line (as close to where the lid sits as possible).

Recommended material: clear PLA

Scalable: scale up only. Scaling will change the size of the bolt holes and therefore the size of bolts needed. The bolt holes will become unusable if scaled down much. Scaling down also defeats the point of the generous space for big combs.

Recommended slicer settings:

• You may want to enable outer brims to minimize the chance of corner warpage.
• Avoid having inner brims if your slicer allows, since those will be hard to trim away from the hanger loops.
• Do not use ironing on the back part of the port; it will not significantly affect quality and just slows things down.

Other required parts:

• Flat-sided plastic container of the desired feeder size. The container must be big enough to allow 2-3” space on either side of each feeder port and at least 1” above and below each feeder port. More than 4” of space around the feeder ports may result in having to shake or tilt the feeder periodically to get old feed into reachable areas. Sides of the container intended to have ports can be sloped slightly but must be a completely flat surface.
• 6x M3, #4, or #6 bolts and nuts per port. Ideally use nylon bolts and nuts.
• Drill with bits appropriate to drill holes for your bolts in the plastic container.
• Sharpie or other marker that can mark the plastic container.
• Rotary cutting tool with a small cutoff wheel to cut the plastic container without breaking it. Alternatively, you can drill holes at the corners and use a small saw, but the risk of breaking the plastic will be greater.
• Optional: 5/8” drill bit to allow ventilation holes (only necessary for tight-fitting lids in areas with significant temperature/humidity swings to avoid condensation inside the container)
• Optional: silicone mat or other food-safe gasket material to cut gaskets from to sit between the container and the feeder port front.
• Optional: small wrench to hold the bolts while you drill them in (just makes the process faster/easier and gets a tighter seal if using a gasket).

Assembly and usage:

• Use gasket template to mark two things for each feeder port you want to install: (1) the location of the large hole in the middle and (2) where the bolt holes are. The gasket template has an indented triangle on the top edge (the triangle points "up") so that it can be oriented correctly.
• Drill out the bolt holes next to avoid cracking the plastic later. They sit very close to the large hole.
• Optional: drill out 5/8in holes for vents.
• Cut out the main rectangular hole for the feeder port. Err on the side of cutting very slightly larger than the marked line. Check that the port’s back end can pass completely through the hole before continuing.
• Wash and dry the container to remove dust and bits from the cutting. Your container should now look something like this:
  
• Optional: use the gasket template to cut gasket and mark locations for the bolt holes on a silicone mat or other suitable gasket material. Make sure the feeder port back end can pass all the way through the hole in the middle of the gasket. Make tiny cutouts where the bolts will pass through. One way to do this is to cut a very small X and then trim the triangular corners.
• Install the feeder port front with bolts and nuts. If using a gasket, put the bolts through the port front first, then through the gasket to hold it in place, then align and push the bolts through the container.
• Optional: if you drilled holes for vents, push the covers in. They will fit snugly and should not require glue.
• Your container should now look something like this:
  
  
• Attach the feeder port back end by snapping it into place. Your final result should look something like this (this example is using back-end design B):
  
  
• Fill with feed, slap the lid back on, and you're done!

​

Project 6: Extension Cord Thru Hardware Cloth Adaptor​

This design came about after I had a persistent need to seasonally get a cord through hardware cloth to run heated bases for my chickens’ waterers. Plugs are big, cords are small, and stray HWC ends are sharp. After wood designs proved hard to swap for the seasons, and existing plastic ports didn't attach terribly well to the HWC, I decided to design my own solution. This adapter both fully protects the cord from hardware cloth snags once it’s installed, and it can have a cord installed/removed purely from a single side of the enclosure – no need for unbolting. There is also a little diamond-shaped hole in one part of the screw insert to "lock" it with a long, thin zip tie or piece of wire to stop the insert from being unscrewed. Since this will be a plastic insert into an otherwise wood/metal structure, I recommend mounting it a few feet up so that it doesn't become an appealing chewing point for rodents that may be looking for an entry point.

Print difficulty: fast but moderate difficulty with PLA. Difficult with other materials like PETG due to significant overhangs and limited tolerances on parts fitting together.

Files: front_plate.stl, back_plate.stl, screw_insert_A, screw_insert_B.stl

Recommended materials: clear or solid color PLA or PETG.

Other required parts: 4x pairs of #6 or equivalent bolts 3/4in or longer (you may need to trim longer bolts – the example images use 1in long bolts).

Scalable: generally no, but very small changes (<5%) may be ok to work with other HWC sizes if necessary. The tolerances on this design are likely to have problems if scaled too much.

Recommended slicer settings:

• Print slowly to minimize distortion of the threading. Moderate to slow speeds should be used even if your 3D printer claims it’s designed for ultra-fast printing.
• Do NOT enable any settings like “make overhangs printable,” which potentially alters the shape of the parts. Any change to the exact shape of the parts is likely to stop the pieces from fitting together properly post-print.
• Do NOT enable supports even if your slicer complains about overhangs or floating cantilevers. Supports are likely to be difficult to remove and cause rough surfaces/edges that prevent parts from fitting together properly.

Assembly and usage:

• This design is specifically for 1/2in hardware cloth. If you have a different mesh size, you may need to slightly resize the model to make it fit well. The bolt holes are designed to fit very close to the corners of some of the squares so that the unit can’t slip around.
• Use the flat, front plate part to find a suitable placement on the hardware cloth.
• Test that the bolts will go through smoothly and straight through all four holes of the front plate. DO NOT CUT THE MESH UNLESS ALL FOUR BOLT HOLES ARE COMPLETELY UNOBSTRUCTED! If you don’t have a place on the mesh where it fits, try printing the part at a very slightly larger size (this will require that all the other parts be scaled accordingly).
• Use a sharpie or similar marker, mark the inside of the large round hole on the hardware cloth.
• Remove the back plate.
• Using small snips to cut one wire at a time, cut just to the outside of the mark you made. Err on the side of possibly leaving too much and needing to trim later. The diagram below shows what your cutout should look like. Make sure to leave full squares of HWC intact as shown below (in-tact corners are marked in green):
  
  
• Try fitting the back plate through the hole. If it won’t fit, bend or trim the wires as needed, but make sure the bolts are going through complete, uncut squares (green in the diagram above).
• Once the front plate fits through, place the back plate over it on the other side and bolt into place. Don’t over-tighten or you may crack the plastic. It’s better to do this by hand and may require a helper.
• Place the power cord plug through the circular hole. Bring the halves of the screw insert together around the cord and screw into the front plate.