Official BYC Poll: Which type of feeder do you use: gravity, treadle, or automatic?

[BYC Project Manager]

Keeping your flock well-fed is essential, but how you deliver their feed can make a big difference! Do you prefer a gravity feeder, a treadle feeder, or an automatic feeder? Or maybe you have a DIY setup that works best for you?

Vote in our poll and see what other chicken keepers are using!



Further Reading:

• aart's Waste-Free Funnel Bucket Feeder
• Building A Treadle Chicken Feeder
• Simple Pvc Hopper Type Feeder
• Top 10 Best Homemade Feeders
• 3D Printing for Chickens (Feeders and Other Accessories)

(Check out more exciting Official BYC Polls HERE!)

 

[Noraaaaa]

I use 2 normal feeders, 1 gravity and two DIY ones (hang down screw that they peck and get food from) outside!

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

I use an open tray -the normal feeders never seemed to work for them, and they love it this way!

 

[Al Gerhart]

I started out with PVC pipe feeders, U shape, bottom run had 2" holes to get to the feed. Switched to the metal hanging feeders to try to control the rats. I had been hatching chicks using a homemade incubator made from a hot water heater thermostat and light bulbs so I had set one of the hanging feeders on the ground for the four week old poults to eat from.

Once day I picked up that feeder, curious why the poults and hens were so terrified and I seemed to be hatching dozens of chicks a week but the flock number wasn't increasing. Up boiled a basket ball size nest of rats in the hole under the feeder, in a mad dash for the holes in the coop.

After some searching here on BYC I learned of the Grandpa feeder, at the time $250 plus shipping, couldn't afford it, so a wooden treadle feeder was built and I posted pictures here on BYC. That led to selling a few and the realization that a lot of people couldn't afford the $250 feeder so a $50 wood feeder was born.

Eventually, listening to feed back led to metal sides and bottom/back with a wooden door, then to a full metal feeder, $65, until I was exhausted assembling feeders on my kitchen table after work hours. A small family factory was built in the Philippines and we shipped feeders until Covid shut us down through the skyrocketing cost of shipping and I re started production here in Oklahoma $85. Prices had to go up unfortunately, Grandpa had to cut their prices by one third due to the competition, and now there are other Chinese made copies for half of the original price of the Grandpa feeder (also made in China). Weirdly, they just copied instead of improving the feeder or fixing the flaws. We still build in the Phillipines, I have thousands of feeders stacked up waiting for shipping costs to come down.

Looking at the survey results, 75% of the small sample either don't have a problem with feed theft so that is good. What would be interesting is a survey of how people deal with feed theft if they don't have a treadle feeder.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I feed wet mash in open dishes and have a traditional hanging feeder in the coop.

For chicks it's the usual plastic gravity feeders sold near the chicks in the feed stores.

I haven't had an issue with other critters getting into the feed dishes.

 

[K0k0shka]

I experimented with different types of store-bought and DIY feeders and none of them solved my main issue - food waste from chickens raking the feed out onto the ground. I finally landed on the perfect feeder, which I made following aart's advice in this article. I've been using this feeder exclusively for the past 5 years or so, and can say that it's absolutely and completely zero waste! The only feeder worth having. Thank you, @aart for sharing this design with us.

 

[pennyJo1960]

About 10 years ago built a large plywood feeder.
Bought the plans.
Picture does not show the top it is flip top.
Also made PVC feeders on 2x4 cradles.

 

[aart]

I finally landed on the perfect feeder, which I made following aart's advice in this article.

Well, it's not perfect, and it took a few iterations, but better than any other I've tried.

 

[K0k0shka]

Well, it's not perfect, and it took a few iterations, but better than any other I've tried.

It's perfect for my needs.

 

[Ajp23]

We’ve been using treadle feeders but I’m excited to try two new feeders I just ordered that are made by the same company that made the automatic coop door we love! Will report back.