Hen House Chicken Feeder

   The Hen House Chicken Feeder is the second most important decision that you can make for your poultry flock! The only more important choice concerns your poultry waterer, as all living things need water. Hen House Chicken Feeders come in many shapes and sizes, and actually have to accomplish several important  tasks. First of all, the feeder must hold feed. It needs to hold enough feed for your backyard flock, and provide feed until the next time that is convenient for you to refill it. The hen house chicken feeder must protect the chicken feed from rain and possibly snow. It must protect your feeder from rodents and insects. It should even make it difficult for a hen to stand on the feeder and do her business in the feed! Versatile and functional, this feeder is worth learning about to choose the best one for you.

The great question to consider is how large should the capacity be for the hen house chicken feeder that I purchase? There are many factors that can determine the actual amount of chicken feed that your flock will eat. Factors include the hen's age, the breed, the egg production, the time of year, the feed ingredients, if you supplement your flock's diet, are they free range, etc. For purchasing your hen house chicken feeder, we'll suggest general rules of thumb so you have enough feed capacity. The actual amount will be determined by what the feed manufacturers suggest and your own experience. As a rule of thumb, most hens eat between 1/4 pound to 1/3 pound of feed per day. It is best to assume that you need a feeder that is sufficient to provide feed at the 1/2 pound per hen, per day rate, just to be safe. This means that a typical 12lb hen house chicken feeder would provide enough feed, if filled, for approximately 24 hens for one day. That could also be thought of as 12 hens for 2 days. If you filled it half way, that would be 12 hens for one day and 6 hens for 2 days. It is generally best to check and fill the feeder every day, especially during wet weather or high humidity.

   The 2 major materials for hen house chicken feeders are galvanized metal and plastic. One is probably not any better than the other, but the metal style is probably slightly more durable and the plastic type is probably a little easier to clean. Poly hen house chicken feeders come in several styles. There is the smaller, flip top ground feeder, which is better for use with growing birds or as a back up or second feeder and the larger, round hanging feeders. These are typically available in 3lb, 11lb and 22lb sizes. Plastic covers that hang above these feeders are usually sold separately, and are worth every penny for reducing waste by keeping rain and other contaminents from getting in the feed. The galvanized metal have a few more options.

Galvanized metal hen house chicken feeders are available in several different styles. For growing birds, there are the "reel style" feeders, that have a spinning metal bar above them to discourage young chicks from trying to sit on the feeder, which can make a mess. These feeders sit along the ground. There are also similar "slide top" feeders, which are the same shape but have openings for young birds to eat but no bar. These are almost the same as the plastic slide top feeders, but are metal. For adult hens, there are 2 basic options. There is a trough style feeder with small metal legs attached called a "range style" feeder. Typically, they are either 36 inches or 48 inches long. This style hen house chicken feeder is probably good for use outside, if protected from the weather, such as in an outdoor run for the daytime. They could be used inside, too. The advantage is that many hens could eat at once without getting in each other's way. The disadvantages are that they do not hold as much feed, they take up a good bit of space and they are difficult to protect from weather. The most common style galvanized hen house chicken feeder is the "hanging style". These usually are available in 12lb, 30lb and 40lb capacities. They have bars attached on their tops so they can be hung. Metal covers are available, which are a great idea to use. They simply hang above the feeder, which allows for some air space which not only protects the feed from the elements, but also from hens sitting on the feeder and soiling the contents! Hanging the feeder helps keep rodents and insects out, and helps stop the hens from sitting on it. The best rule of thumb is to suspend it so the top lip of the feeder is at the level of the top of your smallest chicken's back. This insures that all your hens will be able to eat at your hanging hen house chicken feeder.