6 Best Chick Feeding Trays For Easy Access That Reduce Feed Waste
Choosing the right feeder is crucial. Our guide covers 6 top-rated chick trays that provide easy access and dramatically reduce costly feed waste.
You fill the chick feeder, turn around for five minutes, and come back to find half the crumble scattered across the brooder bedding. It’s a classic, frustrating scene for anyone raising chicks. This isn’t just about wasted money; it’s about ensuring your tiny flock gets the nutrition it needs without living in a mess. The right feeder is one of the simplest, most effective tools for a clean brooder and healthy birds.
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Why Chick Feeder Design Reduces Feed Waste
Chicks are natural foragers. Their instinct is to scratch and peck, which means they’ll gleefully kick feed out of an open dish or wide tray. They don’t know they’re wasting expensive starter crumble; they’re just being chickens.
A well-designed feeder works against this instinct. It puts barriers between the chicks and the bulk of the feed. Narrow openings, divided grills, or high sides force them to eat what’s in front of them instead of flinging it around with their beaks.
This isn’t just about saving a few dollars on feed, though that adds up quickly. Wasted feed gets mixed into the bedding, where it can mold or attract pests. Chicks might then eat this soiled, contaminated feed, leading to illness. A feeder that minimizes waste is a cornerstone of good brooder hygiene.
Little Giant Flip-Top Feeder for Durability
This feeder is a workhorse and probably what most people picture when they think of a chick feeder. It’s made of a tough, durable plastic that can handle being pecked, knocked around, and repeatedly washed. You can practically throw it across the yard, and it will be fine.
The key feature is the flip-top grill. The top part, with the holes for the chicks to eat through, snaps on and off. This makes refilling incredibly simple—just pop it open, pour in the feed, and snap it shut. No fuss.
The narrow, oblong holes are perfectly sized for young chicks. They can easily get their heads in to eat but can’t get their whole bodies in to scratch, sleep, or poop in the food. It’s a simple, effective design that has stood the test of time for a reason.
Harris Farms Trough Feeder for Easy Cleaning
When you’re dealing with dozens of chicks, cleaning needs to be fast and effective. The Harris Farms trough-style feeder excels here. It’s typically made from a slick, non-porous plastic that feed dust and grime just don’t stick to. A quick rinse and a wipe-down is all it takes.
Unlike more complex designs, there are few nooks or crannies for bacteria to hide. This is a bigger deal than it sounds. Coccidiosis and other illnesses can spread rapidly through a contaminated feeder, and easy cleaning is your best defense.
The trade-off for this simplicity is that it may not be quite as waste-proof as feeders with more intricate grills. However, for sheer speed and ease of sanitation, especially if you have multiple brooders to manage, its practical design is hard to beat.
Miller Galvanized Feeder for Long-Term Use
If you plan on raising chicks year after year, investing in a galvanized steel feeder is a smart move. Plastic can become brittle over time, especially with sun exposure, but a metal feeder is a buy-it-once piece of equipment. It won’t crack if you drop it on a cold morning, and chicks can’t chew on it.
The design is functionally identical to the plastic flip-top models, featuring a wire grill that keeps chicks out of the trough. The metal construction gives it more weight, so it’s less likely to be tipped over by larger, more rambunctious chicks as they grow.
Be aware that galvanized steel can eventually rust if the coating gets deeply scratched, but with reasonable care, it will outlast any plastic alternative. It’s the kind of tool you’ll still be using a decade from now.
RentACoop Trough with Anti-Roosting Wire
As chicks get bigger, they start trying to perch on everything, including their feeder. This leads directly to poop in the food, which is a major health hazard. The RentACoop feeder directly addresses this with a simple but brilliant feature: an anti-roosting wire.
A thin wire runs along the top of the feeder, making it an uncomfortable and unstable place to perch. The chicks quickly learn to stay off. This single feature elevates the feeder from just a container for food to an active part of your biosecurity plan.
The rest of the feeder is a standard, effective trough design. But that wire makes a world of difference, especially during that awkward "teenage" phase before the birds move out to the coop. It saves you the trouble of constantly cleaning their food or rigging up your own anti-perching device.
Your Happy Hen Round Feeder for Small Brooders
Not everyone is raising 50 chicks at a time. If you have a small flock of six or eight birds in a compact brooder, a long trough feeder can be awkward. A round feeder, like the classic red-and-white models, is a perfect solution for tight spaces.
It provides 360-degree access, so several chicks can eat at once without crowding each other. The design uses a simple screw-on base and a gravity-fed reservoir. As chicks eat the feed in the tray, more trickles down from the top.
The main consideration is its size. It holds less feed than a trough and is best for the first couple of weeks. But for a small batch of chicks, its space-efficiency and easy access are ideal. It ensures every bird gets a chance to eat without creating a large, cumbersome footprint in the brooder.
Farm Innovators Feeder with Divided Grill
This feeder takes waste reduction to the next level. Instead of just long openings, the grill is divided into individual "slots" for each chick. This small change has a big impact on behavior.
By separating the chicks, it minimizes squabbling and competition at the feeder. More importantly, it prevents the side-to-side head-flicking motion that sends feed flying. A chick has to pull its head straight out, which means more feed stays in the trough.
This design is arguably one of the most efficient for preventing waste. If you find your chicks are particularly messy eaters or you’re trying to stretch every pound of that expensive starter feed, a feeder with a divided grill is an excellent choice. It tackles the root cause of the behavior, not just the symptom.
Choosing the Right Feeder for Your Flock Size
There is no single "best" feeder; there’s only the best feeder for your specific situation. The right choice depends on balancing convenience, flock size, and your own priorities.
Think through these key factors before you buy:
- Flock Size: A round feeder is great for 1-10 chicks. For 10-50 chicks, a 12- to 24-inch trough feeder is more appropriate. You need enough space for at least half your chicks to eat at once.
- Your Time: If you’re short on time, a feeder that is exceptionally easy to clean, like a simple plastic trough, might be better than a slightly more waste-proof but complex one.
- Brooder Space: Measure your brooder. A long trough won’t work in a small tote. Match the feeder’s footprint to the space you actually have.
- Long-Term Plans: Are you raising chicks just this once, or is this a yearly activity? A galvanized steel feeder is an investment that pays off over time.
Ultimately, the goal is to find a feeder that keeps food clean, accessible, and in the trough. Don’t overthink it. A simple, well-made feeder that you find easy to use will serve you and your flock far better than a fancy one that’s a pain to clean.
Choosing the right chick feeder is a small decision that has a big impact on your workload, your budget, and the health of your birds. It’s a foundational piece of equipment that sets the stage for a successful, low-stress experience raising your flock. Invest in a good one, and you’ll spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying your new chicks.
