6 Pheasant Feeder Types For Small Flocks That Prevent Feed Waste
Choosing the right feeder prevents costly feed waste in small pheasant flocks. Explore 6 effective designs that keep food clean, dry, and contained.
Watching pheasants send expensive game bird feed flying with a flick of their beaks is a frustrating sight for any keeper. This isn’t just about the cost of wasted grain; it’s an open invitation for rodents, disease, and nutritional imbalances in your flock. Choosing the right feeder is one of the most effective ways to manage your pen, protect your birds, and save money.
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Why Feeder Choice Matters for Pheasant Health
The right feeder does more than just hold food. It’s a critical tool for biosecurity, preventing contamination from wild birds and rodents that carry mites, lice, and diseases like avian influenza. An open trough or a poorly designed feeder becomes a communal buffet for every pest in the area.
Pheasants are notorious for "billing out" feed, a natural foraging behavior where they push their beaks through the grain, searching for preferred bits. A good feeder minimizes this by design, using narrow openings, deep troughs, or guards that force birds to eat what’s in front of them. This ensures they get a balanced ration instead of picking out the corn and leaving the essential proteins and vitamins behind.
Ultimately, a feeder that prevents waste directly impacts your bottom line and the health of your birds. Less spilled feed means less moldy, contaminated ground for pheasants to peck at. It also means your feed budget goes toward nourishing your flock, not fattening up local squirrels and mice.
Grandpa’s Feeders Treadle: Pest-Proof Design
Treadle feeders are the gold standard for pest control. The concept is simple: a bird steps on a platform (the treadle), and its weight opens the lid to the feed trough. When the bird steps off, the lid closes, locking out rodents, sparrows, and other freeloaders.
Grandpa’s Feeders are well-known for their durable, galvanized steel construction and reliable mechanism. They require a brief training period, which involves propping the lid open for a few days until the pheasants learn that the feeder is their food source. Once they understand the concept, they quickly master the treadle action.
The main tradeoff is the initial investment, as these are not the cheapest option. However, the feed savings over a single year often pay for the feeder itself, especially if you have a significant rodent problem. This design is ideal for anyone whose primary concern is eliminating feed theft by pests.
Harris Farms Hanging Feeder for Pen Mobility
Hanging feeders offer unmatched flexibility in a pheasant pen. You can easily adjust the height to match the birds’ growth, keeping the feed lip at back-height to discourage scratching and billing out. This mobility also makes pen cleaning much easier, as you can simply lift it out of the way.
These feeders are typically made of durable plastic or galvanized metal and work via gravity, refilling a pan at the base from a central reservoir. Because they hang, they offer some protection from ground-dwelling rodents, though clever squirrels and raccoons can sometimes learn to climb the chain.
The key consideration is stability. If a hanging feeder can swing freely, pheasants may knock against it, causing significant spillage. It’s best to secure it so it has minimal sway or hang it in a corner where movement is restricted. They are a great, cost-effective choice for covered runs where weather isn’t a factor.
RentACoop Treadle Feeder Box for Weatherproofing
Protect your flock's feed with the RentACoop automatic treadle feeder. Its 25lb capacity and pest-resistant design keeps feed clean, dry, and secure from unwanted animals.
Similar in concept to Grandpa’s Feeders, the RentACoop model often utilizes durable, molded plastic and focuses heavily on weather resistance. The design usually includes a deeper overhang on the lid and a seamless construction that prevents water from seeping into the feed trough during a downpour. This is a crucial feature for pens without full overhead cover.
The plastic construction makes it lighter and rust-proof, which can be an advantage in wet climates. The treadle mechanism works on the same principle, requiring birds to stand on a platform to access their meal. This provides the same excellent protection against pests as other treadle designs.
When choosing between metal and plastic treadle feeders, consider your environment. If your feeder will be exposed to rain and snow, a well-designed plastic model like this often provides superior weatherproofing. The training process is identical, and the long-term feed savings are just as significant.
Brower Galvanized Trough for Multiple Birds
Sometimes, the simplest solution is the most effective. A long, open trough feeder allows many birds to eat simultaneously, which can reduce competition and stress within the flock. The Brower galvanized troughs are known for their heavy-duty construction that stands up to abuse from active birds.
These feeders often include a "no-scratch" wire or a spinning reel along the top. This simple feature prevents pheasants from perching on the feeder and contaminating the food with their droppingsâa simple but critical biosecurity measure.
The glaring downside is the complete lack of protection from pests or weather. A trough feeder is essentially a dinner bell for every wild creature around. Therefore, it’s only a practical choice inside a fully secure coop or a covered run with a solid floor and pest-proof wiring.
Little Giant Game Bird Feeder for Small Pens
For raising chicks in a brooder or for a very small flock in a compact pen, a large feeder is overkill. The Little Giant Game Bird Feeder is specifically designed for this scale. It’s a small, ground-based gravity feeder with narrow feeding holes that are perfect for smaller beaks.
The design features individual feeding ports that help prevent birds from flicking feed everywhere. This partitioned approach also discourages bullying, as a more dominant bird can’t guard the entire trough. Its small footprint makes it ideal for tight spaces where a larger feeder would be cumbersome.
This is not a solution for a large flock, as its capacity is limited and would require constant refilling. But for quarantine pens, brooders, or breeding trios, it provides an efficient, waste-reducing option perfectly scaled to the job.
Cumberland PVC Gravity Feeder for DIY Setups
For the hobby farmer who prefers a custom solution, building a PVC gravity feeder is a popular and effective project. Using standard PVC pipes and fittings, you can create a vertical feeder that holds a large amount of feed, protected from the elements. The feed flows down to a "Y" or "T" fitting at the bottom where the birds can access it.
The primary advantage is customization. You can build it to the exact height you need, determine the size of the feeding ports, and expand its capacity easily. It’s an incredibly cost-effective way to create a high-capacity, weatherproof feeder tailored to your specific pen layout.
The main consideration is getting the design right. The angle of the feeding port is crucial to prevent birds from billing out the feed while still allowing easy access. It also needs to be securely mounted to a post or wall, as a full feeder can be quite heavy. Cleaning can also be more difficult than with a commercially made feeder designed for easy disassembly.
Feeder Placement and Your Pheasant Pen Setup
Where you put your feeder is just as important as which one you buy. An excellent feeder placed in a bad spot will still lead to waste and health problems. Always place feeders in a dry, sheltered location to prevent the feed from getting wet and moldy.
Avoid placing feeders directly under roosting areas. Birds will inevitably foul the food and container below them, creating a serious health hazard. The ideal spot is on level ground in an area that stays clean and has good drainage.
For maximum waste prevention, consider placing your feeder on a platform made of hardware cloth (wire mesh). Spilled feed falls through the mesh, keeping it away from the birds and preventing it from mixing with mud and droppings. This small addition to your setup can dramatically improve pen hygiene and further reduce the impact of any spilled grain.
Ultimately, the best pheasant feeder is a management tool that aligns with your specific goals, whether that’s battling rodents, improving pen mobility, or simply reducing daily chores. By matching the feeder’s design to your flock size and pen environment, you can ensure your birds are healthy and your feed budget is respected.
