7 Best Automatic Feeders For Goats On a Homestead Budget

You’ve been stuck in traffic for an hour, and all you can think about are the goats waiting for their evening grain. That feeling of being tied to a rigid feeding schedule is one of the biggest challenges for a part-time farmer. An automatic feeder isn’t about being lazy; it’s about gaining freedom and providing consistency for your animals. It means you can take that weekend trip, handle an emergency, or simply sleep in without worrying that your herd is going hungry.

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Moultrie Pro Hunter II: A Reliable Feeder Kit

The Moultrie Pro Hunter II is a workhorse, plain and simple. It’s sold as a kit—meaning you get the digital timer, motor, and spinner plate—and you provide the container. This is a huge advantage on a homestead budget because you can repurpose a sturdy 55-gallon drum or a heavy-duty plastic barrel you already have.

This unit’s programmability is its strong suit. You can set up to six feeding times a day, from 1 to 20 seconds each. This gives you precise control over rations, which is crucial for preventing bloat and managing the condition of your herd. The metal spinner plate and funnel stand up well to the elements and the occasional curious goat.

The main consideration is power. It runs on a 6-volt rechargeable battery, which you’ll need to buy separately along with a solar panel charger. Forgetting to add a solar panel is a rookie mistake; a dead battery means no feed gets dispensed, completely defeating the purpose of the system.

American Hunter Digital: For Hanging Setups

If your goats are notorious for "testing" the durability of everything in their pen, a hanging feeder is your best bet. The American Hunter Digital feeder kit is designed to be suspended, keeping it high above the reach of destructive horns and hooves. You attach it to the bottom of your chosen barrel, hang it from a sturdy tree limb or crossbeam, and let it broadcast feed onto the ground.

This setup works best for pelleted feed that can be easily scattered. It encourages natural foraging behavior as the goats search for the pellets. The digital timer is straightforward, allowing you to schedule multiple feedings per day, which is healthier for a goat’s digestive system than one or two large meals.

The tradeoff is waste. Broadcasting feed on the ground means some will get lost, trampled, or soiled, especially in wet weather. This method is less suitable for expensive or medicated feeds where every morsel counts. It’s a system that prioritizes equipment safety over maximum feed efficiency.

PetSafe Simply Feed: Ideal for Pygmy Goats

Sometimes, a tool designed for a different job is the perfect solution. The PetSafe Simply Feed is technically a large-capacity pet feeder, but its features make it uniquely suited for miniature goat breeds like Nigerian Dwarfs or Pygmys, or for feeding kids in a creep area. Its precision is unmatched by most livestock-grade feeders.

The key feature is the slow-feed option, which dispenses meals over a 15-minute period. This prevents smaller animals from gorging themselves and mimics a more natural grazing pace. You can schedule up to 12 meals a day with highly specific portion sizes, from 1/8 cup to 4 cups. This is invaluable for does with specific nutritional needs during lactation or for carefully managing the diet of a wether prone to urinary calculi.

Of course, this isn’t built for the rigors of a main pasture. Its plastic construction won’t stand up to a full-sized Nubian. But placed inside a protected stall or a creep feeder, it provides a level of dietary control that is otherwise impossible to achieve without being there for every single meal.

Redneck Convent Timer: A Top Choice for DIY

For the homesteader who sees a problem and immediately thinks, "I can build that," the Redneck Convent Timer is the ideal starting point. This isn’t a complete feeder; it’s the brain and motor of the operation. You get a reliable digital timer and a motor unit, and the rest is up to your ingenuity.

This approach offers maximum flexibility. You can build a feeder that fits a specific, awkward space in your barn. You can design a chute system that drops feed directly into a trough, minimizing waste. You can use any container you can get your hands on, from a small bucket for a single goat to a massive bin for the whole herd, making it incredibly budget-friendly.

The obvious downside is that it requires some basic skills. You need to be comfortable cutting a hole in a barrel, mounting the unit, and ensuring it’s all weatherproof and goat-proof. This is not a plug-and-play solution. It’s a component for a project, but for the right person, it’s the most cost-effective and customizable option available.

Wildgame Innovations: Simple Digital Control

Not everyone wants or needs a feeder with a dozen complex settings. The Wildgame Innovations digital feeder kits are about simplicity and reliability. They offer basic programming—typically up to four feed times per day—with adjustable run times. It’s everything you need and nothing you don’t.

This is a great entry-level choice for someone new to automatic feeders. The setup is intuitive, and the controls are easy to understand without constantly referring to a manual. Like the Moultrie, you’ll pair this with your own barrel, keeping initial costs down. It’s a solid, dependable system for dispensing standard corn or pelleted goat feed.

Where it falls short is in fine-tuned control. The feed times are less customizable than on more advanced models, and the construction, while adequate, may not have the long-term durability of more expensive units. It’s a perfect fit for a small herd with simple dietary needs but might be outgrown as your operation becomes more complex.

Little Giant Chow Hound: Low-Tech Gravity Fed

In a world of digital timers and solar panels, there’s something to be said for rugged simplicity. The Little Giant Chow Hound is a gravity-fed feeder made of tough, galvanized steel. There are no batteries, no motors, and no timers to fail. You fill it up, and the goats eat from it as they please.

The magnetic door is the key feature. It’s designed to be nosed open by an animal, which helps keep the feed clean, dry, and relatively safe from birds and rodents. This is an excellent choice for a free-choice feeding program, particularly for minerals, baking soda, or a base feed for animals that self-regulate well, like does in milk.

This feeder’s greatest strength is also its biggest weakness: a lack of portion control. You cannot use this for scheduled grain rations. A greedy goat can and will overeat, leading to serious health issues like bloat or enterotoxemia. It is a specific tool for a specific job—free-choice feeding—and should never be used as a primary grain feeder for the whole herd.

Quick Feed Automatic Trough Feeder for Goats

Most automatic feeders are adapted from deer hunting, but the Quick Feed is designed from the ground up for livestock. Instead of broadcasting feed, it drops it directly into an attached trough. This single feature makes a world of difference in a goat pen, drastically reducing waste from ground contamination.

This is a more complete, all-in-one system. The heavy-duty trough is built to withstand abuse, and the entire unit is designed to be mounted on a fence post or wall, keeping it stable. The programmable timer allows for precise meal scheduling, ensuring your goats get the right amount at the right time, every time. It’s a fantastic solution for feeding a small group of goats in a confined area or barn.

The primary tradeoff is the price. As a complete, specialized system, it costs more upfront than a simple DIY kit. Its capacity is also smaller than what you could achieve with a 55-gallon drum, meaning more frequent refills for a larger herd. It’s an investment in efficiency and convenience over raw capacity.

On Time Elite: A Durable Feeder Motor Unit

If you’ve ever had a cheap feeder motor jam or burn out, you understand the value of durability. The On Time Elite is a motor and timer unit built for harsh conditions and demanding jobs. Its high-torque motor can handle heavier or irregularly shaped feeds that might clog a standard feeder.

The housing is all-metal, offering superior protection against weather and curious livestock compared to typical plastic units. The programming is advanced, with options for testing the motor and a much more robust internal clock. This is the unit you buy when you’re tired of replacing cheaper models every other season.

This is an upgrade, not a starting point. It’s more expensive than other kits, and for standard, clean pelleted feed, its power might be overkill. But if you’re mixing your own rations, using textured feeds, or live in a particularly harsh climate, the investment in a heavy-duty motor like this one pays for itself in reliability and peace of mind.

Ultimately, the best automatic feeder is the one that fits your specific situation—your herd size, your budget, and your willingness to tinker. Whether you choose a simple gravity feeder for minerals or a fully programmable trough system for grain, the goal is the same. It’s about using the right tool to make your homestead more resilient and your life a little bit easier.