6 Best Chicken Feeder And Waterer Combos That Prevent Feed Waste
Cut down on feed waste and costs. This guide reviews the 6 best chicken feeder and waterer combos with smart, spill-proof designs for a cleaner coop.
You fill the feeder to the brim, and by noon, half the feed is kicked into the bedding. The waterer, clean this morning, is now a muddy soup of shavings and droppings. This daily cycle isn’t just frustrating; it’s a costly and unhealthy problem for your flock. Choosing the right feeder and waterer combo is one of the most impactful decisions you can make for a clean coop and healthy chickens.
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Why Feed Waste Matters for Your Flock’s Health
Spilled feed is wasted money. For a small-scale farmer, every bag of feed counts, and watching it get turned into expensive bedding is a tough pill to swallow. Over a year, the cost of that wasted feed can easily exceed the price of a high-quality feeder designed to prevent this exact problem.
But the financial cost is only part of the story. Wet, soiled feed is a breeding ground for mold and harmful bacteria, which your chickens will inevitably ingest. More critically, spilled feed is an open invitation to pests. Rodents, wild birds, and other freeloaders are drawn to the easy meal, and they bring mites, lice, and diseases with them.
Once pests arrive, they create a dangerous cycle. Mice and rats will not only devour your feed but also contaminate it with their droppings, spreading pathogens like salmonella. Their presence can also attract larger predators like snakes and weasels, turning a simple feed spillage issue into a serious threat to your flock’s safety. A good feeding system isn’t about convenience; it’s your first line of defense.
Grandpa’s Feeder & Nipple Waterer Combo
This is the gold standard for a "set it and forget it" system that is nearly 100% pest-proof. Grandpa’s Feeder is a treadle feeder; the chicken must step on a platform to lift the lid and access the feed. This simple mechanism completely locks out rodents and wild birds, keeping your feed clean, dry, and available only to your flock.
Paired with a simple bucket waterer equipped with poultry nipples, this combo virtually eliminates water waste. Chickens learn to peck the metal pin, which releases a few drops of water at a time. This means no more open pans of water to be filled with dirt, no more soaked bedding creating a mucky, ammonia-filled mess, and no more daily scrubbing of slimy water founts.
The main tradeoff here is cost and a small learning curve. Grandpa’s Feeders are a significant investment, and you’ll need to train your flock to use the treadle, which can take a few days of propping it open. Nipple waterers also require you to periodically check that every nipple is functioning correctly, as a stuck one can leave a bird thirsty. But for those prioritizing low maintenance and maximum feed security, this combo is unmatched.
RentACoop PVC Feeder and Water Cup System
This popular design uses simple physics to solve the problem of waste. The system consists of PVC tubes with covered feeding ports and small water cups. The feeder ports are deep enough that chickens can’t easily flick or rake feed out onto the ground, a common and wasteful habit.
The waterer uses small cups attached to nipples that automatically refill as the chickens drink from them. This keeps the water level low, preventing the birds from splashing it everywhere. It’s a massive improvement over open founts for keeping bedding dry and reducing the daily chore of cleaning and refilling.
This is a fantastic mid-range option, especially for coops where floor space is limited, as the units can be hung on a wall. The primary downside is that the water cups, while better than open troughs, can still collect dirt and debris flicked in by the birds. They require regular rinsing to stay clean. Overall, it’s a highly effective system that balances cost, convenience, and performance.
Harris Farms Hanging Feeder & Bell Drinker
Walk into any farm supply store and you’ll see this classic combination. It consists of a plastic or metal hanging tube feeder and a gravity-fed bell drinker. The key to making this combo work is proper placement. Hanging the feeder so the lip is level with the chickens’ backs is crucial. This height makes it much harder for them to scratch feed out with their feet.
The bell drinker works similarly, using a valve to maintain a constant, shallow ring of water in the trough. This prevents the sloshing and waste common with large open pans. It’s a simple, reliable system that has been used for decades for a reason: it’s affordable and it works, with some caveats.
This is a budget-friendly setup, but it demands more active management. Chickens will still manage to "bill out" some feed from a hanging feeder, though much less than from a ground-based one. The open trough of the bell drinker is also a magnet for dirt and needs to be cleaned frequently to prevent the buildup of algae and bacteria. It’s a good starting point, but be prepared for more daily upkeep.
OverEZ Feeder & Premier 1 Nipple Bucket
For the hobby farmer with a medium-sized flock and a busy schedule, this heavy-duty combo is a lifesaver. The OverEZ feeder is a large-capacity, weatherproof gravity feeder made from durable, food-grade plastic. Its design significantly minimizes spillage, and its massive size—holding up to 50 pounds of feed—means you might only fill it once every few weeks.
Pairing this workhorse with a high-quality, pre-made nipple waterer like the Premier 1 Nipple Bucket creates an incredibly low-maintenance system. The sealed bucket keeps water perfectly clean and free from contamination. This means healthier birds and far less work for you.
This is not a budget setup; both components represent a notable investment. The large capacity of the feeder is also a double-edged sword. In very humid climates, you need to be sure your flock is eating the feed fast enough to prevent it from getting stale or moldy. But for flocks of 10 or more birds, this combo offers an unbeatable blend of durability, capacity, and time-saving convenience.
Royal Rooster Feeder & Farm Innovators Heater
Winter presents a unique challenge: frozen water. This combo is designed specifically to solve that problem. A PVC-style feeder, like those from Royal Rooster, keeps feed perfectly dry and contained, which is essential when dealing with blowing snow and damp conditions. The design with downward-facing ports is excellent at preventing waste.
The critical partner here isn’t a specific waterer, but a heated waterer base, like the popular models from Farm Innovators. You can place almost any metal or plastic waterer on top of it, and the thermostatically controlled base will keep the water from freezing without overheating it. This ensures your flock has constant access to life-sustaining water, even on the coldest days.
The obvious requirement is a reliable power source near your coop. While the feeder itself is highly efficient, the main point of this pairing is to address a critical environmental need. It’s less about a specific brand and more about the strategy: combine a weatherproof, no-waste feeder with a reliable heating element for your waterer to create a bulletproof winter system.
Little Giant Feeder and Double Wall Fount
This is likely the first feeder and waterer combo every chicken keeper buys. It’s usually made of galvanized steel, it’s inexpensive, and it’s available everywhere. I’m including it on this list mostly as a cautionary tale and to show how to make the best of a bad situation. Left on the ground, this combo is a waste-creation machine.
The open trough of the feeder is an invitation for chickens to scratch, sending feed flying into the bedding. The open water pan of the fount will be filled with shavings, dirt, and droppings within minutes of being refilled. This not only wastes water but creates an unsanitary mess that you have to clean constantly.
To make this system even moderately effective at preventing waste, you must get it off the ground. Hanging both the feeder and the waterer from the coop ceiling is the best option. If that’s not possible, at least place them on top of a couple of cinder blocks. This simple change makes a huge difference. This is the cheapest option, but it requires the most labor to keep clean and minimize waste.
Choosing the Right Combo for Your Coop Size
There is no single "best" feeder and waterer for everyone. The right choice depends entirely on your flock size, your climate, your budget, and how much time you can realistically dedicate to daily coop chores. A system that’s perfect for three hens in a backyard tractor will be completely inadequate for a flock of twenty in a permanent coop.
Here’s a simple framework to guide your decision:
- Small Flock (1-6 birds): A PVC port feeder (like RentACoop) or a simple hanging feeder and nipple bucket is perfect. The cost is manageable, and the daily upkeep is minimal for just a few birds.
- Medium Flock (7-15+ birds): This is where investing in a large-capacity system like the OverEZ or a treadle feeder like Grandpa’s really pays off. The time saved on refilling and the money saved on wasted feed quickly justifies the higher upfront cost.
- Extreme Climates (Hot or Cold): In freezing winters, a heated waterer base is non-negotiable. In very hot climates, a large, sealed waterer like a nipple bucket system is crucial to prevent evaporation and keep water cool and clean.
Don’t be afraid to start with a basic system, but understand its limitations. Investing in a good feeder and waterer combo isn’t just about buying equipment. It’s an investment in your flock’s health, your own time, and the long-term sustainability of your small farm.
Ultimately, controlling feed and water waste is fundamental to good animal husbandry. The right system will not only save you money but will also create a cleaner, healthier environment for your flock, preventing a cascade of problems before they can start. Choose wisely, and you’ll spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying your chickens.
