What size chicken feeder do I need?

Last Updated on 18th August 2011
Written By Ainsley

Selecting the correct chicken feeder can be worked out by calculating the amount of chicken feed that your hens will get through in an average day and then deciding how often you are likely to top the feeder up.

The average hen will get through between 100g and 150g of feed per day. Larger breeds will get through a little more and bantams will eat significantly less at about 50g to 90g per day.

The following table gives a guide to the size of feeder needed based on the size and number of hens you plan to keep.

Hens Size	No. Hens	Top up Period	Feed Needed	Feeder Size
Bantam	4	Daily	90g X 4hens x 1day = 360g	1 Kg
Bantam	6	Daily	90g X 6hens x 1day = 540g	1 Kg
Bantam	8	Daily	90g X 8hens x 1day = 720g	1 Kg
Bantam	4	Every Other Day	90g X 4hens x 2days = 720g	1 Kg
Bantam	6	Every Other Day	90g X 6hens x 2days = 1080g	3 Kg
Bantam	8	Every Other Day	90g X 8hens x 2days = 1440g	3 Kg

Medium Hens	4	Daily	150g X 4hens x 1day = 600g	1 Kg
Medium Hens	6	Daily	150g X 6hens x 1day = 900g	1 Kg
Medium Hens	8	Daily	150g X 8hens x 1day = 1200g	3 Kg
Medium Hens	4	Every Other Day	150g X 4hens x 2days = 1200g	3 Kg
Medium Hens	6	Every Other Day	150g X 6hens x 2days = 1800g	3 Kg
Medium Hens	8	Every Other Day	150g X 8hens x 2days = 2400g	3 Kg

Large Hens	4	Daily	175g X 4hens x 1day = 700g	1 Kg
Large Hens	6	Daily	175g X 6hens x 1day = 1050g	1 Kg
Large Hens	8	Daily	175g X 8hens x 1day = 1400g	3 Kg
Large Hens	4	Every Other Day	175g X 4hens x 2days = 1400g	3 Kg
Large Hens	6	Every Other Day	175g X 6hens x 2days = 2100g	3 Kg
Large Hens	8	Every Other Day	175g X 8hens x 2days = 2800g	3 Kg

How often should I feed my chickens?

Chickens eat small amounts of feed frequently and to reduce the chances of attracting rats it is best to feed smaller amounts regularly. Feeding smaller amounts twice a day would reduce the amount of waste food and therfore attract less rats, however we know that this isn't always feasible so if you are leaving food out for longer periods then keep an extra eye out for signs of rat activity.

If you are nearing the capacity for the feeder recommended then the advantage of going up to the next size is a larger diameter base which makes it harder for the hens to knock the feeder over.

What size chicken drinker?

We have a separate article on the size of the drinker required which you can access below, but as a rough guide a chicken will drink up to 1/2 litre per day.