DIY Chicken Feeder Kit

These little tubes are the best!! They work well even on a round bucket, but if you can find a square bucket it’s even better. We have much less scattered feed than before which saves us money. Fill up the buckets and we’re good to go for 3-4 days.

There are a lot of copycat products and that makes it hard to decide which feeder system to use.

After researching a way to feed our birds, I came across a lot of these, but this one is the best. Not 1 grain spilled yet.
The depth of the inside is just right. Not out of reach and our birds transitioned to it as if they just knew what to do.

They are bigger than you'd expect at first and 3 just fit in a 5gal bucket.
Get yourself a screw top lid and you're good to go.

Have made 6 purchases of this product and have always been satisfied. Excellent instructions on use and assembly.

Great value for the money, 25 chickens (and a mallard) so bought 12. Noticed moisture clumping of feed around edges inside, so ran a bead of caulk. All chickens and duck use them, except one rooster whose comb is too big...have to feed him by hand. My white broilers are massive from having ready food access! Pickle barrels are the way to go, I can put up to about 300lbs in them.
Problem with varmints reaching in, raccoons, maybe locking doors I can shut at night...? Ours are free range during day. Great product kit, easy install. Highly recommend.

Great product, easy to install and works perfectly for my 18 chickens. I've got six of these ports installed in a plastic trash can. The area is covered so I didn't put the rain hoods on my feeding ports, the trash can holds 2-50lb bags of chicken feed so I can go weeks without having to check on their food and the ports really cut down on wasted feed. I've got my trash can sitting on an old rim slightly buried in the ground so the feeding ports are about 7.5 inches off the ground and even my smaller chickens have no problem eating from the ports. I placed a little bit of bird seed around the trash can and in the ports the first day I placed the trash can in the chicken pen and the chickens were feeding from the ports within minutes.

I bought the 6 pack of these with plans to install all of them in this brute container, however I only ended up installing 4. My girls have access to the container 24/7 and there appears to be no issues getting adequate feed. I have 14 hens and a Roo that have been eating out of this set up for a few months now with no issues. I was impressed with the quality and easy of installation. I don’t have any problems with the feed getting wet, even though the container stays outside, it is however under a roof but open to blowing rain. It’s really unbeatable for the price, I priced building a similar setup from Lowe’s and this was the cheaper route.

Amazing Product!! Very happy these kits are available. I have been using the original pre-built 2 port feeders with great results. However i was looking to make a larger community feeder without the cost of buying multiple pre-built setups. as you will see in the pics I built two versions. The first I used a clear plastic "tote" so i could see through and manage fillings more easily. for that purpose it worked great and overall it was a good setup. However, my concern (goats-the reason I use port feeders) is over time those cheap totes would become fragile (uv, temp) and my goats would break the tote causing major issues (goats + chicken feed = bloat then maybe death). So i upgraded to a square Brute trash can as these things are almost indestructible. I am very happy with the final product and will be building more.

This is the one you need to buy and not the others which have a design flaw you will see fast when you go see the chickens. Feed all over the place wasted with the others. Trust me and I cant name names of the others because Amazon want allow it. Tried 3 types and the one above is lighytyears ahead of them because they are made wrong and allow chickens to waste feed like crazy, one above no waste. Love it and wish I had known about the longer neck so no wasting food like the one above solved with its design.

We used an older storage tote, so the plastic cracked really easily while we were trying to cut the hole for these. But a little duct tape later, we got it all situated and our ducks eat out of this so easily and it reduces the waste of food significantly. Our ducks are messy eaters so that’s a big plus.

Updated 6/12/2024 -- I'm pleased with this feeder kit! Wasted food in my hen house is no longer a problem. As a result, flies are less of a problem in the hen house as well. The hens have adapted to the new eating methodology. I still think they could improve it by making a model for installation on 5 gallon round buckets. I do recommend it!

Original review -- 5/27/2024 --
My hens in coop/chicken yard have always wasted alot of feed out of the conventional hanging galvanized feeder. I started investigating alternative hen feeding set ups and bought two of these from Rent A Coop. They appear to be well made. We'll see how the ladies do getting to their feed.

I used a 5 gallon bucket with lid, installed two feed ports with screws and included plastic "nuts," per the directions at 5" on center above bottom of bucket. NOTE that you can only install TWO ports on a 5-gallon round bucket. I used light swingset chain w S hooks to hang the bucket and filled it about half way. NOTE that 5-gallon bucket handles do NOT last well when the bucket is filled full -- they just rip out of the plastic. So, either partial filling or a strap hanger is advised.

I think Rent A Coop could improve this product by offering two models -- this as is, flat faced, for square buckets/bins; and a slightly CURVED face version for 5-gallon bucket/trash bin/barrel installation. With the flat face, installation forces the bucket to conform to the feeder port which is thicker plastic than the bucket and does not bend. That the screws are going through flimsy (less than 1/8" thick) plastic of the bucket, even with the flimsy plastic "nuts" provided, I can see potential issue with the screws loosing grip. Time will tell...

No more food on the ground which is what I was trying to achieve

Much better than buying a pre-built chicken feeder. One note, if using a round container, like a 5 gallon bucket, there might be a small gap as it doesn't seal up tight, and food might get wet.

I put one on each corner of a h depot clear tote. Got to see the feed level. Chickies went right to them. I did add blocks underneath as suggested. Amazing product!!

Time/feed savings are worth purchase price. If using a grey Rubbermaid trash can, instal the shroud about 1/2” higher than the directions recommend to account for the raised portion in the middle of the can base. Chickens adapt within a day.

Our Embden Geese, Muscovy and Runner Ducks as well as our Bielefelder and English Orpington Chicken use these … feed waste has been reduced to a single digit %age of what it used to be before we implemented these feeders! Bought some for my mom too!!!!
Highly recommend <3

I Purchased this feeder about three months ago. I wanted to give us some time before I wrote a review to make sure that it was working well for my chickens. I bought this feeder primarily to help with a rat problem from my next-door neighbors. In that regard, I really needed to purchase the mouse caps as well as the feeder itself did not prevent the rats from getting in. That being said, my chickens are very messy, and would frequently climb into whatever food system I had established for them and kick their food everywhere. I tried making my own system using a 5 gallon bucket with a toggle on the bottom, but they just keep hitting the toggle and ended up with a huge pile of food underneath The bucket. With this system, my chickens can no longer get in and make a mess of their food. This has significantly reduced our food costs for our chickens. The addition of the mouse cap, that I purchased directly from the company, has been very helpful as well with keeping out the rodents! If you are looking to buy this feeder primarily to keep your feet area a little neater, it will be perfect. If you’re hoping it will control rodents, make sure you get the mouse cap as well. Overall, I’ve been extremely happy with this product, and has made my coop much neater and less prone to rodent infestation.

In regards to the chickens himself, they are thriving. They are all doing well, and they figured out the system without any problems. I didn’t even have to really do any training. I set it up, and the next morning they were eating it.

I will say the mouse caps are a little cumbersome. They’re easy enough to put in, and they have a nice tight fit, so short of some thing that has pretty significant grip strength, they are not coming out. That being said, it is a bit of a hassle to go out every night, put them in, and then go out in the morning and take them out. My chickens are early risers, so I have to be out there pretty early to get the caps off. That being said, it’s far better than having rats crawling around in my chicken feed.

Overall, I am extremely happy with this product. The customer support when I had a question was excellent and responsive. I would definitely recommend this product

I did so much research trying to figure out how to create a feed system for my chickens that didn't require daily maintenance. I finally settled on this screwed in to a 50 gallon poly barrel. It's the best system I have found by far! I wish I would have got this a long time ago.
The only thing you need to be aware of is if you have a large container and want the chickens to be able to eat all the way to the bottom, make sure you either install these low enough for the chickens to reach the bottom of the container or put something in your container to push the feed towards the edges so all the food is accessible. As chickens cannot fit their whole body in the holes. They can only reach a few inches beyond the entrance.

I love this feeder. It was easy to install with the help of a hole saw. My chickens were quick to learn how to use it. I have 2 feeders installed on a clear tote so it is easy to see the food level. Keeps the food from getting wet from.the weather. The holes are plenty big enough for chickens to put their whole head inside to get to the bottom. I do have the tote up on a couple bricks so my girls don't have to bend down so low. I am really pleased with these feeders.
There is one negative but it doesn't affect my rating. More so a fault of my own. My food was running on the low side. Still plenty of food but enough room for other small birds to get inside. I have a lid on the tote to keep the food dry. It is winter here and freezing at night. The other day I went to refill the tote with food and found a finch had died inside. It had gotten inside and push the food down over the hole and couldn't escape. I assume it had frozen. I checked the food level the day before and shook the tote to even out the food level.
I think if you are planning on purchasing these feeders do. They are amazing! Although I suggest never letting the food level get low or making a small escape hole for little birds to get out just in case.

We installed two of these onto a 5 gallon bucket. That bucket is maybe a bit small for that application, but they work very well, and keep the feed inside dry. We are not afraid to go away for a few days, because we know they will have plenty. We put a twist-off top onto the bucket, so easy to hose off if it gets dirty. The hens don't seem to like standing on that type of lid for some reason, so that's great too. Very happy with this purchase!

Brilliant! These are durable, so far (I'll update in about a year as we go through the seasons) and easy to install. I installed them on 5gal. kitty litter containers.

If I had a time machine, I would go back five years and buy them then. I've only five hens but I can't believe I was counting pennies while busting my butt refilling food containers every two days.

I like the easy opening lid on the kitty litter containers because they're hinged. I don't have a cat but a neighbor eagerly traded a couple of her empty kitty litter containers for a few eggs.

It would have been faster to use a hole saw to cut the holes; however, it wasn't hard to cut them with an exacto blade. . . just slower.

If you're here reading reviews, you must be interested in making your life easier. My hens figured out how to stick their head in to eat within minutes. Don't hesitate any longer. Order them now.

2022 update: no regrets; same advice, get them now and save yourself a lot of work and worry.

I purchased the rentAcoop watering cups a few months ago then purcjased these port feeders. I can say that after rasingin chickens for 30+ years - their products work better than anything we've tried. There is zero waste with the port feeders. The girls learned in no time how to feed. I used a rectangle ( kitty litter tub) with a lid was easy to follow installation instructions. The watering cups we installed on 5 gallin buckets with lids - cut a hole in the side for a short tube that I can fill with hose and never take lid off. Pleased to purchase such well thought out products from an Amercian family farm. Keep up the good work. Next time I get chicks I'll being getting your supplies!

I have almost 60 chickens and 30 quail so I decided I wanted to do trash can feeders. My chicken one turned out great although I did it 6in up the side instead of 5. My quail bin didn’t go as well but that’s the trash and fault. After installing the pipes I looked in to see they’re almost touching the floor of the bin so I looked in the bin to see the bottom of the bin pops up an inch inside. So it’s the trash cans fault. I’m hoping I can just cut the pipe 1 inch but if not I need another trash can.

ADVICE... LOOK INSIDE YOUR BIN TO MAKE SURE THE BOTTOM OF THE BIN ON THE INSIDE ISNT HIGHER THAN WHAT IT APPEARS OUTSIDE.

We got these for our flock of 12.
They are easy to put together and install.
However, square buckets are HARD to find around here without spending a ridiculous amount of money per bucket.
These won’t seal perfect on a round 5 gallon but that is not the sellers fault.
Buy the tapered deck blocks to set the buckets on but keep in mind that in a hard rain if these are out in the weather, it will splash into ports and get feed wet. We keep ours inside the shelter.
Took chickens awhile to learn, you HAVE to take away their regular feeders or they will not eat out of these, chickens are creatures of habit. Each day we put extra feed so the neck of the port was overfull until they learned they had to stick their head in to get the rest of the feed.
A full bucket of feed will last over a week, almost two with our 12... we also feed scratch and scrap veggies etc.
So great to have a feeder they can’t poop in!!