Plastic poultry feeder - Townships Best

The right feeder size depends on your flock size and preferred refill schedule. A standard laying hen eats approximately 125 to 150 grams of feed per day, so you can calculate capacity needs based on your bird count. The Townships Best plastic poultry feeder is available in five sizes.

Sizing guide:

• 1.5 kg: ideal for 3–5 chicks in a brooder, or as a supplemental feeder for treats and grit
• 3 kg: suits 4–6 adult hens with daily refilling
• 6 kg: suits 6–10 hens with refilling every 2–3 days
• 9 kg: suits 10–15 hens, a practical choice for most backyard flocks
• 12 kg: suits 15–20+ hens, reducing refills to twice weekly in moderate weather

When in doubt, size up — running out of feed causes stress and disrupts laying cycles. However, avoid filling a large feeder for a very small flock, as feed sitting for more than 5 to 7 days can absorb moisture, attract pests, and lose freshness, especially during Quebec's humid summer months.

Feed waste is one of the biggest hidden costs of keeping backyard poultry. Hens are natural scratchers and will flick feed out of a poorly positioned feeder, wasting up to 15–20 % of your feed budget if left unchecked.

Proven strategies to minimize waste:

• Elevate the feeder to the height of the hens' backs — this forces them to eat from the trough rather than rake feed onto the ground with their beaks
• Fill the trough only two-thirds full rather than to the brim — overfilled feeders are the primary cause of spillage as hens dig through looking for preferred morsels
• Place the feeder on a catch tray or shallow pan to collect any spilled feed, which hens will clean up throughout the day
• Position the feeder in a sheltered, dry location — wet spilled feed molds quickly and becomes a health hazard

The gravity-fed design of the Townships Best feeder helps regulate feed flow, releasing new feed as the trough level drops. This naturally limits how much feed is exposed at any time compared to open trough or tray-style feeders.

For most backyard setups in Quebec, the best strategy is to keep the feeder inside the coop or in a covered area of the run. Unlike water, which hens need access to at all times, feed placement involves balancing convenience against pest control and weather protection.

Key considerations for each location:

• Inside the coop: protects feed from rain, snow, and wind — critical during Quebec's long winter — but can attract mice and rats into the coop if feed is left accessible overnight
• Covered run: keeps the coop cleaner, encourages hens to eat outside during the day, and allows better airflow around the feed, but offers less protection in driving rain or blowing snow

The most effective approach for pest management is to bring the feeder inside at night or use a size that your flock empties by dusk. Rodents are primarily nocturnal feeders, and removing the food source after dark dramatically reduces mouse and rat problems in the coop. During Quebec winters when hens are confined during extreme cold, indoor placement ensures consistent access.

Rodent control is one of the most important management tasks for backyard poultry keepers. Mice and rats are attracted to available feed, and once established they contaminate food, spread disease, and can even kill chicks and steal eggs.

Effective prevention strategies:

• Remove or secure feeders at night — this single habit eliminates the primary nocturnal food source that sustains rodent populations
• Store bulk feed in sealed metal or heavy-duty plastic containers with tight lids — rodents chew through bags, thin plastic, and even wood
• Clean up spilled feed daily — scattered grain on the coop floor is an open invitation
• Eliminate entry points by sealing gaps larger than 6 mm (1/4 inch) with hardware cloth or steel wool — mice can squeeze through surprisingly small openings

A gravity-fed feeder like the Townships Best reduces exposed feed compared to open trays. If you notice gnaw marks, droppings near the feed area, or feed disappearing faster than expected, act immediately — a small mouse problem becomes a rat infestation within weeks.

Clean your feeder thoroughly at least once every two weeks, with a quick inspection and wipe-down weekly. Unlike waterers that need daily attention in summer, feeders stay cleaner because dry feed is less hospitable to bacteria — but they still require regular maintenance.

Signs that your feeder needs immediate cleaning:

• Caked or clumped feed at the bottom — a sign moisture has entered the feeder
• Visible mold, discolouration, or musty smell in the feed
• Insect activity — mites, beetles, or weevils in or around the trough
• Rodent droppings near or inside the feeding area

To clean, empty all remaining feed and discard any that appears damp or moldy. Scrub the interior with warm water and a splash of white vinegar, rinse thoroughly, and allow the feeder to dry completely before refilling. Never add fresh feed on top of old — this buries stale feed at the bottom where it molds invisibly. Plastic feeders like the Townships Best are easy to disassemble and dry quickly, making this routine straightforward.

Yes — the 1.5 kg and 3 kg sizes of the Townships Best feeder are well suited for chicks in a brooder from day one through approximately 6 weeks of age. The smaller trough height allows young chicks to reach the feed easily without climbing into it.

Important tips for brooder feeding:

• For day-old chicks, scatter starter feed on paper towel for the first 2–3 days alongside the feeder — this teaches them to peck before learning to use the trough
• Position the feeder at chick-back height as they grow by placing it on a thin board or block — this reduces feed being scratched out of the trough
• Check the feeder multiple times daily in the first two weeks, as chicks are messy eaters and can fill the trough with bedding

Chick starter feed is finely ground and flows well through a gravity-fed feeder. As chicks grow and transition to grower feed around 6 to 8 weeks, move up to a 6 kg or 9 kg feeder to match their increasing consumption. Keep the feeder separate from the waterer to prevent wet feed from clogging the trough.

Proper feed storage is essential in Quebec, where the climate swings from -30 °C winter cold to 30 °C+ summer humidity. Both extremes can degrade feed quality if storage is not managed carefully.

Best practices for feed storage:

• Keep bags or bulk feed in sealed, airtight containers made of galvanized metal or heavy-duty plastic with secure lids — this prevents rodent access and moisture absorption
• Store in a cool, dry location — a ventilated shed or feed room is ideal, not a damp barn corner or unventilated space
• In summer, use feed within 4 to 6 weeks of purchase — warm humid conditions accelerate mold growth and fat rancidity
• In winter, keep feed off concrete floors using a pallet or wooden platform, as cold concrete causes condensation under the container

Never feed moldy or musty-smelling feed — mycotoxins from mold cause liver damage, suppressed immunity, and reduced egg production. Buy in quantities your flock will consume within a month.

The two most common backyard poultry feeder styles work quite differently. A gravity feeder — like the Townships Best — has a hopper that holds bulk feed above a trough, releasing new feed automatically as hens eat from the base. A trough feeder is an open channel that you fill manually from the top.

Key differences that affect your daily routine:

• Feed waste: gravity feeders expose less feed at a time, reducing scratching and spillage — trough feeders allow hens to rake through the entire supply
• Refill frequency: a gravity feeder holds a full day's supply or more, while trough feeders need filling twice daily
• Weather protection: the enclosed hopper protects feed from rain and snow, whereas trough feeders need a roof or shelter

For most backyard flock owners, a gravity feeder is the more practical and economical choice. Trough feeders still have a role for supplemental feeding — offering treats, greens, or scratch grain alongside the primary gravity feeder.