Farmers, homesteaders, and preppers are busy people. There is always a lot of work to be done, and not a lot of time in the day. That’s why we are in favor of automating what things we can so we can get more work done during the day. That’s why we like using a deer feeder for feeding chickens.
What is a Deer Feeder?
A deer feeder is a a container and a spreader. It dispenses a grain or pellet type feed around, and is primarily used for deer. It is used to attract deer to an area, or to provide additional nutrients for deer, especially when there is an especially rough winter. Many hunters hunt over it, but some just use it for the added nutrients, or to put a trail camera on it to see what animals are in the area.
Benefits of using a Deer Feeder to Feed Chickens
The best part of a deer feeder is that it sends out the feed on a schedule without you having to be there. They can work on a schedule to spread feed out for chickens. By spreading it around the hens have to look for it, and nobody gets bullied off the feeder. You just put the feeder in the coup and walk away. You’re only maintenance is making sure your battery is charged and that your feeder is full of feed.
Using a Deer Feeder to Feed Chickens When You Leave Town
One homesteader has a barrel deer feeder on legs in their chicken pen. When they have to leave for a period of time they just set timer to go off twice a day. If you have a feeder you use primarily for hunting, repurpose it for when you want to go on a trip.
You can even do this for chickens that you let free range as well, but be carful. Spreading food around your property could attract more critters, like omnivorous racoons which could eat your chickens as quick as their feed. Read more about Keeping Racoons out of Chicken Coops.
Problems with Using a Deer Feeder to Feed Chickens
One potential problem with feeders is if they keep dropping feed in the same spot. If this happens, your chickens can dig holes into the dirt, which can be filled with dirt, mud, or other nasties. There are two ways you can avoid this- 1. you can buy a high quality feeder which spreads the feed in a wider and more random pattern, or 2. You can just move your feeder around the coup every so often.
Use a Deer Feeder to Feed Pigs or Other Animals
You can use a deer feeder to feed more than just chickens. You can use the deer feeder for ducks, geese, or really any bird that eats grain. Really, you can use it for any animal that eats a grain type feed and doesn’t mind eating from the ground. One farmer said they use a deer feeder to feed their pigs. This keeps them rooting and frees up their time from that chore as well!
Different Types of Deer Feeders
Bucket Deer Feeder
This is your basic, low cost automated option. Anywhere you can hang a bucket, you can use one of these. It doesn’t have a big capacity, but it is effective, small, and simple. A bucket feeder also effectively keeps feed free from moisture and out of the weather. If you’ve got a smaller coup, this is a great option.
Gravity Feeder
Gravity is free and its less expensive than either the bucket feeder or the barrell feeder. On the down side, your feed is exposed to the elements, nothing is stopping critters from eating too much/all of it, and its a small trough, so not all your chickens can eat at once. This is a decent, if basic, deer feeder for deer, but not for chickens.
Barrel Feeder – Our Favorite
Our very favorite deer feeder is a barrel style feeder for chickens. The barrel feeder is the biggest and is built the most solid. Like the bucket feeder, it is water proof, which will keep your grain from spoiling, and is generally pretty solid, but the barrel style feeder can hold around 150 lbs of feed. I also like that our favorite barrel feeder, the Moultrie, has a solar panel you can buy that plugs right in, but all of that makes the Moultrie our absolute favorite deer feeder for chickens.
Automate your Deer Feeder for Chickens even more
We recommend connecting your deer feeder to a solar panel to keep your battery charged. This
Conclusion
Simple but things are right in front of us for years and we never think about applying it to other uses. If you’ve got a deer feeder on hand, consider using it for more than just hunting season. If you don’t, and want more time on your hands, consider getting a deer feeder to feed your chickens, or your pigs, ducks, or rabbits.
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