Feeds for every age and stage, plus feeders that cut the waste.
Photo: Øyvind Holmstad, CC BY-SA 4.0
Animals
The right feed changes with the bird, the animal and the season, and the right feeder keeps it dry and in the animal, not on the ground. We'll only list feeds once our own animals have eaten them for a while.
Our picks
Gear we're weighing for this shelf, from good value to buy-once quality. Nothing here is linked yet: a pick earns a link only once we've used it or finished researching it with sources we can show you.
Grubbly Farms
Free-choice calcium for strong shells.
Price and rating as listed at Grubbly Farms, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
Rugged Ranch
Hanging galvanized feeder with three flow settings to cut waste.
Price as listed at My Pet Chicken, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
My Pet Chicken
Complete chick-starter set: feeder, waterer and grit bases with jars.
Price as listed at My Pet Chicken, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
Grubbly Farms
Protein and calcium treat for molting and laying hens, with a very large base of reviews.
Price and rating as listed at Grubbly Farms, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
BEC (sold by Hatching Time)
Rain shield and anti-scratch fins, useful in Louisiana downpours.
Price and rating as listed at Hatching Time, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
Premier 1
Heavy-duty galvanized feeder built to last.
Price as listed at My Pet Chicken, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
Shade, airflow and cooler water to help animals through a long, humid Southern summer.
Little Giant
Double-wall galvanized steel keeps water cooler in summer, per the seller.
Price as listed at My Pet Chicken, Oct 2026. Not yet used here or fully reviewed, so no link yet.
On our shortlist
What we look for
From the Journal
Why chicken wire keeps hens in but not predators out, what mesh size to use where, and how to stop diggers, climbers and reachers, drawn from Extension guidance.
Read the post: Hardware cloth vs. chicken wire: predator-proofing a coopA plain-language guide to acid and low-acid foods, why green beans need a pressure canner and jam doesn't, and the methods USDA and NCHFP say to skip.
Read the post: Water-bath vs. pressure canning: which foods need which
