Poultry feeder: Definition, Benefits, Factors to be Considered and 5 Types Poultry feeder

Definition Poultry feeder

A Poultry feeder is an equipment, device, implement, or instrument that the poultry farmer uses to supply feeds to the poultry birds in a way that the birds can easily access, and in a controlled manner.

Poultry feeds are very expensive, and it is vital to minimize feed wastage. Proper feeder is therefore crucial for poultry feed management. In the poultry farm, the major reasons for feed wastage may be due to the activities of rodents, low temperature, the system of housing and feeding, quality of feed, and care of the feeders.

The use of good quality feeders helps to minimize feed wastage thereby promoting proper growth and productivity of birds. A well-designed feeder with good quality material and correct recommendations will help to prevent feed losses.

Whatever type of chicken feeder is used by poultry farmers for feeding the poultry birds, it should be simple, durable, easy to clean, and disinfected. There are various types of poultry feeders depending on the types of poultry birds, the nature of the farm, and the resources available to the farmers.

Read Also: Pasture weed and feed: Definition, Effect of  Weed on Pasture, and 24 Nutrient-Rich Pasture Feed

Questions People often Ask

Benefits of Poultry Feeder

The importance of poultry feeders in the poultry farm cannot be overspoken of. Feeders or feed dispensers are necessary for the control of feeds, and to ensure an effective supply of feed to chickens.

Some of the benefits of poultry feeders according to Food and Agricultural Organisation are :

1. Ensures Proper Feed Management and Control: the use of poultry feeders in the poultry farm ensures proper feed management and control. It ensures proper distribution of feed to enable all birds to have an equal chance of receiving feed. If feeds are kept on the floor without feeders, it will lead to overcrowding and cannibalism among birds as they will continue fighting for the feed. Feeders ensure that all birds have an adequate amount of nutrition.
2. It Prevents Feed Wastage: well-designed poultry feeders can help prevent feed wastage and endure efficient cost management. Most poultry Feeders such as tube feeders, automatic feeders, and step-on feeders have restricted access to feed, which helps prevent feed spoilage and contamination.
3. It Promotes Proper Hygiene: poultry feeders help to promote good hygiene in the poultry house. If feed is left on the floor without the use of feeders, it may lead to the outbreak of the disease in the poultry house. So, good feeders reduce the risk of feed contamination.
4. It reduces competition among birds: proper feeder position in the poultry house helps to reduce competition among birds. If feeders are well arranged in the house, it prevents overcrowding, giving room for birds to have high access to feed.
5. It promotes labor efficiency: poultry feeders such as automatic feed, step-on feeders, and tube feeders help to promote labor efficiency by reducing the use of distributing feed manually in the poultry house. In a commercial farm where there are many birds the use of labor efficient feeder is paramount in poultry management.
6. It Provides Avenue for the Monitoring of Feed Consumption: With the help of poultry feeders, farmers can monitor feed consumption per bird. Since feed-controlled feeders are used in the poultry house, the farmer can be able to monitor the rate of feed consumption on the farm and also necessary to monitor the health status of the bird.
7. Save Poultry Floor Space: the uses of poultry feeders have been proven to save poultry floor spaces. If feeders are properly placed within the poultry house, the floor space will be optimized for birds to move around or play thereby preventing overcrowding in the poultry house.
8. It Promotes Proper Feeding Among Birds: Well-designed and positioned feeders help to promote proper feeding habits among poultry birds. Since birds are not overcrowded around the sources of food, the dominant birds cannot exercise dominion over the subordinate birds and relegate them away. Feeders, therefore, give room to all the birds to access quality feeds which help to increase growth rate, and egg and meat production.

Factors to be Consider in the Choice of Poultry Feeder

When constructing a chicken feeder, certain considerations should be put in place to minimize wastage of feeds.

Some of the factors to be considered in the choice of feeders according to the National Open University of Nigeria are:

1. Easy to fill: This is one of the factors to be considered when choosing a feeder. The feeder should be easy to fill with feeds and water. The feeders should not pose difficulty to the birds and farmers.  The bird should be able to source feed and water easily from the feeder. The feeder should be such that the poultry farmers can easily fill it with water and feed for bird consumption.
2. Avoid Wastage: The feeder should be constructed in such ways as to avoid feed wastage. They should not be too light to prevent feed from pouring out when birds step on them or when crowded, to source food. The feeder should be such that it can withstand pressure from poultry birds without leading to feed wastage.
3. Avoid too deep and Shallow Feeder: The type of feeder adopted for feeding birds should not be too deep or shallow. Too deep feeders will obstruct birds from getting access to feeds, while too shallow feeders will lead to wastage of feeds. The recommended depth for poultry feeders should be 7cm for chick feeder, 11cm for grower, and 12 -15 cm for layer. This specification is considered best for the construction of chicken feeders.
4. Cost-Effective Feeder: The feeder to be used in feeding poultry birds should be cheap to purchase, it should not be too expensive, and it should be such that the farmers can easily purchase it, as too expensive feeders will add the burden of sourcing feed and difficult changing feeders.
5. Durability: the feeder should be durable, durability will ensure long-term usage of the tool thereby getting a high return from the investment in poultry feeding.

Types of Poultry Feeders

There are many types of chicken feeders used in the poultry farm. However, their uses depend on the types of birds, the system of management, and the resources available at the disposal of the farmer. Some types of feeders commonly used in poultry farms, and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed below:

Open Trough Feeders

 These types of chicken feeders can be made of metal, plastic, or wooden material generally used for feeding poultry birds.

They are usually constructed in such a way that the top is open for birds to have access to feed. Open trough feeders are usually long, and narrow, and are positioned in different locations for the poultry bird to feed.

These types of chicken feeders can be suitable for all types of poultry birds as many birds can feed at the same time. Since the open trough feeders are open, the farmers can easily monitor the consumption rate of poultry birds on the farm.

These types of feeders are cost-effective and easy to clean due to the nature of their construction.

If the open feeders are not cleaned regularly, it can lead to the buildup of mold, bacteria, and other contaminants. The major disadvantage of the open feeder is that it leads to wastage of poultry feeds

Tube Feeders

These types of feeders are usually cylindrical or rectangular tubes made up of plastic and metal material constructed to dispense feed in a controller manner to poultry birds by the force of gravity.

The feeders are constructed with a device for feed-dispensing mechanisms at the base of the equipment to release the feed to the birds.

As the poultry birds consume the feed from the feeders more feed is automatically released to replace the consumed ones.

These types of feeders differ according to the size and age of the birds but can accommodate different classes of feed such as grains, pellets, or mixed feed.

The tube feeders are different from open trough feeders because they minimize feed wastage, protect feeds from adverse weather conditions,  and keep feeds always dry.  The tube feeder is more costly and difficult to clean compared to the open trough feeder.

Automatic Feeders

 These are electrical power devices made up of plastics or metal material that are systematically programmed to release feed at a predetermined amount and a scheduled interval. 

They are systematically designed to eliminate the use of manual labor and to ensure that feeds are available for poultry birds regularly and in a controlled manner.

These types of chicken feeders are considered the best feeders because, they have an in-built system for feed schedules, suitable for all categories of birds, and are also good at releasing feed.

The automatic feeders can also be powered with the use of batteries or solar energy in the farmstead. Some of the automatic feeder is equipped with a smart feature or censor that enables the farmers or other users to control the feed schedule through the use of the mobile app or remote.

Cleaning in this type of feeding is difficult compared to the open trough feeds, only that it has several compartments that can disassemble for easy cleaning. The system is cost-intensive compared to other feeders but is suitable for large farms with many birds.

Pan Feeders

 The pan feeder is made up of plastic or galvanized steel with an angled or flat bottom designed to provide feeds for poultry birds. This type of feeder is circular or rectangular, and they have operated mechanically or gravity-based systems where feed is dispensed as poultry birds consume it. 

The type of pan feeder adopted is dependent on the choice of the farmers. The pan feeder is usually suitable for all types of poultry birds and prevents wastage of poultry feeds compared to the open trough feeder.

The pan feeders should be designed to ease maintenance because poor hygiene feeders will lead to the buildup of bacteria and contamination of feeds. Some types of pan feeders are constructed in such a way that they disassemble for ease of cleaning. 

Step-on or Treadle Feeders

Step-on feeders as the name implies are types of feeders designed with a treadle where feed is released as the birds step on it.

They are also called treadle feeders because the mechanism is activated by the weight or pressure from the birds. This type of feeder is mostly appropriate in a deep litter system because it minimizes feed losses.

After all, the door of the access to the feed can only open when birds step on it and closes when they step off. The treadle feeder is constructed with an accurate sensitivity system to enable birds of all sizes to have appropriate access to the feed.

These types of feeders are not suitable for day-old chicks because birds may require proper training and conditioning to know where to step in other to have access to the feed.

Questions People often Ask

What are the feeding tools of poultry?

Solution 

some of the feeding tools for poultry are buckets, spades/shovels, trays, feeding troughs, and watering troughs. 

Read also: Pasture weed and feed: Definition, Effect of  Weed on Pasture, and 24 Nutrient-Rich Pasture Feed

Factors to Consider in Poultry Feeder Placement

In the poultry farm, whatever methods of bird rearing are adopted by the farmers, it is crucial to position feeders in a proper location to enable birds to have access to good feed, minimize feed wastage, and maintain a healthy flock. 

Some of the factors to be considered in the placement of chicken feeders are:

1. Accessibility: The chicken feeder should be easily accessible to the birds. It should be constructed or designed in such a way that all birds irrespective of their size and age have unrestricted access to the feeder. The feeder height and space should be considered in the construction of the poultry feeds. Too high and too low feeder is not good for poultry birds as this may lead to wastage of feed. If birds do not have access to feeders, this may lead to malnutrition and death among birds.
2. Ensure Even Distribution of Feeds: to ensure that feeds are available to all birds, the feeder should be kept evenly on the poultry house to prevent feed wastage and ensure that all birds have access to quality feeds. Some birds are fast feeders, while others are slower feeders. If the feeder is kept in these same locations, the birds will crowd on it and give room for the fast feeders, thereby relegating the slower feeders which leads to poor feeding among birds.
3. Avoid Overcrowding: if the feeders are kept in a small location, it may lead to overcrowding, the farmers must place the right number of feeders per the poultry carrying capacity.  Too many feeders in a location can lead to the peaking of birds, the stress of sourcing food, and poor feeding habits.
4. Good Ventilation: The chicken feeder should be placed in areas with good ventilation. Areas with high moisture content will lead to feed spoilage. Good Ventilation is necessary to maintain feed quality and prevent the occurrence of food-borne diseases in poultry farms.
5. Protection From Adverse Weather: climatic elements like sunlight, rain, and wind can easily infiltrate the poultry house, therefore the feeders should be located far from where rain, sunlight, and wind can easily reach in the house. The wind and rainfall can easily brown feed away and reduce the quality of the feed.
6. Separate feed from water source:   most poultry farmers position poultry feed in the locations where water sources are kept, this is a horrible practice, as water can contaminate feed. Contamination of feeds with water can lead to the growth of mold and the outbreak of bacteria in the feed. The feeder should kept differently from where water source to ensure the quality of feed.

   Questions People often Ask

   How many feeders do I need for 30 chickens?

   solution

   A 1.5 cm long feeder is recommended for the feeding of 10 poultry birds without problem.

   for us to feed 30 birds, we will need

   30/10 feeders 

   =3 feeders of 1.5cm are needed to feed 30 poultry birds.

Management of Poultry Feeders

The following management practices are necessary for managing poultry birds.

1. Ensure Regular Cleaning of the feeder: The chicken feeder should be cleaned regularly to prevent the growth of microorganisms. Poor hygiene feeders can lead to the growth of mold, and bacterial infection. The feeders should be cleaned in the morning and the evening before feeding the birds. This will help ensure good feeder sanitation.
2. Check Feed Level in Feeder Regularly: when placing feed in the feeder, it is necessary to check the feeder level, as feeds have been placed on the feeders. Care should be taken not to overfill the feeders as this will lead to wastage of feeds and insect attacks.
3. Check for Malfunction in the feeder: tube, automatics, and steps or treadle feeders that are that have parts that can assemble and dissemble and should be checked regularly for malfunction.  Damage and worn-out parts should be replaced or repaired if necessary. Metal parts should be oiled regularly to prevent rusting and corrosion. 
4. Monitor bird Behavior Around the feeder: this is another management practice to know good or poorly constructed chicken feeders. The behavior of the birds around the feeder is an indication of good or bad feeders. If the poultry birds are showing aggressive or violent behaviors, the feeders’ position should be changed or checked for proper reconstruction. 
5. Provide Age-Specific Feeder: there are different types of feeders for different types of birds, the types of feeders for day-old checks may not be suitable for pullets or cockerels. The feeders should be adjusted to suit the needs of birds according to their age and level of feeding.