Omlet No Waste Chicken Feeder Review: 12 lb Port Feeder

Enclosed ports, one hen per port, and the reason your shyest bird finally gets fed.

The verdict: Enclosed ports stop the billing and scratching that is the largest single cause of feed waste, and giving each hen her own port quietly solves the bullying that happens around an open trough. Buy it for a flock of up to about six hens where waste or a picked-on bird is the problem. Skip it if rodents are what is eating your feed, because ports do not close and only a treadle feeder denies rats access.

Specifications

Specifications above come from Omlet's published product information. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

• Enclosed ports stop billing, which is hens flicking feed sideways out of a trough and is where most feed waste actually goes.
• One bird per port means a dominant hen cannot stand over the whole feeder, so the bottom of the pecking order eats without being chased off.
• It splits into three pieces without tools, so cleaning is genuine rather than a token wipe of the top.
• Hanging or standing, with adjustable port height, which matters because a feeder set too high excludes bantams and young birds.
• Twelve pounds is a week for a small flock, so a weekend away does not need a neighbour with a feed scoop.

Where it falls short

• It does not exclude rodents. The ports stay open, so a rat or mouse can feed from it overnight exactly as it would from any open feeder. If rodents are your problem, only a treadle feeder solves it.
• Wild birds can use the ports too, though less easily than an open trough. It reduces the loss rather than ending it.
• Twelve pounds is a small hopper next to the 40 and 55 pound feeders in the same category, so a larger flock will be refilling every few days.
• Plastic in full sun eventually becomes brittle, and a hanging feeder swinging in the wind takes more punishment than a standing one. Site it under cover.
• Birds new to port feeders take a little while to work out where the food is, so keep the old feeder available for a few days rather than switching overnight.

What owners report

Owner reports on enclosed-port feeders are consistent on the two claims the design makes. Waste drops noticeably, and the reason owners give is that hens can no longer sweep feed out of a trough with a sideways flick of the beak. The second is social: keepers with a bullied bird repeatedly describe her eating normally after the switch, because a dominant hen can only occupy one port at a time. That is a real welfare benefit and it is easy to overlook when comparing feeders on capacity alone.

The recurring qualification is pests. Owners are clear that port feeders reduce wild bird theft and do nothing about rodents at night, and several describe bringing the feeder indoors after dark or moving to a treadle design once they saw rats. The other practical note is a short learning period, with owners advising a few days of overlap while the flock works out the new feeder.

Where feed actually goes

Feed disappears in three ways: birds flicking it out of an open trough, wild birds helping themselves during the day, and rodents at night. A port feeder fixes the first almost completely and the second partially. It has nothing to say about the third. Knowing which of the three is costing you money tells you which feeder to buy, and the way to find out is to compare what your flock should be eating against what you are actually buying. The per-stage figures are in our chicken feed by age chart, and our real cost of raising backyard chickens breakdown sets feed against the rest of the budget.

Port, treadle or hanging

A hanging feeder is cheap and feeds everything in the garden. A port feeder cuts waste with nothing to learn and no mechanism. A treadle feeder excludes rodents entirely but needs two weeks of training and enough bird weight to work. We put the last two head to head in hanging feeder versus treadle feeder, and the material question, which matters for durability and for whether the thing survives being knocked over, is covered in metal versus plastic feeders. The full field is in best chicken feeders, and if rodents are your issue our Grandpa's Feeders review covers the treadle answer.

Who it suits

• Flocks of up to about six hens.
• Anyone with a bullied bird who is not getting her share at an open feeder.
• Keepers who want a feeder that genuinely comes apart to be cleaned.
• People with mixed sizes in the flock, since port height is adjustable.

Who should skip it

• Anyone with a rodent problem, which needs a treadle feeder instead.
• Larger flocks, where 12 lb means refilling every few days.
• Setups with no covered position, since plastic in permanent sun degrades.
• Keepers wanting the lowest cost per pound of capacity, where metal port feeders are far cheaper.

Alternatives worth considering

Keep reading

• Hanging feeder vs treadle feeder
• Metal vs plastic feeders
• The real cost of raising backyard chickens
• Chicken feed by age chart
• Best chicken feeders
• Grandpa's Feeders 40 lb review
• Premier 1 heated poultry waterer review

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.