Essilnn DIY Chicken Feeder and Waterer Kit, No Waste Poultry Feeder for Buckets, 6 Ports and 6 Water Cups Review (2026)

What comes in the kit

Essilnn's listing pairs 6 feeder ports with 6 matching water cups, both made from PP plastic, aimed at keepers who want to build their own no-waste feeder and waterer from a 3 or 5 gallon bucket, barrel, bin, or trough. According to the product listing, the kit includes a hole saw and a drill bit for cutting the mounting holes, which removes one common gap in DIY feeder kits that only ship the ports themselves. Buckets and other containers are not included and need to be sourced separately, so a full working station means budgeting for at least one, and ideally two, five gallon buckets on top of this kit.

How the feeder ports work

Each feeder port is designed with a stopper that lets the keeper close it off when needed, useful for controlling access during a molt, a diet change, or when transitioning to new feed. The listing describes a rain hood and a waterproof rubber gasket built into the port design, intended to keep rain out of the feed reservoir and reduce the spoilage and waste that come with open-trough feeding. Essilnn markets this as a way to cut feed waste compared with a traditional trough, with the ports designed for a gravity-fed, self-feeding setup so hens can access dry feed on their own schedule rather than needing to be fed by hand throughout the day.

How the water cups work

The six water cups thread onto the container with a 1/8 inch NPT fitting and use a roughly 3.8 inch opening, sized by the manufacturer to be easier for hens to drink from compared with a narrow nipple-style waterer. Nipple drinkers require birds to learn a pecking motion, while an open cup lets water pool at the bottom for easier access, which can matter when introducing water to chicks or a mixed-age flock. The trade-off with any open cup design is that bedding, dust, and droppings can find their way in more easily than with a sealed nipple, so cups like these need a more frequent visual check and rinse than fully enclosed waterers.

Assembly and setup

Building a working feeder or waterer with this kit means drilling holes in a bucket, bin, or barrel with the included hole saw, then threading in the ports and cups, work that most keepers can finish with a cordless drill in well under an hour per container. Because the kit ships with its own hole saw and drill bit rather than assuming the buyer already owns matching bits, it is a more complete out-of-box experience than kits that only include the plastic hardware. Buyers should still plan for two builds if they want a separate feeder and waterer station, since one bucket typically becomes one or the other rather than both at once.

Value and who it suits

For the price, getting both feeder ports and water cups with a hole saw and drill bit in one order is a reasonable deal for keepers building their first DIY station or scaling up to match a growing flock. It suits keepers who are comfortable with basic drilling work more than those who want a ready-to-hang unit out of the box. Plan to buy your own buckets, rinse the water cups regularly to keep them clear of bedding, and expect to build twin stations if you want dedicated feed and water setups rather than combining both functions in a single container.

Frequently asked questions