- The Large Feeder with the mounting hooks moved to the front — the hood passes through the coop wall and the body hangs outside
- Fill it from outside the coop: no door to open, no ducking inside, no dodging the rooster
- Designed for flocks of 6–8 hens — roughly 5–7 days between refills on quality complete pellets
- The anti-waste hooded opening sits inside the coop, under cover; the lidded body stays outside with you
- Includes feeder, 2 brackets, 4 screws and installation guide — mounts to timber; Wire Mesh Mounting Kit for mesh walls
- Works best with quality complete feed (crumble or pellets) — balanced nutrition with less selective eating
- 3-year warranty — Australian made in Brisbane and Townsville
- Hooks on the front — mount through the wall, fill from outside
- Designed for flocks of 6–8 hens — 5–7 days between refills
- Same anti-waste hood, now inside the coop with the body outside
Fill the feeder without setting foot in the coop
Plenty of coops make refilling a chore. A door you have to crouch through, a run you have to walk right across, a rooster who would rather you didn’t. For years customers have asked us for a feeder they can fill from outside, and this is how we’ve been doing it: the Dine-A-Chook Large Feeder with the mounting hooks moved to the front. Everything else is the feeder that more than 80,000 Aussie chook keepers already use.
What’s different about the Front Hooks version?
On the standard Large Feeder the two mounting hooks are on the back, so it hangs flat against a wall inside the coop with the hood facing in. On this version the hopper is fitted the other way round, so the hooks sit on the same side as the hood. You fix the brackets to the outside of the wall, cut an opening for the hood, and the hood pokes through into the coop while the body, lid and handle stay outside with you. Same hopper, same hood, same capacity, same brackets. Just a different side to hang it from.
How do you mount it through the wall?
1. Pick the wall. An outside wall your hens can reach from inside, under the roofline if you have one. Mesh, tin, ply and timber sheeting all work; the thinner the wall, the more of the hood reaches inside.
2. Set the height. The bottom of the hood opening should line up with the back of a hen’s neck when she stands naturally, measured from the floor inside the coop.
3. Cut the opening. Hold the feeder against the outside of the wall at that height, trace around the hood, and cut just outside the line. Customers have been doing this for years without a template; it’s straightforward.
4. Fix the brackets to the outside face at the matching height. Timber takes the supplied screws; a mesh run needs the Wire Mesh Mounting Kit.
5. Feed the hood through and hang the feeder. Twist off the lid, fill, twist it back on. From then on the door stays shut.
Who it’s for
Walk-in runs where the feeder ends up on the far wall. Coops with a low door. A rooster who takes his job seriously, or a flock that bolts for the gap the moment the door opens. Kids doing the chooks before school. If you’d rather top up feed on the way past than go in every time, this is the version to get. It also means the door opens less often, which is fewer chances for someone to slip out.
“I was looking for a Feeder and Waterer that I can fill from outside of a pen with a nasty Rooster in it.” — Warren, 2022
Everything else is the Large Feeder you know
Feed gravity-feeds into the hooded opening. The hood gives your hens room to eat comfortably, but its shape stops the raking and flicking that scatters feed onto the ground. No moving parts, no training — most chickens are eating within minutes. The 4.7L body holds roughly 3.7kg of feed, about 5–7 days’ worth for 6–8 hens on quality complete pellets.
Mounted this way the hood opening sits inside the coop, under whatever cover the coop already has. The body outside is UV-resistant ASA plastic with a twist-on lid, so sun and rain on the outside of the tube are no problem. The built-in rain hood still channels water away from the opening. If the wall you choose cops driving horizontal rain, pick a more sheltered one — that’s the same advice we give for the standard feeder.
What’s in the box?
Feeder with twist-on lid, 2 steel mounting brackets, 4 self-tapping screws, and an installation guide. Mounts directly to timber — ready to install.
Mounting to wire mesh? You’ll need the Wire Mesh Mounting Kit (sold separately). Prefer to hang it inside the coop after all? The standard Large Chicken Feeder has the hooks on the back.
What feed works best with this feeder?
Works best with quality complete feed — crumble or pellets. These give your hens balanced nutrition in every bite and reduce selective eating. Grain mixes let hens pick their favourites and miss essential nutrients.
If the feed level looks low in the hood, that’s by design — it keeps feed away from the edges so your hens can’t flick it out. Try the finger test from inside the coop: push your finger into the opening. If you can move the feed, your chickens can reach it.
Why is the Large Feeder built to last?
Every component is injection moulded in Brisbane and assembled in Townsville — a genuine Australian made product. UV-resistant ASA plastic handles sun and rain year after year. No moving parts means nothing to jam, seize, or break. Backed by a 3-year warranty.
Pairs well with
Wire Mesh Mounting Kit
Stainless bolts and plates for hanging the feeder off a mesh run wall — the way most customers mount this version.
View Mounting Kit →Closure Cap
Seals the feeding opening overnight to help manage rodents and pests.
View Closure Cap →Small Feeder, Front Hooks
The same front-hook mounting on the smaller feeder — suits flocks of 2–6 hens.
View Small Feeder, Front Hooks →Product Specifications
- Capacity:
- 4.7L (~3.7kg of feed)
- Suits:
- 6-8 hens
- Mounting:
- Front hooks - through the coop wall, filled from outside
- Height:
- 710mm
- Width:
- 127mm
- Weight:
- 1.05kg (empty)
- Material:
- UV-resistant ASA plastic
- Includes:
- Feeder, 2 brackets, 4 screws, installation guide
- Origin:
- Made in Australia
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions people ask before mounting a Large Feeder through the coop wall.
What is the Front Hooks version of the Large Feeder?
It’s the standard 4.7L Large Feeder assembled with the hopper the other way round, so the mounting hooks sit on the same side as the feed hood. That lets you mount the brackets on the outside of the coop wall, pass the hood through a cut-out, and fill the feeder from outside. Capacity, hood, brackets and warranty are all the same. The hopper is fixed at assembly, so a standard feeder can’t be turned into this one later, or the other way round. One thing you’ll notice: only two of the four clips on the collar lock in on this version. That’s how the hopper sits this way round, it’s assembled like that in Townsville, and it holds as it should.
How big does the hole in the coop wall need to be?
There’s no set size to cut. The simplest way is to hold the feeder against the wall at the right height, trace around the hood, and cut just outside the line. Cut a little tight rather than loose; you can always open it up. On a mesh run you usually only need to snip a few wires.
Can I mount the Front Hooks feeder on a wire mesh run?
Yes, and it’s the most common way customers use it. The supplied screws are for timber, so add the Wire Mesh Mounting Kit: stainless bolts and plates that clamp the brackets to the mesh without damaging it. Snip the mesh where the hood passes through.
Does the feed stay dry with the feeder hanging outside?
The opening your hens eat from is inside the coop, so it gets whatever shelter the coop already gives it. The body outside is sealed by the twist-on lid, and the built-in rain hood still channels water away from the opening. Choose a wall that isn’t in the face of driving rain if you can; the feeder isn’t designed to defeat rain blown sideways in a storm, and neither is the standard version.
What height should the opening sit inside the coop?
Line the bottom of the hood opening up with the back of your chicken’s neck when she’s standing naturally, measured from the floor inside. If you have mixed sizes, set it for the smaller birds. Mark that height on the outside of the wall before you cut, because the brackets and the cut-out both follow it.
How many chickens does the Front Hooks Large Feeder suit?
Flocks of around 6–8 hens. It holds 4.7 litres (roughly 3.7kg) of quality complete feed, about 5–7 days for a typical backyard flock. Fewer birds or a lower wall? The Small Feeder, Front Hooks suits 2–6 hens and is 541mm tall.
Does hanging the feeder outside make any difference to rats?
Not really, in either direction. The feeder is vermin-resistant, not vermin-proof: what it does is keep feed contained and off the ground, which removes the main reason rodents visit. The lid seals the top outside, and the opening inside still takes a Closure Cap overnight. If you have a persistent rodent problem, ring us on 1800 103 326.
Still not sure? Ring 1800 103 326 in Queensland business hours, or see the full feeder range.