Feed thrown on the ground of a run is feed shared with rats, pigeons and whatever the weather does to it before the hens get back round to it. A trough fixed at bird height changes that arithmetic completely: the flock eats from one tidy line, spillage drops back into the trough rather than the mud, and what is left at the end of the day is still dry enough to be worth keeping.

It is galvanised metal throughout, which is the finish that survives a wet run. Paint chips and then rusts underneath, and plain steel goes orange within a season. The body stands 26 cm high, 15 cm wide and 10 cm deep, with a 5 cm hopper opening feeding down into the trough below, so grain drops through as the birds clear it instead of sitting exposed all day. It hangs on wire fencing or screws straight to a wooden coop wall.

• Galvanised metal throughout
• 26 cm high x 15 cm wide x 10 cm deep
• 5 cm hopper opening
• Hangs on wire fencing or screws to a coop wall
• Keeps feed off the ground and out of the mud
• Suits chickens and other poultry

On mounting height, and capacity. Hang it so the lip sits roughly level with the back of your smallest bird. Too low and they scratch feed straight out of it; too high and the hens at the bottom of the pecking order stop reaching. Its slim depth also means it holds a modest amount at a time, so for anything beyond a few birds expect to top it up daily rather than filling it once a week.

Who it's for: Backyard keepers with a small flock who want a hard-wearing feeder that cuts waste and keeps the run that bit tidier.