Still Feeding Chicks with Buckets and Barrows? There’s an Easier Way
March 30, 2026
Feeding chicks is one of those jobs that has to be done every batch, every time.
But on many farms, it still means buckets, barrows and constant back and forward up and down the house.
Filling wheelbarrows. Carrying feed. Laying paper separately.
Often needing two or three people just to get it finished in a short window.
It is not the only job that needs done that day, but it is one that can quickly take over.
That is the reality on a lot of farms.
So the question more farmers are now asking is simple.
Is there an easier way to get it done?
Why does feeding chicks still take so long?
On many farms, the process has not really changed.
- Bags
- Buckets
- Wheelbarrows
- Multiple trips up and down the house
- Paper laid as a separate job
It is not one task. It is several, all stacked together.
And it adds up quickly.
Barry, Ahoghill, described it as:
“Four of us, around 5 hours… filling wheelbarrows, carrying buckets up and down the house.”
That is 20 man hours tied up in one job.
It is not just time. It is labour that could be used elsewhere on the farm.
What are farmers doing differently?
What we are seeing on farm is a shift towards a much simpler approach.
Doing the whole job in one pass.
Feeding and paper laid at the same time.
No running back and forward.
No multiple people tied up for hours.
The Quad-X Chick Feeders are changing how the job gets done. It turns a multi-step process into one straightforward pass through the house.
What happens when you change the way the job is done?
This is where the difference becomes clear.
David, County Down:
“Now I can do all the work in a good hour… rolling the paper out and feeding at the same time.”
James, North Yorkshire:
“What used to take three men eight hours… now takes one man about half the time.”
This is not a small improvement. It is a completely different way of working.
Quad-X At Work: real farmer feedback
Through Quad-X At Work, we have been speaking to farmers using chick feeders in real conditions over time.
The same themes keep coming up.
- “It makes it all so handy… it is all light work now, no heavy manual work.”
- “You just drive and the feeding is done, trouble free.”
- “We have been using it for years and never had an ounce of trouble.”
It is not just about speed.
It is about:
- Reducing effort
- Removing heavy manual work
- Simplifying the job
- Making it repeatable every batch
Why this matters now
Labour is tighter.
Time is tighter.
Jobs like feeding cannot afford to take half a day anymore.
When one job becomes quicker and easier, it frees up time across everything else on the farm.
So what should you be aiming for?
Every farm is different, but the direction is clear.
If feeding currently means:
- Multiple people
- Several hours
- Heavy manual work
…it is worth asking:
Could this be done in one pass?
A better way to feed chicks
Feeding chicks is not going away.
But the way it is done is changing.
More farms are moving away from buckets and barrows and towards a simpler, more efficient way of working.
If it is still taking hours, multiple people and hard manual work on your farm, it is worth seeing how others are doing it differently.
Because for many farms now, it is no longer a half-day job.
If you want to see how the Quad-X Chick Feeder works on farm, or speak to someone already using one, get in touch or explore the product below.