Do our feeders really stop rats, wild birds, squirrels, and mice from eating chicken feed ? Take a look at this blog post that a customer put up in June of 2016:
Click here to read this independent blog post review of our medium Rat Proof Chicken Feeder
Standard Medium Feeders
Made in the U.S. $85 plus shipping
All models are Exterior Versions
Soft Close and Non Soft Close Doors Available
Standard Distant Step, Duck Step, or Turkey Step Available
The Only Treadle Feeder on the Market with a Soft Close Door Option
Small Feeders Start at $65.00 plus shipping
All models are Exterior Versions
Soft Close and Non Soft Close Doors Available
Standard Distant Step, Duck Step, or Turkey Step Available.
New Design Made in U.S. Medium Feeder
Many upgrades on the original design
Front side edges are seamed for safety
Adjustable door and adjustable spring
New mounting system
10% cheaper to ship than the original feeder
Made in the U.S.A
FAQ
Smaller Birds and Bantams?
Will my Birds be Smart Enough to Learn to Use it?
International Shipping?
Are the Feeders Waterproof?
Can you Adjust the Sensitivity of the treadle?
Is Assembly required?
Why is the Treadle Step so Small and Far Away?
Why is the Treadle Step so Small and Far Away?
Upgrade Kits and Parts
Soft Close Retrofit Kits
Replacement Door Springs
Spare Treadle Link Wires
Waterproof Retrofit Kits for Older Model Feeders
Duck Steps and Turkey Steps
Hen Raking Feed? Add a Feeder Lip Extender
Soft Close Feeders
There were around 5,000 feeders out in service already but we just got around to making a soft close version around 2016 as customers had asked for one. The noise of the door closing did make it a bit harder to train flocks but we got around that by training only when the birds were hungry and very motivated.
And we simply didn’t have the time until last Thanksgiving. I had taken a feeder home with the idea that over the holiday I’d stare at the dang thing till I came up with a workable idea for a soft close feature. The idea of using a cabinet door soft close cylinder came to mind and it works very well, perfect size and action, easy to find replacement cylinders almost anywhere online or in hardware stores, and it was adjustable.
They have been tested down to 10 degrees F, past that you need to do your own testing to learn at what temperature to back the adjustment screw off till it warms up. The worst outcome in sub zero weather is that the soft close feature doesn’t work but the feeder door will continue to open.
Save Shipping Costs with Multi Pack Feeders
Shipping on our feeders is expensive, they are bulky and get an overcharge for that reason but feeding rats and wild birds expensive chicken feed isn’t cheap either. Multi packs are simply individual feeders strapped together for shipping and boy does it save money.
A two pack of feeders will ship for about 20% less per feeder than two feeders ordered as units and four Medium Feeders costs 46% less to ship than four individual units.. The more feeders you buy and ship the cheaper the shipping becomes, up to a point. The medium feeder shipping costs bottoms out at four feeders per multi pack, six feeders for the small feeders. Once you get past those points the larger packages begin to get more expensive per unit to ship.
The shipping cost can get as low as $16.00 for a small feeder to parts of California and as low as $24.00 for a medium feeder to parts of California. Once you get to larger quantities we can ship 42 feeders per pallet. You can find a way to stop the wild birds and rats from stealing your chicken feed and it pays for itself.
Large Feeders
Note: The large feeder was sold out in early 2022 and likely will not be back as the new design feeder holds nearly as much feed for less money.
For years I said that a large feeder wouldn’t be feasible but a way was found and several hundred were produced and are now available.
The large feeder is identical to our Medium Ratproof Chicken Feeder other than being 4″ wider. It holds 37 pounds filled with chicken feed, 136 days for one bird, 54.3 pounds fully loaded total weight.
The soft close cylinders on these feeders are NOT the same as on the small and medium feeders. They had to be sourced from the Philippines and they are more of a quiet close than a slow close. Not anywhere near as nice as the U.S. quality soft close cylinders used on the medium and small feeders. They do help though if the springs are kept light.
They do have a very solid axle with huge thick door cranks on both ends and a double concrete counterweight system that does a better job of keeping the treadle level than the single side counterweight and door crank on the medium and small feeders.
These feeders are not cheap to ship, they are huge, and dimensional weight kicks in on large and lightweight packages. But storing 37 pounds of feed takes a lot of volume.
Extra Large Feeders $182.50
The extra large feeder is 4″ wider than the medium feeder, the same width as the large feeder but it is 10″ taller. It holds over a full sack of feed, around 67 pounds of feed if you stuff it to the gills. The shipping weight is around 20 pounds and it weighs around 89 pounds once it is filled with laying pellets.
Ratproof Dog Feeders $182.50
The Ratproof Dog Feeder is actually the same as the extra large feeder. Making the feeder 4″ wider allows most dog breeds to use the feeder although the dog is going to have to weigh at least ten pounds to use the feeder.
Inside is an adjustable throat that allows the larger dog food kibble to flow properly and an entire 50 pound bag of dog food will fill it to the brim. The dog steps on the treadle to open the feeder door.
Feed Savings, Cleaner Feed, Less Disease, Less Work Feeding the Chickens
If you have chickens and rats then one of them has to go.
It is going to save you a lot of money on feed costs by keeping the rats, mice, and wild birds from stealing your chicken feed. Some users report that it also defeats squirrels. Many customers report a 50% savings in feed use once they stopped rats and mice from stealing feed, even higher savings when you stop wild birds from eating your chicken feed. Having chickens doesn’t mean you have to have rats.
The feed is going to stay much cleaner without rats and wild birds walking in the feed. Chickens can’t get in to walk on the feed either and the covered door prevents litter from being thrown into the feeder when the hens are scratching in the litter.
Your flock will be healthier once the vermin stop eating out of the feeder and bringing their diseases and parasites along with them. Commercial flocks know this and they go to great lengths to keep vermin out of their flocks. Rats and wild birds are the worst at spreading disease to chickens.
The medium feeder will feed a single hen around 100 days or ten hens for 10 days. You can go on vacation and not worry about the birds running out of feed. This feeder is simply the best rat proof chicken feeder, the best rodent proof chicken feeder, the best wild bird proof chicken feeder, and the best automatic treadle chicken feeder on the market. Now is the time to stop the loss of chicken feed to rats, wild birds, mice, and squirrels. Just because you have chickens doesn’t mean you have to have chickens and rats.
If you have wild birds like starlings, house sparrows ,English sparrows, pigeons, grackles or squirrels stealing your feed and bringing diseases and mites to your flock these feeders will stop the problem.