All Things Treadle Feeder

[Anon112]

I realize this is an older thread and you may have resolved all your issues, but we had this exact same thing happen years ago. We dug out around the posts where they were tunneling in and filled those areas with concrete. Nary a rat since (knock on wood!).

Just make sure you're not trapping rats inside, which we did with one and had to clean out the entire coop to find it. It was happy as can be with it's newly secured habitat since it had the entire coop and feed all to itself lol.

Yeah, my dream has been to build a new coop from scratch, but it's always just out of reach financially, and I end up spending on doing little revamps. (Yes, I know they probably all add up to what a new run would cost!).

One thing I want to do this summer is shore up the areas around the posts. Between tree roots and rocks it is so hard digging in the ground in my yard. It's a huge effort just to get down a foot. But in the interest of overall security (not just for rats), I do want to address the vulnerability at those corners.

 

[NetherLeeFarm]

One thing I want to do this summer is shore up the areas around the posts. Between tree roots and rocks it is so hard digging in the ground in my yard. It's a huge effort just to get down a foot. But in the interest of overall security (not just for rats), I do want to address the vulnerability at those corners.

I hear ya! We have the rockiest soil imaginable. Lots of roots near the coop also. I've resorted to a pickax many times! I hope you get it worked out soon. Nothing wrong with little tweaks. With the cost of lumber & other materials now, a new custom coop would be out of my budget also!

 

[BonnieBlue]

I have a couple of questions about the Rat Proof Feeder.

For the soft-close option, is there any difference in weight needed to open it from the regular?

Also, what keeps chickens from scooping out the food while it is open? That is my problem. I have one hen in particular that when she is feeling fussy, just scoops a lot out.

 

[RoyalChick]

I have a couple of questions about the Rat Proof Feeder.

For the soft-close option, is there any difference in weight needed to open it from the regular?

Also, what keeps chickens from scooping out the food while it is open? That is my problem. I have one hen in particular that when she is feeling fussy, just scoops a lot out.

I don’t think soft close alters the weight required to open it.
I had some serious scoopers and they didn’t really scoop anything once I started using the rat proof feeders.
Then unfortunately one of my girls learned some tricks and I had to install the guard that prevents scooping. Very easy to install and it has silver the problem.

 

[Anon112]

I have a couple of questions about the Rat Proof Feeder.

For the soft-close option, is there any difference in weight needed to open it from the regular?

Also, what keeps chickens from scooping out the food while it is open? That is my problem. I have one hen in particular that when she is feeling fussy, just scoops a lot out.

There's a little metal piece you can add that makes it harder for them to rake out the feed.

 

[BonnieBlue]

Thank you for the replies. Good to know that there is a deterrent for the super scoopers.

 

[BonnieBlue]

More questions for those who have the feeder. Is assembly difficult? I am reading the instructions, and they don't completely make sense. I am hoping actually having the feeder in front of me would help.

Also, it says attach to a building or post. Will sitting it on pavers work, or do I need to set a post into the ground?

Finally (maybe) for those who have it, what size do you have for how many birds?

 

[Anon112]

More questions for those who have the feeder. Is assembly difficult? I am reading the instructions, and they don't completely make sense. I am hoping actually having the feeder in front of me would help.

Also, it says attach to a building or post. Will sitting it on pavers work, or do I need to set a post into the ground?

Finally (maybe) for those who have it, what size do you have for how many birds?

I have two medium sized feeders for a group of 12.

It is pretty easy to put together. You want to make sure the arms are "even" as they attach, and you'll also have to play around with the spring to make sure it opens as easily as you want it to based on the weight of your chickens.

You want it attached to something (post, wall) so that there's no risk of it tipping forward onto a chicken. I've also had one of my roosters get his spur stuck under the treadle, and you want it to be firm so it doesn't fall on a chicken in that situation.

You also need to check it every now and then to make sure nothing has gotten under the treadle. My girls kicked a stick under the treadle once, and then it couldn't go down and they couldn't get to the feed. (This is why having at least two is a good idea). Every morning when I go out I check the food level and I push the treadle lightly with my foot to make sure it's all working as expected.

 

[Al Gerhart]

I have a couple of questions about the Rat Proof Feeder.

For the soft-close option, is there any difference in weight needed to open it from the regular?

Also, what keeps chickens from scooping out the food while it is open? That is my problem. I have one hen in particular that when she is feeling fussy, just scoops a lot out.

Well...I'm hardly needed here. Some of my wonderful customers have answered your questions better than I could.

The soft close, some of the spring tension needed to close the door and bring the treadle up is dissipated compressing the soft close cylinder. I usually set the weight needed on the treadle at around 2500 grams, around five and a half pounds but this is done before the soft close kit is installed. But, the extra pressure is really needed to close the door/raise the treadle, opening it makes no difference at all other than the spring being a little tighter if you find you needed to make the spring tension tighter to shut the door tightly.

If you fiddle with it, you can get a true slow closing action but we sell it as a soft close, not a slow close. Adjusting the screw on the soft close cylinder helps with tweaking things too. Just understand you need to do some tweaking to get things just right for your flock but a couple of wrenches and a #2 square drive screwdriver bit is all that is needed.

Feed scooping, there is a 1/2" lip that protrudes straight into the feed tray, horizontal, the very end of a long strip of metal that makes the back panel, the sloped bottom, and the front of the lower feeder. It is tough to scoop feed past UNLESS the feeder isn't mounted solidly or it gets more than the normal use per day. Then vibration can shake too much feed down into the lower feed tray. The ideal set up is a thin layer of pellets or mash flowing down the angled bottom with just enough vibration from use to allow a small pile at the bottom of the front of the feeder. Too much vibration, maybe heavier than average chickens, more openings per day, or a wobbly mounting, might shake down more feed that is optimum. I suggest blocking off part of the throat of the feeder with a three inch wide strip of cardboard. Just push it down from the inside, following the angled feed tray that holds the feed back so the door can open. Once you have it choked off perfectly, next time the feed is low tape that cardboard in place to be safe.

Be sure and feed a uniform feed like pellets or crumble, not a mixed feed with "goodies" scattered around in the feed. The feed lip extension is only $1.50 but the shipping can be five or six bucks so order one when you order the feeder so it has free shipping. Then again, they are rarely needed and a strip of heavy cardboard can work or find a tin can to rip open. Needs to be around 10.5" long, 2.25" wide before you fold over one long edge by 1/2" so it is safe and won't cut the chickens.

 

[Al Gerhart]

More questions for those who have the feeder. Is assembly difficult? I am reading the instructions, and they don't completely make sense. I am hoping actually having the feeder in front of me would help.

Also, it says attach to a building or post. Will sitting it on pavers work, or do I need to set a post into the ground?

Finally (maybe) for those who have it, what size do you have for how many birds?

You found the site ending in .net, correct? It has the videos on repair, installation, training, and tons of customer supplied videos. you basically slide a washer on one of the bolts, stick it through the side of the feeder coming from the inside pointing out, add the second washer, then the hex nut and tighten the stuffing out of it. Repeat for the other side. Hang the treadle bar making sure the small hole in the side of the treadle bar is on the right side under the door axle crank. Add the lock nut, tighten it down snug with a wrench, then back off 1/10th to 1/8th of a turn so the treadle rotates freely. Hook the wire link, the shorter end if there is one, in the door axle and bend it over 180 degrees. Push the wire link from the center of the feeder outward. That keeps the wire link on the inside of the treadle and door axle crank. It needs to be free to rotate without flexing the wire or it will break under metal fatigue. Insert the bottom end through the treadle hole and bend it up 180 degrees, into a U shape. Again, not tight, let it rotate easily. You are done.

Installation, there is a french cleat made out of sheet metal in a kind of z shape. Set some patio blocks up where you want to mount the feeder, two or three work great, lots of landing room in front of the treadle step so the birds can hop up and then work the treadle. Push the feeder against the wall or post and run a pencil mark along the top of the feeder. Remove the feeder and mount that french cleat around 1/4" below that pencil line. Holes should be pre punched but make your own if needed. Then hang the feeder over that cleat, the wire lid axle hooks in behind the top of the cleat. You can lift the feeder off for cleaning or if a squirrel commits suicide trying to get into the feeder.

No wall or post? Set the pavers and set the feeder, then set one heavy paver on top to prevent the feeder from tipping when it gets close to empty and a heavy rooster jumps on the treadle. Or, drive some 2 x 4 stakes into the ground, mount a 16" x 24" chunk of plywood to the stakes, cut a 2 x 4 block that slips under the feeder, screw the wood block to the plywood, run some screws through the sides of the bottom of the feeder to secure the feeder to the wood block. Or just drive the stakes into the ground and screw the feeder to the stakes.

Feeder to birds..... how many days do you want to be gone without running out of feed? Balance that with the morning traffic jam at the feeder which the hens will work out based on their pecking order. Figure 120 days of feed for one hen per medium feeder. Ten hens, empty in twelve days. Fifteen hens, more like eight days. Once you are over say 16 hens you should have two feeders, out of the line of sight of each other if possible to help to reduce competition if you have a bully hen. You probably can get by with one feeder for twenty hens if you are on a budget, so six days before empty. You can always add one later.