Concern About Automatic Chicken Feeders

[LyleVertigo]

I've had this large capacity automatic chicken feeder as an advanced measure in case rats manage to breach my defenses.
So far, that hasn't happened, but I noticed something while I have them eating from it during the trial stages.

Sometimes when one is feeding another will jump up on the moving lid. If the trainer bolts weren't in place the lid would have slammed on the neck of any that were feeding. Has anyone experienced this problem? The only thing I can think of is taking some 1/2" wire mesh and overlap it on top of the two side shields so that it covers the lid and keeps them from putting weight on it. I don't have a welder but I figure if I over size it a bit I can just zip tie the sides well enough to hold it in place in case one or more jumps on it.

 

[LyleVertigo]

This is what I did. It's stiff but not stiff enough to prevent sagging in the middle but at least when weight is put on it will not shut the lid down all the way, allowing any with their necks in to keep their heads.