feeder frustration. We need better feeders.

[Al Gerhart]

I've never tried this but I have read several posts suggesting it's true. Rodents can taste capsaicin (the hot in peppers) but chickens can't. So if you add powder habaneros or some other hot peeper to the feed mice and rats should be really put off.
Borax kills ants like a charm, no idea if it is toxic to chickens but it's safe for humans.

I get orders every month from people that mention their trying this exact thing. Either the cost of the hot peppers or the fact that it doesn't work makes them pull out their credit card and buy a proper treadle feeder. There are caveats, you must have mostly full size hens, no baby chicks or small poults that would get trapped, and you have to follow the instructions if you want quick results.

If the pepper does work in some places, great, but figure the cost of the hot pepper dust or flakes, the time to keep it applied on top of the feed or mixed with the feed, and how long you plan on having chickens. The hot pepper wouldn't stop wild birds so......

 

[Genene]

Yes, I could poison them, but it would be easier to have a feeder that you could close up at night while it hangs in place to prevent an infestation. It would be easier then having to take it out of the coop every night. I think my coop is pretty "tight" against mice/rats, but I still want a hanging rodent resistant feeder. I want to minimize the attraction. I don't want to have to kill them because I've attracted them with feed. I don't have them yet because (I think) I put the food up at night.

I agree with you. Hard to believe there aren’t better designed feeders available. I use this 1 with a lid that flips down but it wouldn’t deter ants.