grandpa's feeder

[xeno0323]

I recently purchased a Grandpa's Feeder for my flock of four birds. My problem is that my bantam is too small to open the lid on her own. My chicks are eight weeks old. Do you guys think she'll get big enough to work the feeder? (Also, I think little Rosie is actually a Rocky, since she has started to go off on little bouts of crowing.)

 

[Kiki]

Can you post a picture of the feeder?

 

[RojoMarz]

I recently purchased a Grandpa's Feeder for my flock of four birds. My problem is that my bantam is too small to open the lid on her own. My chicks are eight weeks old. Do you guys think she'll get big enough to work the feeder? (Also, I think little Rosie is actually a Rocky, since she has started to go off on little bouts of crowing.)

According to Grandpa's Feeder, bantams can use it. Their site has:
Using with Lighter Birds
This feeder is suitable to use for lighter birds such as bantams as well as larger birds. Do not use with baby chickens as they may get caught when bigger birds step off.


Have you checked with the company to see if the weight sensitivity can be adjusted?

 

[Al Gerhart]

I am no fan of that Chinese made product, but of course but once someone has their money tied up in something that expensive they need help fixing things not a "I told you so" comment so I will behave.

Here is a possible fix. You need to add weight to that big old honking treadle step if you cannot balance it for your lighter birds. Try taping some weight, nuts, washers, wheel weights, fishing sinkers, thin scraps of scrap metal, then if that works get out the hot melt or silicone caulk and flip that sucker over and put them there for good.

Downside, the feeder will be even less rodent resistant than it already is. You need a big difference in weight and reach between the chicken and the vermin for a treadle feeder will stop vermin. You might consider trying to first move the treadle step back away until the bantams can barely reach the feed before tinkering with the balance and adding weight as this will affect the balance.

Before doing that though, check over all the fasteners and make sure they are tight but not too tight. There are a lot of complaints about screws/bolts coming loose and falling off so I can see someone over tightening the fasteners as a fix. If a screw comes out too far it creates too much space between the rubbing parts and jamming or stiff action can be the result. If this is the case, tinker with it till it works reliably and then use some lock tight fluid to keep the screw where it ought to be. Or replace the screws with a similar diameter and purchase lock nuts to keep them from loosening. This is usually a plastic insert that is crimped onto one end of the nut. Makes it harder to install but usually will prevent rotation unless a wrench is used.

 

[chookcomplex]

I am no fan of that Chinese made product, but of course but once someone has their money tied up in something that expensive they need help fixing things not a "I told you so" comment so I will behave.

Here is a possible fix. You need to add weight to that big old honking treadle step if you cannot balance it for your lighter birds. Try taping some weight, nuts, washers, wheel weights, fishing sinkers, thin scraps of scrap metal, then if that works get out the hot melt or silicone caulk and flip that sucker over and put them there for good.

Downside, the feeder will be even less rodent resistant than it already is. You need a big difference in weight and reach between the chicken and the vermin for a treadle feeder will stop vermin. You might consider trying to first move the treadle step back away until the bantams can barely reach the feed before tinkering with the balance and adding weight as this will affect the balance.

Before doing that though, check over all the fasteners and make sure they are tight but not too tight. There are a lot of complaints about screws/bolts coming loose and falling off so I can see someone over tightening the fasteners as a fix. If a screw comes out too far it creates too much space between the rubbing parts and jamming or stiff action can be the result. If this is the case, tinker with it till it works reliably and then use some lock tight fluid to keep the screw where it ought to be. Or replace the screws with a similar diameter and purchase lock nuts to keep them from loosening. This is usually a plastic insert that is crimped onto one end of the nut. Makes it harder to install but usually will prevent rotation unless a wrench is used.

Can you prove that this feeder is made in China? I can't find evidence of that. Can you post a picture?

 

[Al Gerhart]

Thank you for asking for the facts. See the attached screen shots, shipping records for a short period, details of the importer and the exporter, and one bill of lading. This import record company used to be free to view, in the past couple of years they have put up a paywall.

 

[Al Gerhart]

If you wish to verify this, there is still one website providing import records for free, importyeti. And a google search on these keywords " Grandpa feeder imported from China" turns this result: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=Grandpa+feeder+imported+from+China#ip=1

The first result on that search is the chickenfeederreviews.com website who were the first to publicize that the Grandpa feeder was made in China but of course if you go down to the 4th result you will see that Grandpa admitted they were made in China way back in the early 2000's if I remember correctly. I would be curious if any of the Grandpa feeders come into the U.S. with the point of origin marked on the box and on the product as required by federal law. On their website they avoid the question by stating that the product was developed in New Zealand, which you can see on the search results is interpreted as being made in New Zealand.

Go down a bit further in that search result to find the importyeti.com link. Below that you see a review from a happychicken website page that seems to claim that the grandpa feeder isn't made in China, or at least they label the competition as coming from China without saying the Grandpa feeder comes from there too. Perhaps they do not know. They are careful to label their review with the appropriate FTC required warnings that they earn a commission off their review article so perhaps they are just ignorant of the origin.

This next review solidly claims that the Grandpa feeder is made in New Zealand https://myfavoritechicken.com/product/grandpas-feeder-chicken-treadle-feeder/

Again, they might not know because the Grandpa feeder company doesn't admit the country of origin, only claiming that they were developed in NewZealand. Many might not care but many will care and U.S. law demands that country of origin is marked on every single box that comes into the U.S..

 

[chookcomplex]

If you wish to verify this, there is still one website providing import records for free, importyeti. And a google search on these keywords " Grandpa feeder imported from China" turns this result: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=Grandpa+feeder+imported+from+China#ip=1

The first result on that search is the chickenfeederreviews.com website who were the first to publicize that the Grandpa feeder was made in China but of course if you go down to the 4th result you will see that Grandpa admitted they were made in China way back in the early 2000's if I remember correctly. I would be curious if any of the Grandpa feeders come into the U.S. with the point of origin marked on the box and on the product as required by federal law. On their website they avoid the question by stating that the product was developed in New Zealand, which you can see on the search results is interpreted as being made in New Zealand.

Go down a bit further in that search result to find the importyeti.com link. Below that you see a review from a happychicken website page that seems to claim that the grandpa feeder isn't made in China, or at least they label the competition as coming from China without saying the Grandpa feeder comes from there too. Perhaps they do not know. They are careful to label their review with the appropriate FTC required warnings that they earn a commission off their review article so perhaps they are just ignorant of the origin.

This next review solidly claims that the Grandpa feeder is made in New Zealand https://myfavoritechicken.com/product/grandpas-feeder-chicken-treadle-feeder/

Again, they might not know because the Grandpa feeder company doesn't admit the country of origin, only claiming that they were developed in NewZealand. Many might not care but many will care and U.S. law demands that country of origin is marked on every single box that comes into the U.S..

I'll read more into this but in the meantime, researching your product, it appears you don't really ship to Australia (except on special request at high shipping cost) would you have any suggestions for a feeder if not the Bucket/treadle style or will I have to DIY?

I'm hoping anyone else from Australia is able to offer recommendations

 

[Al Gerhart]

Yeah, we have shipped to Australia on a few occasions and it is quite expensive going through anyone, post office or package forwarding company. We did look into importing there but if I remember correctly even shipping from my Philippines shop the postage was nearly the cost of the feeder and setting up distribution using a 3PL company takes a large investment. Maybe one could be shipped flat packed, about a twenty minute job to re assemble.

There were one or two AU made feeders that were tolerable. This one is no where near as good as our feeder, the door isn't spring loaded, treadle way too wide, and it has some plastic, and not sure where it comes from. At $179.95 you are also at the price to ship one of our feeders. https://www.aussiechooksupplies.com.au/bainbridge-treadle-feeders-12kg-20kg

Here is one that IS AU made, same issues as the one above though other than it is made in Australia and it is $199.00 https://www.chooktred.com.au/pages/about-us

This company claims they are AU fabricated, that be a weasel word though, might be just assembled there. More of a Grandpa style feeder https://ourlifeourway.com.au/shop/

Looking at the current exchange rate our $85.00 feeder is 123.03 AU dollars, adding on the shipping an assembled feeder might hit 289 AU dollars or $200 U.S.. A knock down feeder is around 36" x 12" x 3", weight is 12 pounds, you might check the cost of shipping from the Philippines for that size, might not be as bad, under $50 U.S I would think. Right now with the insane container rates we are building, disassembling, wrapping flat pack and stacking feeders in the Philippines thinking that using a smaller container with three times as many feeders inside is the only way to afford to export. Hoping things will get down so I can export to the U.S. in a year or two.

 

[chookcomplex]

Yeah, we have shipped to Australia on a few occasions and it is quite expensive going through anyone, post office or package forwarding company. We did look into importing there but if I remember correctly even shipping from my Philippines shop the postage was nearly the cost of the feeder and setting up distribution using a 3PL company takes a large investment. Maybe one could be shipped flat packed, about a twenty minute job to re assemble.

There were one or two AU made feeders that were tolerable. This one is no where near as good as our feeder, the door isn't spring loaded, treadle way too wide, and it has some plastic, and not sure where it comes from. At $179.95 you are also at the price to ship one of our feeders. https://www.aussiechooksupplies.com.au/bainbridge-treadle-feeders-12kg-20kg

Here is one that IS AU made, same issues as the one above though other than it is made in Australia and it is $199.00 https://www.chooktred.com.au/pages/about-us

This company claims they are AU fabricated, that be a weasel word though, might be just assembled there. More of a Grandpa style feeder https://ourlifeourway.com.au/shop/

Looking at the current exchange rate our $85.00 feeder is 123.03 AU dollars, adding on the shipping an assembled feeder might hit 289 AU dollars or $200 U.S.. A knock down feeder is around 36" x 12" x 3", weight is 12 pounds, you might check the cost of shipping from the Philippines for that size, might not be as bad, under $50 U.S I would think. Right now with the insane container rates we are building, disassembling, wrapping flat pack and stacking feeders in the Philippines thinking that using a smaller container with three times as many feeders inside is the only way to afford to export. Hoping things will get down so I can export to the U.S. in a year or two.

Could you explain why your feeder doesn't have an "anti-flick" grill in the feeding trough? I see some feeders include it like the Grandpas feeder on and the Chooktred. Do you think they're ineffective or not cost effective?