Rat Proof Chicken Feeder

[galanie]

Al, I like your design. At first I couldn't see how it worked but after looking one more time, it came to me and I wanted to slap myself LOL.

 

[meadrian]

I understand completely.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Here is a rough prototype of a smaller feeder with a metal hood for outdoor use.

Several changes due to the need to eliminate the side levers that operated the lid and to make it weather proof.

The treadle works opposite of the original allowing the metal hood to slide over the top. The wooden top is fastened to the sheet metal, take off the hood and the top comes with it. I can forsee having to push the hood back most of the way to train the hens, then sliding it forward a bit each day until they are used to going into the dark to get their food.

The large counterweight on the original made the door somewhat self locking as far as if a rat was to climb on the treadle and push on the swinging door. I had to add a magnet, a standard old style cabinet door magnetic catch, to make sure a rat won't push the door open. It holds a bit stronger than I'd like so I am going to put the hens to work this afternoon testing the new feeder. It takes a bit more weight to open, so training can be accomplished by putting several layers of electrical tape (or any type of tape) over the magnet surface to weaken the force or just adjusting the magnet back to where it is less strong. As the birds get used to stepping on the plate to open the feeder, either adjust the magnet closer to increase the strength or remove some of the tape off the magnet.

I also incorporated a galvanized steel back, bottom, and front, one piece that slides in. That makes it even more rat proof as even a rat can't chew through 31 guage steel. With the hood in place, the only place a rat could ever chew through would be the swinging door itself and that is 3/4" plywood.


I'll check the amout of laying pellets it will hold tonight and post. The weight went down to around 6# empty, 9 # shipping weight with packaging. I did a quick quote via US Mail, parcel post, to Oregon and it was $14.47, about two thirds the cost to ship the large one that far.

 

[meadrian]

This looks great. What are the dimensions?

 

[2DogsFarm]

Wow, Al - that looks great!
As soon as I can set aside $40 I'd LOVE one for my coop.

So the treadle definitely won't open for a rat?

I ask because my coop has become home to a pack of the vermin.
So far they aren't bothering the chickens, but I sure hate feeding them too!

 

[meadrian]

2DogsFarm - He has 2 videos on youtube that show the chickens usingthe feeder. And chickens are fairly easy to train. I've seen videos from other folks who've made similar feeders that actually show a rat on the treadle. And, nope! They can't get in. I like Al's better because of the way the door to the feed moves. The chicken can't get it's head caught. I'm really excited about these, too.

 

[Chickenfrantic]

I'm going to have to try this !!

 

[gale65]

Quote:
I don't think it's $40. The starting bid was $40 but it says "reserve price not met".

 

[meadrian]

On ebay it goes for $55.

 

[Al Gerhart]

The price is still in flux. I'm thinking that the large ones can sell for $40 plus shipping if I make a few changes to speed up manufacturing. For now, BackYardChicken members can get one for $40 to thank everyone for all the feedback and ideas for this project.

Still haven't heard back from the BYC site on advertising so I'm trying to tread carefully here.

I'll answer some questions posed so far:

It shouldn't open for a rat on the treadle. With the forward treadle, like the original large feeder, it takes about 1 1/2 pounds at the end of the treadle to open it, but a rat will likely climb up the front side, closer to the feeder, because it is lower to the ground. There it takes more weight to open as the treadle acts as a lever, a smaller weight further out will move it. I'm thinking that one might have to keep it set at factory settings till the birds learn to use the feeder, then slowly increase the weight required to open it by moving the counterweight or adding weight to the counterweight, or making a heavier bar. Really it will depend on how large your rats are. I have a mix under my chicken pen and storage shed, small mice, and big old 6" long rats. So far they are not getting in the feeder (judged by the drop in feed comsumption).

I'm thinking that the best thing would be to cut off their feed with the new feeder, then do a poison campaign to thin out the herd. Did I read on this forum about a reciepe using peanut butter and plaster of paris?

I found out the hard way this spring about rats bothering chickens. It dawned on me that I was losing chicks after I started moving them from the incubator to a box inside the home, then out to the chicken coop after they were feathered out. The litle ones started dissapearing in batches. I was hatching every week and as the weeks went by, I started losing every single new chick till I figured out it was rats getting them.

The new feeder holds about 5 pounds of laying pellets, about one and a quarter gallons or so. The feed tower is small, 6" square and 12" tall.

I am having to rework the new smaller feeder. The backwards treadle didn't give the bird enough leverage to opperate easily and the treadle arms are too short, not enough room for the bird to stand comfortably. I like the idea of having the metal sides for rain protection so I can't use the original treadle mechanism but a longer rod will allow me to simply reverse the treadle as long as the metal sides are in place the birds won't trip on them.

I'll post new pics tonight on the rework of the small feeder if I have the kinks worked out of the design. Last night the girls were confused by the reverse treadle on the new feeder after being used to the original treadle. They would walk up, raise their foot up high to step on the feeder, but didn't know to step further in to trip the treadle. Poor things were getting frustrated, walking around the feeder pecking at it.

Thanks for all the feedback.