Rat Proof Chicken Feeder
The rats were eating more feed than my three hens and rooster were so I decided to make a rat proof feeder then liked it enough to decide to make extras to sell other backyard chicken enthusiasts. I have a large cabinet shop so they are professionally built.
Weighs 15# empty, holds around 25# of laying pellets or around half a sack.
The opening force is adjustable, comes preset around 1 1/2 pounds pressure on the end of the treadle. The design will not hurt a bird if they aren't standing on the treadle when another bird gets off, their head will get pushed out of the feeder rather than caught.
Baltic birch plywood construction, inner parts are dadoed into the sides for strength. Sprayed with vinyl sealer for moisture protection but not made for outdoor use.
My birds took to it right away, maybe five minutes training by holding the treadle down till one of the birds got on the treadle, then after letting them eat for a few seconds, pushing them off and letting the door close. They learn fast but if not, wait a couple of hours till they are hungry and try again.
I used Rhode Island Reds for my testing so if you have smaller breeds you can either move the counterweight rod closer to the front to adjust the pressure needed to open (four phillips head screws), order a shorter counterweight rod when you order, or trim a bit off the counterweight rod to fine tune the balance. As I had built up quite a mouse and barn rat colony after a couple of years of raising chickens, I had a good testing ground at home. I found that setting the treadle at 1 1/2 pounds kept even the larger rats out of the feed yet even the smaller hen had no problems opening the feeder.
I prefer to ship FedEx Ground. Shipping cost will vary, cheaper to closer states, so send me your zipcode if you want a firm shipping quote. If you have questions or suggestions, please post a reply.
Approximate size is 12 1/2" x 18" x 19 1/2" tall. Feed box is around 11" square x 19.5" tall. It comes fully assembled and ready to use.
The rats were eating more feed than my three hens and rooster were so I decided to make a rat proof feeder then liked it enough to decide to make extras to sell other backyard chicken enthusiasts. I have a large cabinet shop so they are professionally built.
Weighs 15# empty, holds around 25# of laying pellets or around half a sack.
The opening force is adjustable, comes preset around 1 1/2 pounds pressure on the end of the treadle. The design will not hurt a bird if they aren't standing on the treadle when another bird gets off, their head will get pushed out of the feeder rather than caught.
Baltic birch plywood construction, inner parts are dadoed into the sides for strength. Sprayed with vinyl sealer for moisture protection but not made for outdoor use.
My birds took to it right away, maybe five minutes training by holding the treadle down till one of the birds got on the treadle, then after letting them eat for a few seconds, pushing them off and letting the door close. They learn fast but if not, wait a couple of hours till they are hungry and try again.
I used Rhode Island Reds for my testing so if you have smaller breeds you can either move the counterweight rod closer to the front to adjust the pressure needed to open (four phillips head screws), order a shorter counterweight rod when you order, or trim a bit off the counterweight rod to fine tune the balance. As I had built up quite a mouse and barn rat colony after a couple of years of raising chickens, I had a good testing ground at home. I found that setting the treadle at 1 1/2 pounds kept even the larger rats out of the feed yet even the smaller hen had no problems opening the feeder.
I prefer to ship FedEx Ground. Shipping cost will vary, cheaper to closer states, so send me your zipcode if you want a firm shipping quote. If you have questions or suggestions, please post a reply.
Approximate size is 12 1/2" x 18" x 19 1/2" tall. Feed box is around 11" square x 19.5" tall. It comes fully assembled and ready to use.
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