Rat proof feeder options.

[ATXInstantFlock]

I've considered an angled top... The problem is it makes the box another four to five inches longer, meaning a 20% increase in shipping cost for the customer, or the feeder loses five pounds of feed capacity.

No worries, don't take my passing comment as criticism. They jumped their way onto the roof of the coop despite it's slope and pooped on top of that too. At least that's plastic, so I think it's harmless.
This makes me think I ought to do a better job of keeping their litter away from the welded wire at the bottom of the poultry pen and hardware cloth. I don't want to have to redo/replace all of that.

I'll pass along what I try and how it ends up working. A bunch of people suggested the dollar store has giant easter eggs that can be placed on top of the waterers to prevent perching on top of those, but my local store, doesn't seem to have anything of the exact appropriate size.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Chicken poop is usually slightly acidic so it will rust that welded wire and hardware cloth given enough time.

You know, for the top of the feeder, a paint can might do. Or even a milk jug filled with dirt or sand.

 

[GreenHaven]

Makes sense. I guess I knew the answer was "can't just leave it alone". I'll have to put my thinking cap and think of something. Due to laziness, I haven't got a perfect bead on exactly how much they eat every day, so I've mostly just been topping off their food every week. I'll try to slightly underfill it next week so it gets completely empty before hosing it off and building a "guard" for the top. Hopefully I can come up with something that they won't just try and perch on top of.

Mine were doing this when “teenagers”, as well as perching on their coop roof and on the fence posts. Then - they just stopped - all grown up, I guess.

 

[ATXInstantFlock]

Mine were doing this when “teenagers”, as well as perching on their coop roof and on the fence posts. Then - they just stopped - all grown up, I guess.

Saturday marks the 1 year mark of being chicken owners, so that teenager situation can definitely apply here.