- Aug 7, 2014
- 189
- 49
- 151
Hi everyone. I currently have 4 chickens and 5 ducks. I bought a rat proof feeder last year as I was getting rats in and eating the food. I though this feeder was amazing and it got rid of the rats..for a while. They are now back and they have suddenly figured out how to get INTO the feeder! I don't know if the feeder has malfunctioned or what but rodents are NOT supposed to be able to get into this feeder it's made out of metal and has a pedal that the birds step on to open the flap-this is meant to be too heavy for rodents.
Having a rodent get into this feeder is a massive problem for obvious reasons but also, once in there I don't think it can get out of the one-way flap so it would be stuck in there until I take the lid off and let it out. The flap is prevented from opening with the pedal by the rat/mouse being in there-which also means the birds can't get the feed! Luckily the first time it happened i heard the flap go even though all my birds were outside-so I knew something was in there luckily else i might not have checked for a couple of days knowing there was enough food in there. Turns out that was a mouse-I'm pretty sure it got in there itself, now a big rats not supposed to be able to operate this feeder nevermind a mouse.
It just happened again-something was in the feeder flicking all the food out! luckily I heard it again else may not have checked-I will always be checking from now on that the feeder opens so nothing can be in there!
Ok so basically, I thought of only feeding my birds with me there-is this plausible? There is always someone at home so someone could go out 3 times a day and put food down. Do other people do it? And also if anyone has any experience with the type of feeder I mentioned I'd love to know if you have had the same problem. I have all food bags in a metal bin and bought a rat proof feeder and the **** things are still getting to the food!
Having a rodent get into this feeder is a massive problem for obvious reasons but also, once in there I don't think it can get out of the one-way flap so it would be stuck in there until I take the lid off and let it out. The flap is prevented from opening with the pedal by the rat/mouse being in there-which also means the birds can't get the feed! Luckily the first time it happened i heard the flap go even though all my birds were outside-so I knew something was in there luckily else i might not have checked for a couple of days knowing there was enough food in there. Turns out that was a mouse-I'm pretty sure it got in there itself, now a big rats not supposed to be able to operate this feeder nevermind a mouse.
It just happened again-something was in the feeder flicking all the food out! luckily I heard it again else may not have checked-I will always be checking from now on that the feeder opens so nothing can be in there!
Ok so basically, I thought of only feeding my birds with me there-is this plausible? There is always someone at home so someone could go out 3 times a day and put food down. Do other people do it? And also if anyone has any experience with the type of feeder I mentioned I'd love to know if you have had the same problem. I have all food bags in a metal bin and bought a rat proof feeder and the **** things are still getting to the food!