treadle chicken feeder

[DStewart PDX]

I ordered one from the gentleman in Oklahoma City. I am very pleased with it. Took my girls quite awhile to learn to use it, but they are now pros. My meat chickens, on the other hand, don't have the right body type to use it. They must cooperate. One chicken cannot stand on the treadle and feed without falling forward due to its heavy breast. If one chicken stands on the treadle, another can feed. This is not going well. The layers do great, though. This unit is designed to be mounted through the back to something very solid, such as a coop wall. Mine is freestanding, and after some trial and error, I have weighted the back edge of it down with a small pile of bricks.

 

[DOnSoCalOC]

I just ordered mine!!!
I ordered 2 Mediums for my small flock so that they don't fight to get into one. Right now I have a homemade hanging bucket feeder and the sparrows are having a field day this year! Never happened before. Hanging keeps the vermin out, but not the little buggers. I will mount the new treadles on the sides of the run when they arrive.

Here is the direct link to order them from Al:

http://thecarpentershop.net/mediumplywoodchickenfeeder.html

So excited, can't wait for them to arrive next week!!!

 

[imzadi]

I am now looking for some sort of treadle-type feeder. I have looked at the Grandpas feeder buty yikes! very expensive (yes, I know...prob pay for itself in no time in decreased feed costs due to no longer feeding pests!). I have seen the wooden ones for sale but...not the best reviews and...not sure wood is a good idea? I have also seen the "build your own"...again, not sure about wood.

I have looked at the one listed above http://thecarpentershop.net/mediumplywoodchickenfeeder.html... but, see that only one chicken can get in it at a time? My girls love (especially in the am) to "swarm" the feeder. Also...how much was shipping? I did the "estimater" and it came to $100!

Anyway, as this thread is fairly old, would love to have some current feedback on the carpentership feeder (or grandpas...) or another option to stop rodant feed loss!

 

[imzadi]

bump

 

[DStewart PDX]

Mine have been three at a time on the treadle feeder from carpenter's shop. I have had it for some time now, and have noticed a reduction in feed consumption. Mainly, I like that it is much lower maintenance! It stays really, really clean!

 

[imzadi]

awesome...I am really thinking of getting one (or two?). Just wanted some good reviews first.

How much did YOU pay in shipping?

 

[DStewart PDX]

I don't remember, not excessive, though. They are in OK, and I am in OR. I think I e-mailed them and asked about shipping costs, and they told me. I think they just charge you whatever the actual shipping is.

 

[DStewart PDX]

Oh, and it's sheet metal, not wood. Not sure if they have updated their website yet.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Hello,


The issue with the heavy breasted birds is easily solved by adding a wider board to the treadle step, but not too wide or rats will be able to reach the feed if they are heavy enough to operate the treadle. Two wood screws hold the existing treadle step in place, if you go just an inch or two more it will work, much more than that and the increased weight might overwhelm the counterweight.

There is a new spring loaded door feature too to prevent rats from pushing their way into the feed tray. But we sold and used this feeder for around a year and a half without the spring and it was effective in wiping out rat populations in coops. We have had a couple of complaints from flock owners that have only bantams but the way to deal with light weight chickens is to just remove the counterweight and rely on the spring alone. Or drill a couple of extra holes in the treadle bar and move the counterweight forward to make it more sensitive.

They have been mostly sheet metal for about a year and now they contain a wooden step on the front of the treadle for the birds to perch on, a small strip behind the sheet metal door that connects the door to the steel door axle, and the wood block that helps fasten the feeder to the wall or to a post.

Shipping costs, we can either do a custom shipping quote for you if you use our contact form or you can use the flat rate shipping map at the very bottom of the webpage. The lady that handles our shipping quotes and labels lives in the Philippines so she usually answers the quotes after 8 pm Central Time (U.S.) and will continue answering emails up till around 6 am Central Time. The financial part is handled in the U.S. of course for safety reasons. The labels print out on a remotely controlled laptop here in the U.S..

This is a hand made product and like all sheet metal products there can be sharp edges if you go looking for them. We priced it much lower than the very well made Grandpa feeders so we don't have the same fit and finish but the feeders are built to last and have evolved a long way since we first developed the wooden feeders back in 2011 with the help of BackYardChickens.com posters.

Bottom line is that if you are looking to get rid of the rats it works like a charm or if wild birds are eating most of your feed it will work wonders on reducing your feed costs. But it isn't perfect, your kids won't suddenly start cleaning their rooms, hubby won't drop that ten pounds he needs to drop, and your self esteem won't skyrocket because it is so perfectly made (it isn't, LOL). But the majority of our customers love the feeder, many have ordered several additional units as their flock expands, some have bought more feeders for friends and family, so I think we are giving good value for their hard earned dollars.

We learn new things all the time to improve the process. A rash of shipping damage (actually three damaged feeders in a three month period) taught us a new way to secure the heavy counterweight to eliminate the chance of it crashing into the feeder if the box was dropped a certain way. Now it is secured in its own foam cradle and wrapped up like a mummy in packing tape. LOL.

And I'd like to thank the posters that are customers already for their kind words about our product. We really do try to make it as good as possible without increasing the shipping weight (and cost of shipping) or pricing it out of the reach of the smaller flock owners.

 

[CVAN732000]

I filled out the contact form last night because there wasn't a place to buy it on his website, and I noted this was an odd way of buying a product online. The next day I got an email back from him, simply saying thank you. There was no ordering instructions, or payment options listed, only my own information back. He didn't call my number to follow up on the sale, and when I called him and said I was confused how to actually buy the feeder, he said the info was all there! I told him I was going to go with the Grandpas brand, and that was that. I'd rather spend twice or three time the money for better service...

edited by staff