RentACoop Automatic Treadle Chicken Feeder, Rat Proof No Waste, 25 lb

This is perfect for my chickens, they learned to use it quickly. Very durable and it was easy to assemble. I like that there is almost zero waste because the chickens can't scratch out the feed and other birds in the yard can't get to the chicken feed. I recommend it to anyone who has chickens.

Love this! It keeps rodents out well. It’s durable and simple and holds at least ten days worth of food for 9 chickens.

bought these feeders for our chickens and it was absolutely worth the investment. I have approx 30ish chickens in 2 separate coops/runs. I have 2 of these feeders and they are fantastic. I appreciate how much feed it holds so i don't have to go out there everyday and feed them. I also appreciate that they are water tight and animal proof to try to keep the rodents away. The chickens learned very quickly how to use it so nothing to worry about there. Highly recommend this feeder even though its on the expensive side.

First, I need to say that I have complete faith in RentACoop. I've always found their products to be superb quality. They are made by people who understand chicken behaviors, which is extremely helpful. I purchased two of these feeders. One had a couple broken rivets when it arrived. I reached out to RentACoop and they immediately shipped me the replacement parts. The company is very customer conscientious and I very much appreciate them for this! The feeders are good quality. They work well, they are waterproof and they hold a decent amount of feed so I don't need to refill them every day. We got these feeders bcuz we had a terrible rat infestation. I don't ever put food of any kind inside the coop. Not even treats. All chicken food is always outside, so that rodents aren't tempted to try to chew their way inside the structure. But our problem was so bad, we had to modify parts of our coop and run to deter rodents more effectively. These feeders were an important part of the rodent-proofing process. The only thing is, they do not keep squirrels out. A squirrel is heavy enough - and smart enough! - to learn to use these feeders. I busted one just this morning getting his or her brunch! All in all, they're a great investment. I only took off one star bcuz of the squirrel issue. The description reads that the feeders are squirrel proof, and turns out they're not. But so far, the feeders appear to deter every other critter. I will just need to deal with the squirrels in my own way, which is a never-ending battle (before you cringe, understand these are the destructive and menacing ground squirrels that destroy foundations and utility lines, not the sweet, cute tree squirrels).

Honestly better than expected My unit came with some deep scratches and customer support sent me a new one within a week. My younger group (~16 weeks) figured it out rather quickly Left the training screws on for about a week and then removed completely (throw in some BSF with trainer on) and worked like a charm. Witnessed multiple filtering in and out I like that this one has the cover over the lid unlike grandpas - I always got scared one would jump on top while another was eating with this there’s no concern 5 stars for customer support Only complaint/concern is the metal gets hot so I get worried about having to make sure it’s always in shade so they aren’t stepping on a blistering hot plate (might just cut a shelf liner or something to put over) Also like that the stepper is higher than grandpas so it can withstand a little more unevenness

We bought this as a trial for our coop - we were having a mice infestation problem and our old plastic barrel set up allowed the mice to go in, eat and mess up the chicken feed. This claimed to be rodent proof and easy for the chickens to learn and so it was. We used it exactly as the instructions said - with the two training bolts in for 2 weeks then removed. It works very well and we bought a second one. It keeps the mice out - reduces food waste and our chickens eat out of it no problem - even the bantams, guinea hens and turkeys. Worth the price we paid, the stainless steel looks like it will last a very long time and filling it is easy.

I expected a better working and longer lasting product for spending over $200 on a chicken feeder. I got this in May and I’m writing this review beginning of August—less then 6 months. It never worked quite right. At first it was just the annoyance of the top closure for adding food not closing easily. We would have to mess with it for a few minutes and shuffle it around to get it to close all the way/properly to latch it. But then in June we started noticing the treadle the chickens needed to stand on to open it wasn’t opening much for them. It appears to hang lower on one side. We have tried to trouble shoot this on our own by placing pieces of 2x4’s under it to elevate it more so it has a longer distance to drop and opens wider for them to get their heads in. My bantam hen cannot get it to open at all anymore though. She’s a bantam cochin so if the larger birds aren’t stepping on it she can’t eat. It all feels like a quality control issue—like certain parts weren’t made quite right and things have just gotten worse over time. I’m very disappointed and really upset knowing I spent so much on this. The reviews sold me and I’ve had good experiences in the past with products from this brand. But this is not good at all and I really suggest others reconsider spending this much.

I think it's great that RentACoop tried to create an affordable version of the Grandpa's Treadle Feeder. However, they need to put a little more effort into the materials and quality. The screws stripped extremely easily when trying to remove them from the default shipping position to put into the training position. They come with hexagonal screw caps that thread on a little way, and then require tightening with either pliers or a ratchet. They are in difficult positions to get to, so it took me an hour just to remove and place the training bolts where they need to go, and to remove the weight plate from inside. The springs are on the treadle pedal upon shipping, which makes it way too hard for even a human to open it. There are no instructions that say what you're supposed to do with them, so I left them loose. Although I thought the holes in the pedal were a good idea, I'm now rethinking that after seeing my turkey's toes slipping through them; too much chance for injury. The whole thing feels fairly unsteady when moving, and it's hard to get it to sit level so the lid actually closes like it's supposed to - it wants to stay stuck fully open. As far as training - my chickens and turkeys were using it within five minutes. Even the larger birds can use it. They used it with the training position #1 for two days, and I just adjusted it to position #2. Tried to - the screws are so stripped now that it's really difficult to move them. I don't want to deal with the hassle of finding new screws for it; the consumer shouldn't have to. The lid is staying stuck fully open so I'm trying to figure out a way to stop that from happening. A huge design flaw for me is that you have to fill it right through the lid, and I keep mine under the coop so it's out of the rain. It's really heavy with food in it, so it's not easy to move. I put it on a piece of hard plastic that will sortof slide on the dirt. I wish there was a way to fill it without having to move it - like a slide that would attach and you pour the food into it, so it just fills down at the bottom. I may try a piece of downspout for that. Overall, it's OK, but I am going to order the Grandpa's Feeder to compare it to. They've been building them for so much longer and with such great reviews that I have to try it, and I'm going to return one or the other.

The product works good but don't expect it to fit together perfectly. I had to file the burrs off of the inside of the square tubing so that the treadle 's square tubing would fit inside it. Also the self tapping screws required a lot of force to get them started. All in all once assembled I think the unit will save alot of money by preventing lost feed due to wild birds, mice and moisture.

Love that the girls can open and eat the food. Keeps it safe from rodents! Way less waste! Can go away and not worry about them running out of food.