How are rats getting into treadle feeder

[Bryce Thomas]

I opened one of my 2 treadle feeders last night and saw a rat looking back at me, I tried killing it but it ran off! I know the only way they got in was by pushing up the lid then getting in. I don't have a weight on the lid, will a weight help?

I already sweep the coop every other day to clean it, I tidied it up a lot and removed anything that rats can be hiding under. Now it seems like they just want the feed. Will the weight solve all of that? Just so it is known, these rats are tiny as hell, probably mice, but the treadle feeder still closes fully so they cannot be squirming in but rather lift it up and getting in

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Which one do you have?

 

[Bryce Thomas]

https://rentacoop.com/collections/feeders/products/25-lb-metallic-treadle-feeder

Which one do you have?

 

[Kippenboertje]

I have two of these. https://www.kippenhuis.nl/feedomatic-automatische-voerbak-20kg
Works perfect, no mice or rat can get in. And it is much cheaper too

 

[McChooky]

Lay a cinder block on it if the tops level or use bungee cord to strap it down. Please take a photo of the "mice" or baby rats for identification purposes.There is a wild rat that looks much different than either one.

 

[Al Gerhart]

I have two of these. https://www.kippenhuis.nl/feedomatic-automatische-voerbak-20kg
Works perfect, no mice or rat can get in. And it is much cheaper too

That feeder is not rodent proof. Read the reviews online, they even pulled them from Amazon last time I checked. Mice could push the door open, or they just chewed through the plastic. A feeder like that *might* help from getting rodents but it isn't going to stop them if already infested.

The OP says they lift the lid up or might do that, that means it is a one of the Chinese made feeders like the Grandpa feeder, one of the clones, or one of the Chinese aluminum box feeders, all that have lift up lids.

But he wasn't clear, does he think they are lifting up the lid on the feed tray or the lid on top where you fill the feeder?

These guillotine style feeders always share the same basic design flaw; if the lid is heavy enough to prevent a mouse, rat, or ground squirrel from lifting the lid then it is too heavy to safely use around chickens. They have to be light enough that a chicken can struggle and escape. Plus the design made it for selling, not for stopping vermin, by putting a wide close in treadle step instead of a narrow and distant treadle step more like a perch than a big old invitation to chow down if you are a rodent.

But pictures please and try to use just one thread so all the info is in the same place. And do a forum search using the keywords rodent, rat, mouse, chicken feeder and you will find a ton of replies and advice.

 

[Bryce Thomas]

That feeder is not rodent proof. Read the reviews online, they even pulled them from Amazon last time I checked. Mice could push the door open, or they just chewed through the plastic. A feeder like that *might* help from getting rodents but it isn't going to stop them if already infested.

The OP says they lift the lid up or might do that, that means it is a one of the Chinese made feeders like the Grandpa feeder, one of the clones, or one of the Chinese aluminum box feeders, all that have lift up lids.

But he wasn't clear, does he think they are lifting up the lid on the feed tray or the lid on top where you fill the feeder?

These guillotine style feeders always share the same basic design flaw; if the lid is heavy enough to prevent a mouse, rat, or ground squirrel from lifting the lid then it is too heavy to safely use around chickens. They have to be light enough that a chicken can struggle and escape. Plus the design made it for selling, not for stopping vermin, by putting a wide close in treadle step instead of a narrow and distant treadle step more like a perch than a big old invitation to chow down if you are a rodent.

But pictures please and try to use just one thread so all the info is in the same place. And do a forum search using the keywords rodent, rat, mouse, chicken feeder and you will find a ton of replies and advice.

What I mean is they are pushing up the lid that will open when the chicken steps onto the plate, not the lid where you refill, sorry for not giving the info

 

[Al Gerhart]

What kind of feeder is it?

Pictures please?

You will save some folks some money buying bad feeders. You say "pushing up the lid" so it has to be one of the Chinese feeders like the Grandpa feeder, one of the clones, or the aluminum box feeder.

When their feeder sales slow down maybe they will be motivated to fix this problem with their feeder.