ALT to grandpa treadle feeder

[Pixelsaurus]

I have found a great alternative to Grandpa's treadle feeder, and it is made by a small company here in Maryland. The Rent-a-Coop Treadle feeder is very similar in operation. Given I have had to upgrade my feeder quickly as we are fighting a nasty Rat problem, I couldn't wait for the Grandpa feeder to be back in stock.

We are currently on the second setting, lid slightly open, and they are getting the hang of it well.

 

[Ais]

I like my grandpas feeder, but I find that the feed doesn't flow down properly... even after removing the grate, I have to reach in the back and push the feed down. Do you have the same issue with this feeder?

 

[Al Gerhart]

Made in America? Does it say that on the box?

I find that highly unlikely so I looked up their import records.

https://www.importgenius.com/importers/rentacoop


Most of their shipments are coming out of China, Quingdao. There are several companies associated with Rentacoop, one called Top Manufacturing, another one that perhaps is the same company taken public, RentacoopLLC. Recently they took on a partner with some equity financing. This feeder might be from Olba in the Netherlands but most likely is from China from QINGDAO HAIMU HUSBANDRY MACHINERY who makes most of the other Grandpa feeder clones. The Grandpa feeder is made by this company:

GAODENG FURNITURE CO.,LTD XINTIAN INDUSTRIAL AREA, XIQIAO

I would say that the rent a coop clone of the grandpa feeder has some advantages over the Grandpa feeder but they still haven't fixed the main problems with the feeder.

So, sold by a small company in Maryland no doubt, but highly unlikely them manufactured it in the U.S. but prove me wrong if it is.

 

[jior]

Has anyone worried about the treadle heating upon hot days?

 

[Al Gerhart]

That is why we used a wood step and always will.

Not just heat in the summer, but up North touching cold steel with a wet body part causes skin to stick to the metal. A wet chicken foot might stick as well. Those wide metal steps seem like an optimum solution but in fact they make the feeders less vermin proof, have holes that chicken claws can get caught in, and are an issue in extreme weather.

I've said this many times before, the Chinese made feeders like the Grandpa feeder and its many clones are a old design that is twenty years past the time it should have had the design flaws corrected. Not vermin proof, unsafe, possibly made by slave labor or the materials might have been made there, takes too long to train requiring leaving the door open. But they have some loyal customers, or did till the other Chinese made knock offs hit the market. Such is life.

 

[jior]

That is why we used a wood step and always will.

Not just heat in the summer, but up North touching cold steel with a wet body part causes skin to stick to the metal. A wet chicken foot might stick as well. Those wide metal steps seem like an optimum solution but in fact they make the feeders less vermin proof, have holes that chicken claws can get caught in, and are an issue in extreme weather.

I've said this many times before, the Chinese made feeders like the Grandpa feeder and its many clones are a old design that is twenty years past the time it should have had the design flaws corrected. Not vermin proof, unsafe, possibly made by slave labor or the materials might have been made there, takes too long to train requiring leaving the door open. But they have some loyal customers, or did till the other Chinese made knock offs hit the market. Such is life.

That is why we used a wood step and always will.

Not just heat in the summer, but up North touching cold steel with a wet body part causes skin to stick to the metal. A wet chicken foot might stick as well. Those wide metal steps seem like an optimum solution but in fact they make the feeders less vermin proof, have holes that chicken claws can get caught in, and are an issue in extreme weather.

I've said this many times before, the Chinese made feeders like the Grandpa feeder and its many clones are an old design that is twenty years past the time it should have had the design flaws corrected. Not vermin proof, unsafe, possibly made by slave labor or the materials might have been made there, takes too long to train requiring leaving the door open. But they have some loyal customers, or did till the other Chinese made knock offs hit the market. Such is life.

Alrighty then, the treadle feeder isn’t the answer for all of our feeding woes. I have a problem w/the treadle heating up in the summer to the point of being unsafe. I thought it would solve my problem of wild birds getting in on the feed (which they do in numbers!) and w/the amount of waste w/the feed being thrown around. And now I find they’re made in China! Noooo! Has anyone found the magic answer? I think my newly installed GP’s feeder is going back to where it came from.

 

[RojoMarz]

Alrighty then, the treadle feeder isn’t the answer for all of our feeding woes. I have a problem w/the treadle heating up in the summer to the point of being unsafe. I thought it would solve my problem of wild birds getting in on the feed (which they do in numbers!) and w/the amount of waste w/the feed being thrown around. And now I find they’re made in China! Noooo! Has anyone found the magic answer? I think my newly installed GP’s feeder is going back to where it came from.

I have a Ratproof chicken feeder. It does a great job.

 

[jior]

I have a Ratproof chicken feeder. It does a great job.

Is it a DYI Ratproof feeder? Or is it available to purchase somewhere? Sounds promising!

 

[Al Gerhart]

Is it a DYI Ratproof feeder? Or is it available to purchase somewhere? Sounds promising!

Click on the link she provided.