MA 2017 (Marie-Antoinette 2017)

Your Price: $36.00
In stock and ready to ship
Part Number:MA 2017

Why buy this product?:

Stop the wild birds from stealing your feed and spreading disease. Cut your feed bills!

Shipping info

Fast 2 -3 day shipping will usually run between $16 and $30 . For cheaper shipping use the Mult packed feeders.

Videos available

Better quality than the cheap Chinese treadle feeders but competitive on pricing

Is it hard to assemble?

A cheaper treadle feeder if you don't have rats and are less concerned about safety

Is it hard to train the chickens to use it?

Assembly and training instructions are in the tab sections below. About fifteen minute assembly, two to three weeks for training
This feeder is not a rat proof feeder or squirrel proof but it will stop wild birds from stealing feed.  It has the same action as the Grandpa treadle feeder or the cheap Chinese treadle feeders, no counterweight or spring loaded door so a determined rat or squirrel can push the door upwards as it requires less leverage to pull up on the lid than it takes to depress the treadle.  We offer it solely to stay competitive with the re-sellers and Chinese importers and to offer a choice for those that are raising meat birds where the loss of a bird from a descending feeder lid isn't going to be a huge loss. We make these feeders in our Philippines shop but ship from the U.S. where our main shop is located.

This style of feeder is not as safe as the rat proof chicken feeders as the door swings up into the bird's face and over the bird's head.  We called it the Marie-Antoinette feeder for good reasons these guilitine style feeders like the Grandpa treadle feeder or the cheap Chinese treadle feeders simply are not that safe.. Expect two to three weeks training period where you have to leave the feeder blocked partially open.  We don't recommend this style of feeder for pet chickens or expensive breeds of chickens.

Our version of the unbiquitous cheap Chinese treadle feeder has many advantages over the imported models.  Our front treadle step is a proper perch, not a flimsy and slippery sheet metal step that will eventually bend and bottom out leaving the door unable to open.   We have large 1/4" bolt pivot points instead of the small machine screws that are prone to falling off and we use lock nuts that won't fall off and will hold their adjustment.  The MA 2017 has a half inch wide feed lip that helps with birds that are raking feed as long as you don't fill the feeder too full. And of course it is made right here in the U.S.A. out of proper galvanized steel instead of soft, easily chewed through aluminum.  Our treadle assembly is one piece instead of the three piece version that the Grandpa treadle feeder and the cheap Chinese treadle feeders us.  Less assembly required as there are no fasteners needed to bolt the treadle arms to the treadle steps.  This makes our shipping carton a bit bigger though but it affords a much, much, sturdier product.

The MA 2017 chicken feeder hopper holds 12 pounds of laying pellets or other feed and has a 100% galvanized sheet metal feed tray and hopper so the rats can't chew through the sides like on the aluminum imported feeders.  Aluminum has health risks as well, the sale of aluminum cookware is prohibited in Germany, France, Belgium, Gr. Britain Switzerland, Hungary and Brazil. Generally a laying hen eats around 4 ounces of feed per day, so one pound of feed should feed four birds one day, or 12 days per full hopper of feed for a four hen flock. However due to the lack of tall side panels it is recommended that the feeder be filled only half full to prevent chickens from raking feed out of the feeder or set a section of chicken wire on top of the feed to prevent raking. The feeder is designed and marketed for full size birds and shouldn't be used for smaller breeds.  If you have bantams or other than full size birds please read our FAQ section on our main website.  Copy and paste this web address in to your browser please http://ratproofchickenfeeder.net  There is a lot of info on that web page including videos.

Approximate assembled size is 15” deep x 23” wide x 8.5” tall. The actual feeder hopper is about 21" x 6.75" x 3.5" tall.    Shipping weight is around 12 pounds with packaging for the MA 2017 treadle chicken feeder. When you are ready to purchase add the item to your cart, add your zip code to compute the shipping, and then scroll down to find the PayPal icon to automatically insert your shipping information. You will need to add your daytime phone number for FedEx Ground. For more information about the feeders visit our main chicken feeder web page http://ratproofchickenfeeder.net