Medium Ratproof Chicken Feeder for Outside use, legacy product no longer for sale, all feeders are now exterior models

review
5
0
5
Your Price: $70.00
Not for Sale.
Part Number:F-MEDEXT

Why buy this product?:

Exterior version! Stop the rats, wild birds, and other vermin from stealing your feed and spreading disease. Cut your feed bill in half!

Shipping info

2 Shipping rates have skyrocketed thanks to Amazon squeezing the three main carriers. For cheaper shipping use the multi pack. Or send us a label.

Videos available

The picture slide show to the left has a video of the feeder in use, check the small feeder and replacement parts listings for more videos

Is it hard to assemble?

Assembly will take a few common tools and about five minutes. More on assembly below in the tab section. We have assembly videos online too.

Is it hard to train the chickens to use it?

If you follow our instructions training the birds takes a few minutes then a refresher coures a few hours later

This is the original Philippines made  medium feeder for exterior use.  Originally we had interior versions but once we had sold all the inventory we stopped making the interior version but kept the product page up as it had over 150 customer reviews.  This listing isn't currently available due to the Chinese virus attack preventing travel to the Philippines and keeping shipping costs so high but it might be available next year.  We are keeping the listing up because of the reviews.  Find the regular medium feeder, F-MED is the product code, it is more expensive because it is the new model and made in the U.S..

We have a lot of customer submitted videos too that show the feeders in use, most from customers with feeders that are two, even three years old.

This is the waterproof version of our medium rat proof treadle chicken feeder.  Be sure and look at the original version, the soft close version, and the exterior soft close version in the Category section.  There are also Turkey Steps and Duck Steps available.

There aren't many reviews on this feeder so please  read the reviews on the very popular medium feeder by clicking here.

The original version has a water tight lid but in heavy rain sometimes the rain might flow down the  lower front panel and get blown into the feed tray if the wind was blowing the wrong way.  We fixed that by recessing the lower front panel by 3/8".   Older models can be retrofitted in a few minutes.  We have a video up on our Facebook page, on our main web page, and on our YouTube Channel showing how to make the retrofit.   Obviously gale force winds that might blow the door open is still going to cause wet feed if the wind is blowing the wrong way so it is a good idea to check the feed after major storms.  Many customers used the original version outside and had no problems with water so the exterior feeder will cover normal weather situations just fine.

Here is a link to a video showing the water tight lid and new recessed lower front panel.  Click here to see  the video

The hopper holds 26 pounds of laying pellets or other feed and has a 100% galvanized sheet metal feed tray and hopper so the feed flows easily and sanitation is assured. Generally a laying hen eats around 4 ounces of feed per day, so one pound of feed should feed four birds one day, 7 pounds per week per four birds, or 3 1/2 weeks per full hopper of feed for a four hen flock. The feeder is designed and marketed for full size birds.  If you have bantams or other than full size birds please read our FAQ section on our main website.    There is a lot of info on that web page including videos.

Approximate assembled size is 18” deep x 14” wide x 19” tall. The actual feeder hopper is about 11" x 10" x 14" tall, partially rectangular, partially triangular shape where the door has to swing back against the feed hopper.  Shipping weight is around 15 pounds with packaging for the medium rat proof treadle chicken feeder. When you are ready to purchase add the item to your cart 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

Here is one of the most recent reviews on this product.  The lady had rats tunneling under her coop causing structural damage, saved 20% per day in feed costs for 25 hens, and is getting three to four extra eggs per day, which probably meant that the rats were eating that many eggs or were stressing the hens enough to impact egg production.

Headline: Rats are gone!
Barb, Orange, VA
Review:

 I ordered 2 feeders. They're easy to assemble and look like they'll be easy to clean, although none of the birds are hanging out on top of them. I attached the wood mounting block to the back of the feeder and screwed two heavy-duty hooks into the top of the block. The hooks hang on the inside of the chain link fence that supports the open-air chicken coop. This causes the feeder to tilt forward a bit, so I'm planning to add a bumper near the bottom to correct the tilt.

 I recommend training the chickens when you can spend a few hours with them over two days. They were scared of the sound of the door closing and would run away. I stood in the coop and would catch a hen, place her on the treadle and let her eat. Then I'd remove her, let the door close, and place her back on the treadle. I did this repeatedly with all the brave girls and the not-so-brave girls would watch and then eat from the sides. When I saw one girl jump on the treadle, I left the coop. I repeated this the next day to make sure multiple girls were jumping on the treadle. Make sure there is no other food available because they won't learn if they're not motivated by hunger. I'm using finely-ground feed. I haven't had any issues with bridging, probably because the hens rock the feeder when they jump on the treadle. I'm feeding 25 birds with 2 feeders and all of them appear to be getting enough to eat.
I've seen 4 hens eating at the same time, but usually I see 3.

My coop recently became overrun by rats that dug through heavy clay under the apron of my coop. I think one or more got caught inside the coop when the automatic door closed so they spent the night digging out. The tunnels were causing structural damage because they tunneled under weight-bearing blocks. Judging by the extensive network of tunnels radiating 40-50 feet from the coop, there were many rats. I installed the rat-proof feeders and poison bait stations at the same time because rats will chew on the chickens' feet if they don't have anything else to eat. The feeders and bait stations have been in place for just over two weeks and we've noticed this past week that the tunnel entrances in the coop aren't active any more and are being filled in by the chickens scratching the dirt.

We're even getting 3-4 more eggs a day. I'm assuming the rats were stressing the chickens, which reduces egg output. I'm using 20% less feed and getting more eggs, so I'm very happy with the new feeders!

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars
5 Stars
I am so happy
My hens free range in the backyard and I was losing about 7lbs of food per day to the doves and sparrows. This feeder has been an amazing buy. I was a little daunted by the price, but at the rate I was losing feed I will make my money back in 3 months. It wasn't too hard to train the chickens. One of the ladies finally got the hang of it on about the 3rd day. Super happy with my purchase
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Reviewed by:  from Apache Junction. on 11/30/2020
5
5 Stars
Highly recommended
I use this feeder for my chickens, turkeys, and ducks. They have all learned to use it fairly quickly. It literally solves all of my squirrel problems. It pays for itself because I save so much food by not feeding the squirrels. It also holds out rain and is well made.
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Reviewed by: (Verified Buyer)  from Nevada. on 9/15/2020
5
5 Stars
Fantastic
This feeder has been a huge improvement. Our problem is not rats, but doves, who used to steal all the chicken feed AND give the hens mites in the process. Now, ONLY the hens can access the food - hooray! Thank you especially to Al for all his email assistance when I failed to set up the feeder according to instructions. He replied immediately and figured out immediately what I had done incorrectly. within hours, the hens were eating from the feeder. This thing is ingenious.
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Reviewed by:  from Austin, TX. on 6/3/2020
5
5 Stars
Mr.
We got the feeder a few months ago when our 15 American Buckeyes were only 3 months old, too small to test the feeder. It was easy to assemble. I duck taped two heavy bolts to the side arms and showed them how it works. A month later they were regularly using it and now it's time to take off the added arm weights as they're almost full grown. We have the weather modified version even though in is under a covered run, just in case of a bad storm. It's been working perfectly and the birds seem to use it a lot, two at a time usually. No fighting for access. We also provide some wet mash and seed and leaf treats. No rat problems.
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Reviewed by:  from Buchanan, VA. on 11/30/2019
5
5 Stars
"Chicken Tender"
I love, love, love this feeder! The instructions they provide to train your chickens is SO IMPORTANT and needs to be followed. My husband was trying to get me to still leave their other feed out while training to use the treadle feeder. However, I told him the instructions said to remove their other food source so they have that incentive to learn the new feeder, so I did exactly as the instructions stated. By doing so, our four chickens were at ease using it within 3-5 days. The first few days they do get a little skiddish with the sound. Periodically though I would throw their favorite treats in it with them watching me. They saw that I pressed down the treadle to get into it and one of them started stepping on it. They each caught on at a different rate. One of the more timid but larger chickens just mooched the feed when OTHERS were pressing the treadle the first few days, but she was easily stepping on it herself by day 5. The training instructions were wonderful and I'm happy to say there are no more wild birds eating their feed. It will save so much money over time and SO GLAD I made the very reasonable investment for a well made product. THANKS!!!
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Reviewed by:  from Central Illinois. on 11/26/2019
5
5 Stars
Simplest feed solution there is
This is my second one of these (the bottom rotted out of the first one) and it is definitely my favorite way to feed the chickens. I have a couple of rakers, so a little still ends up on the ground, but it's much less waste than when they can get their feet in the feed and scatter it far and wide.
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Reviewed by:  from Fernandina Beach. on 8/4/2019
5
5 Stars
chicken mom
I love this feeder, it doesn't scare even the most timid birds.
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Reviewed by:  from Beacon Falls. on 7/2/2019
5
5 Stars
Great feeder, install with caution!
This chicken feeder has worked beautifully. It is keeping the rodents away from our chicken feed. I used the techniques suggested by the company, and the chickens learned to use the feeder within a couple days. One word of caution: when we moved our chicken coop, I installed the feeder too high on the wall of the coop and one of the chickens died when it's head got stuck in the door. I reread the instructions and saw that this was my error - not a flaw in the feeder. Besides this mishap I am very happy with the product.
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Reviewed by:  from Oakland, CA. on 4/26/2019
5
5 Stars
LOVE IT!!!
To be honest, we didn't have a problem with rats. But, we had a problem with roaches. And we had a problem with food going moldy after getting sprinkled on, even though we live in the desert. This feeder solved all the problems!!! We followed the instructions to a T, and it worked. Granted, it seems my chickens may be slower than how quick they SHOULD have learned how to use this, but they did finally. The only problem we experienced was (our chickens were still young) they were light, so we removed the extra spring and added a piece of wood (they sell it on here as well) so that our Tiny could reach the food. Super great feeder, well worth the money, they shipped it out quick and we received it in just a few days. HIGHLY recommend this feeder!!!
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Reviewed by:  from Albuquerque, NM. on 9/10/2018
5
5 Stars
Very satisfied
We've been very pleased with the feeder that we purchased. Recent feedback that we've received from the manufacturer was most helpful in recommending small procedures to deal with problematic hen's bad feeding habits. With regard to the construction of the feeder itself, it's been in place a couple of years and continues to work perfectly.
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Reviewed by:  from Amarillo, TX. on 2/6/2018
5
5 Stars
Rats going hungry
I cannot say enough nice things about this feeder. While there is definitely a learning curve to it, chickens learn very fast when food is involved. Every one of my girls knows how to use it now, and the only reason our rooster doesn't know is because the girls help him; roosters are a whole lot less food oriented then hens. I am a repeat customer, this is my second rat proof feeder for my flick of 22 birds. Don't waste your money on a duck step to make life easier for your chickens, because the wenches will reward you by scooping gobs and gobs of food out of the feeder. We're going through much less food now, and they're fat, sassy, and laying like they should. Such a time saver, as it holds a lot of food and keeps it dry. To help keep the treadle as still as possible, you could put litter under it so when they step on it, it doesn't move but this is not necessary unless you have clumsy girls. One thing you really have to do is secure the feeder to a wall, so the feeder itself can't move when they try to open it. You don't need the soft close mechanism either, it is just another thing that can malfunction. Just make sure the feeder itself doesn't move when they use it, and FOLLOW ALL THE DIRECTIONS. This feeder is the absolute BOMB, and rats just can not defeat it. Thank you for such a fantastic product!
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Reviewed by: (Verified Buyer)  from Lucedale, MS. on 11/9/2017
5
5 Stars
Medium Outside feeder
Love the feeders. Easy to train chickens on fist day. Easy to assemble. No more rat problem! 👍🏼
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Reviewed by: (Verified Buyer)  from Mount Vernon Wa. on 9/19/2017
5
5 Stars
I ordered another feeder!
I've decided to order the waterproof feeder after having great results with the regular medium version. I've increased my flock size and another feeder is a must. These feeders are built very well. They will last a LONG TIME. Follow Al's instructions to the letter and training your birds will be simple. I'm very satisfied, you will be as well.
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Reviewed by:  from Upstate NY. on 5/8/2017
5
5 Stars
hobby farmer
We have used these ratproof feeders for many years; started with the small one, went to the medium, and are now going to the waterproof version as our chickens spend more time in their outdoor coop than in the barn coop during winter. These things are amazing, have saved feed like crazy, and all our chickens, new or old, solved the challenge within a day or two. I have recommended this feeder to many friends, all of whom are pleased as well. Money well spent!
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Reviewed by:  from New Hampshire. on 12/31/2016
5

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