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Soft Close Medium Ratproof Chicken Feeder 3 pack

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Your Price: $330.00

Exterior version of our treadle feeder used to keep vermin out of chicken feed with a soft close door, 2 pack for 41% cheaper shipping

Part Number: F-MEDSC-3 pack

Availability: In stock and ready to ship

Why buy this product?: Quiet soft close door! Stop the rats, wild birds, and other vermin from stealing your feed and spreading disease. Cut your feed bill in half!

Shipping info This is our three pack that saves about 41% per feeder in shipping costs. Look for our multi packs, ship as low as $9.00 per feeder

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

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

Quantity

Description
Cost of shipping?
Alaska, Hawaii, and International orders
Trouble shooting
Training instructions
Assembly instructions
Return Policy
Free shipping?
Comparisons to other feeders

Do you have chickens and rats? Or chickens and wild birds that are eating more feed than the chickens? Here is the solution. But before you buy look for the different versions of our feeder, there is a soft close version and an non soft close exterior version. There are also multi packed feeders that can lower the shipping costs down to as low as $16.00 each depending on how many and distance.

With that said, all of the Medium feeders are exterior models, have the latest dual spring adjusting system, and are 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 soft close version of our new U.S. made exterior rated rat proof chicken feeder in a three pack for 41% cheaper shipping. There have been thousands of the original Philippines made feeders sold but one of the complaints was that the door closed so loudly and it delayed training for some flocks. Now if people followed the training instructions the birds learned to use the feeder despite the noise and a lot of people remarked that the sound of the door closing allowed them to know that the feeders were working without having to go into the coop. But people kept asking so we finally made a soft close version.

Please read the reviews on the very popular medium feeder by clicking here..

The mechanism is a cabinet door soft close cylinder mounted on a 26 gauge galvanized steel frame. It is adjustable, the cylinder can be replaced should it ever wear out or fail. There is listing for a retro fit soft close kit and it has a video showing how to install the soft close kit on a new or old feeder. Here is a link to the video. .

Understand that soft close doesn't mean slow close. The speed of closing depends upon the amount of door spring tension which is adjustable on the medium feeder. The soft close cylinder does moderate the shock of closing, making it easier to train hens, a bit safer as it gives a second's more time for a hen to pull her head out if she is eating from the sides (block the sides with milk jugs of dirt or sand), and it lessens the noise. But, you will need to set the door springs tension much lower to get a slow close action and it might not be squirrel proof after that. Feeders are set at around 4 to 5 pounds when we assemble them, giving between 1.5 and .5 pounds pressure required to push the door open which is enough for rats. That means the pressure required to pull the door crank down is around 10 pounds but the treadle has a lot of leverage so with the weight of the treadle and step that translates into 4 to 5 pounds weight needed on the treadle. If you are not able to or willing to tinker with the soft close and the spring tension then do not buy a soft close feeder.

The medium rat proof treadle chicken feeder hopper holds 32 pounds of 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 18” 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 45 pounds with packaging for the three medium rat proof treadle chicken feeders. 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

If you are from Hawaii or Alaska it is cheaper to use U.S. Post Office Priority mail. Their parcel post rates are not competitive with FedEx Ground here in the continental states unless the state is nearby but a feeder to Alaska or Hawaii can be shipped for around $65.00.

The easiest way is to go to the USPS.com website and generate your own shipping label, then either print and scan it, right click on the actual label when it shows up on the screen and "save as", or just save the label as a PDF. Email the label to us, pay the cost of the product using PayPal using [email protected] as the PayPal address and your package will go out the next business day.

International orders must be handled through a forwarding service as the paperwork is quite burdensome for even a small package. There are two ways to get this done, online package forwarding services or our new shipping partner that has an international shipping option.

Search online for package forwarding services, they will accept packages in your name, then bundle everything together and process the paperwork for exporting. Alternately, have the product shipped to a friend in the U.S. and take it back with you in your luggage when you visit. One thing to consider on international sales is that you can pack about five to nine pounds of additional product into the inside cavity of the feeder, most forwarders will consolidate packages if you ask, just make sure it will fit inside.

Using our inhouse international shipping, you have to send us your address and the products you are wanting to purchase. We can get a quote for the shipping from our shop to your house or to a terminal near your house, and an approximate cost of the tariffs and taxes and broker fees that you will need to pay.

An example, sending a medium feeder to British Columbia Canada costs around $68.52 plus another import duty/tax cost of $23.40. Once you place the order you choose the "call in a credit card" option when paying for the feeder. If it asks for an address, use 358 North Rockwell Ave, OKC, OK, 73127, use your own phone number and email address. You can put your own address in the comment section. We will take that info, get a quote on the shipping and taxes, email you, and you can call in your credit card number. We ignore any shipping costs on the order and use the quoted export shipping plus the cost of the actual shipping. Then you pay the brokerage fee, tariffs, or taxes at a local terminal when you pick up your package.

Or, we can add the brokerage costs, duties, and taxes into the shipping quote. Usually it costs us $15.00 to pay someone in your country to fill out the import paperwork in your country. That is generally cheaper than using a local import broker.

We have been told that using our in house export shipping is cheaper than using a forwarding service. And having everything pre paid speeds the import process as the customs agents know the paperwork was done by professionals and the package can be delivered to your home.

Multi packs of feeders might not be economical to send due to tigher size restrictions on export packages. Individual feeders might be cheaper to ship one at a time so we will check that option during the shipping quoting process.

Training Instructions: Thank you for the purchase of our feeder.

Thousands of these feeders are already in use but it helps if a new flock is trained correctly from day one. If your package of hardware is nowhere to be seen take the feeder outside on a concrete or other hard surface and drop it a few inches straight down, sometimes the hardware bag gets stuck up behind the front cover when the feeder is turned upside down during shipping and handling. If all else fails, remove the two screws in the front cover and see if it is jammed up there. Sometimes the door crank hole is plugged with extra paint, just shove the wire through to clear the excess paint. Email us at [email protected] if needed.

Will they be afraid of the new feeder?

Yes, chickens are prey animals; see how their eyes are on the sides of their head instead of in front like a predator? Binocular vision is for predators, side vision for prey so they have a wider field of view. Chickens are skittish by nature, it is in their genes, and they are wary of new things and things that move. Just a shadow flicking by overhead will make them run in panic even as chicks, it is genetically embedded knowledge, not experience. But if you start a flock off by showing them that the door is supposed to move when they step on the treadle and wait till they are hungry the birds will learn to use the feeder in one day.

How to train the birds

After the birds go to roost at night you make sure the feeder is installed, fastened to a wall or sturdy post, and is full of feed. Then remove ALL other feed sources except the feeder. No scraps, no treats, nothing but what is inside the feeder. The next morning wait till about two to three hours after sunrise and show the birds where the feed is by using your toe to trip the treadle. WHEN they are hungry enough one of them will try stepping up on the treadle. Let her eat for ten to fifteen seconds then gently push her off to see if she will try it on her own. If not, repeat the lesson.

Usually one bird will try the feeder as soon as you show them where the feed is located. IF the birds are hungry they will mob the feeder. If they are not hungry they will remain skittish of this object that they thought wasn't supposed to move when they used it.

Don't spend a lot of time that first training session, a couple of minutes is enough if they are hungry. Go back in a couple of hours and repeat the lesson. Check on them again before they go to roost. Check again the next morning a few hours after sunrise.

Assembly Instructions Metal Feeder

Packed inside the feeder is a plastic bag containing one wire link, instructions, one metal hanging bracket, two short bolts, four fender washers, two ¼” nuts, and two ¼” lock nuts. . Your feeder was assembled and tested, then disassembled and packed for shipping.

Set the feeder in the upright position. Put one of the large fender washers on a bolt then reach inside the swinging door into the feed tray and insert the bolt through the side of the feeder, add one large fender washer and one ¼” nut on the outside. Do the same for the other side then tighten the nuts firmly using a wrench or crescent wrench.

Place the treadle arm assembly over the bolts protruding out from the sides of the feeder while making sure the counter weight is on the same side as the door crank and add one lock nut on each side. Tighten the lock nuts down lightly then back it off 1/8th turn so that the treadle will move freely. You will have to bend the treadle arms to line everything up and tweak it so nothing rubs.

Insert the wire link with small bent end into the hole in the end of the door axle crank rod and stick the large L bend end through the right side treadle arm Bend both ends of the wire link down and underneath to keep link from popping off then clip off the excess wire on the bottom end. Not too tight that it binds and prevents the door from opening. If the swinging door doesn’t open up all the way back take a pair of pliers and put a kink in the wire link till the swinging door opens all the way back. All you are doing is shortening the wire link by putting a kink in it.

The feeder should be fastened to a wall or post for stability. There is a metal hanging bracket that has a sticker with a link to a video showing how to use the hanging cleat.

The feeder can be fastened to a staked down plywood base if it needs to be freestanding. Fasten the wooden block to the plywood base, then put a couple of screws through the side of the feeder. Make sure the feeder is securely fastened to a wall or post and that the treadle is bottom out on something solid so the bird can stand on the ground with one foot and have the other foot holding down the treadle. Usually the lid must be pushed to one side to get it to close completely.

Email us at [email protected] if you have any problems, send pictures please! Don’t call, email with pictures so we can see the problem!

Return Policy

Returns ARE accepted for shipping damage that is not easily repaired by the customer and we are talking about a five minute fix using a screw driver and wrench, popping out a dent with a block of wood and a hammer, or simply tweaking the door. Let us know by email the same day your feeder arrives, take a few pictures of any damaged and email them to us so we can start the claim process with our shipper. In about two business days we can email you a return shipping label and as soon as that label shows up in the FedEx Ground system as being picked up we can re ship a replacement product. Returned feeders that have been opened are destroyed, not resold, due to the risk of disease being spread so it is an expensive process to allow returns, but if it is OUR fault or the SHIPPERS fault we will take care of the problem. Once a customer opens the box and starts the assembly process the risk of spreading disease has started as the customer might have disease organisms on their hands from handling their flock.

Returns ARE NOT accepted if you change your mind about the purchase, for lost hardware, for minor dents that can be popped out with hand tools, cosmetic damages, or someone expecting a Steinway Piano at Wal Mart prices. If you have OCD spend the $225.00 for the Grandpa feeder or better yet sell your chickens and use the money for visiting a shrink. Also if your chicken died before the feeder arrived, too bad, buy a new chicken. Or if the shipping damage can be repaired using a screw driver and wrench we will send you replacement parts. In four years we have had one welded door axle fail and a couple of stripped screws, both five minute fixes using a Philips screwdriver and a wrench. Hardware bags break loose on occasion and nuts or washers get lost, for that we will mail you a replacement hardware bag. Sometimes the bag gets stuck up behind the front cover and can be seen by peeking under the cover or smacking the feeder down hard on a floor to dislodge the bag.

As the years go by we offer free replacement parts such as springs or hardware, as long as it isn't something like a side panel or back panel that has rusted out after years of use. All you do is pay for the postage for delivering the parts. Don't set galvanized metal on alkaline soil is one tip and the average chicken coop has a lot of ammonia present that can accelerate rusting of even galvanized steel if you don't keep the poop away from the bottom of the feeder. Install it as we recommend and the feeder will last for many years.

We do not allow returns of used feeders for any reason due to the risk of spreading diseases. If you have not followed our instructions and your birds aren't using the feeder that is not a cause to return the feeder. Follow the instructions, all chickens are nervous by nature, few are any dumber than the rest, so we have not yet seen a flock that "won't" use the feeder but we have seen a dozen or so customers that "won't" follow the instructions and then claim their flocks are too stupid to use the feeder. Guess what? It isn't the chickens that are stupid.

We wish to keep the cost of our feeders as low as possible and our feeder is a lower cost alternative to the very expensive Grandpa feeder so we do not wish to cater to customers that think they can order a feeder, try it out, and return the product. That drives the cost of doing business up dramatically. Nor do we wish to deal with the crazy OCD people that think a chicken feeder has to be built to Steinway piano standards, be produced in the U.S., and be sold at rock bottom prices. But if you want a less expensive solution to preventing wild birds and rats from stealing your feed, are intelligent enough to assemble the feeder or have someone that can do that or are willing to ask the five year old neighbor kid to assemble the feeder, then you are our kind of customer and you can order with confidence.

This feeder is radically different from the other feeders for five main reasons.    First, the door is soft close so it closes quietly.   Second, no plastic parts that rats will eventuality chew through. Third, the treadle is set way back on purpose so that if a critter or a pack of critters managed to get the treadle down when they went forward to eat they would lose the leverage and the door would close. Fourth, the door is spring loaded so it is nearly impossible for several rats to push it open. A dozen might do that, four or five couldn't. Fifth, the entire treadle and door is counter weighted at considerable expense with a 2# counterweight that ensures the door always opens and always closes. It also has a one piece steel treadle that won't flex and break like the riveted aluminum or plastic treadles.

As far as competition there are three main competing products. The Grandpa feeder, the Feed o Matic from the Dutch company, and one from a company called Coops and More and a few clones of that model from other companies.   All of the feeders are more expensive than our feeder

The Grandpa feeder is a nice feeder but three times the cost or our feeder.   It is an outdoor feeder, we tell people that you should have some sort of rain cover if our feeder is used outside and the feed isn't emptied out by the birds every day or two. Some of our customers swear that their feeder does fine outside but water blowing against the door might drip down into the front edge of the feed tray. The Grandpa feeder is slow to ship and arrive due to the distances involved. It is also what is called a guillotine feeder that goes up and down instead of swinging back. That makes it hard to train the birds.   To train a flock using the Grandpa feeder you HAVE to block the feeder open for a week or more.

The Feed o Matic is the green plastic top and plastic feed tray feeder sold on Amazon and several other websites by re-sellers.   The 26 pound model sells for $95.99,   67% higher than our feeder, but they do offer free shipping. Now the average feeder shipping is around $22.00 so the rest goes toward paying the enormous Amazon fees and percentages. The feeders are made in Holland by a company called Olba and after lackluster sales in the EU due to design flaws they started dumping them on the U.S. to get rid of them. You can buy pallets of them and there are many re sellers of the product. One re-seller, Hog Slat, posts a warning in bright red text stating that rats can push the door open and that rats can chew through the plastic feed tray and lid. The treadle is way too large, rodents or pigeons can swarm the feeder and hold the door open. It is made for smaller birds, too small for Rhode Island Reds, lots of complaints on the Amazon shopping cart page, around 30% of the reviews are critical of the product for a wide variety of reasons.   Not only that, but the initial reviews all have a disclaimer that said they received the product for free in return for their review!    Amazon recently made that illegal and grounds for banning the company from Amazon.   The treadle on this feeder can also be jammed if the litter builds up or if the birds track a lot of chicken poop on the treadle. And the door isn't spring loaded so rats and even small mice can easily enter the door just by pushing on it. They advocate blocking the feeder open while training and customer reviews say it can take several weeks sometimes to train their birds. That is because blocking a feeder open is the worst thing to do during training because it teaches the birds that the treadle and door are not supposed to move. The Feed o Matic jams a lot according to the reviews, especially when the treadle is blocked open. One review said the feeder leaked and their feed was molding. Other reviews say the birds don't like sticking their heads so deep into the machine. With a critical review rate of 30% this product won't last long on Amazon before Amazon pulls it from the market.   Here is a link to the reviews both positive and negative.

The Chicken Condo feeder has several clones out there, all with the same fatal flaws. The door isn't spring loaded or counter weighted so a mouse or rat can just push its way into the feeder. They have a complicated treadle step frame made of many sections of aluminum angle and metal fatigue and cracking ensue rapidly till the door no longer operates. Rats and pigeons can also swarm the treadle due to its large size treadle. The birds can't see the feed until they stick their head way up under the feeder. The door swings up, not back, so the potential for trapping a bird's head is high. The doors are complicated, many parts, and prone to wear and jamming in a dirty chicken coop.   The marketing videos on these types of feeders advocate leaving the feeder blocked open for several weeks during training, not a good thing to do if you are buying a feeder because of vermin stealing the feed because it also teaches the vermin where the feed is and how to push the door open.    Our feeder tried out the multi component treadle bar, the complicated arrangement for linkages fastened to the door to operate, and we quickly learned to eliminate both the complicated door and the multi part treadle due to the treadles failing rapidly.   Instead we invested in the equipment to weld a solid steel axle, only one moving part, and nearly bullet proof. This also allows the spring loaded adjustable door that eliminates the possibility of several rats or a squirrel from pushing the feeder door open. None of the competing feeders have the 2# counterweight either which we found was essential for ensuring the feeder never failed to open or close completely.   These Chicken Condo type clones were so bad for business that one company named Coops N More pulled their feeder from the market and it was an almost exact clone of the Chicken Condo feeder.

Buyers should be wary. Read the reviews and if there are many critical reviews that is the best indication of a poorly designed feeder.    The Amazon feeder has a 30% negative review rate but when you look at the company's profile they claim a 100% positive rate so they do have control over the ratings and reviews on Amazon?

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