This is my honest review on the Feed-o-matic treadle chicken feeder. This chicken or poultry feeder is marketed as rat and mice (rodent) proof and also waterproof so I put it through its paces and let you know what I think of this product.
Brookfield Poultry: https://brookfieldpoultryequipment.com/
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/selfsufficientme
Help support the Channel and buy a T-shirt/Merchandise from our Spreadshirt shop: https://goo.gl/ygrXwU
Shop on Amazon for chicken feeders: https://bit.ly/2JzXAHs
Shop for Feed-o-matic chicken feeder on eBay Australia: https://bit.ly/2YKSZGe
Blog: http://www.selfsufficientme.com/ (use the search bar on my website to find info on certain subjects or gardening ideas)
Forum: http://www.selfsufficientculture.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SelfSufficie…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SufficientMe
Subscribe to my channel: http://goo.gl/cpbojR
Self Sufficient Me is based on our small 3-acre property/homestead in SE Queensland Australia about 45kms north of Brisbane – the climate is subtropical (similar to Florida). I started Self Sufficient Me in 2011 as a blog website project where I document and write about backyard food growing, self-sufficiency, and urban farming in general. I love sharing my foodie and DIY adventures online so come along with me and let’s get into it! Cheers, Mark 🙂
Had one of these – wouldn't let the seed feed through – kept blocking all the time and poor hens were starving – threw it away
I was given one. I agree with ALL your reservations but for all that happily include it because with pretty minimal attention (once a week clearing the over-spill,) it works well, providing easily obtained food for broodies, young stock, or the whole flock in bad weather when they don't want to free-range. They are not cheap, so I'm delighted mine was a gift, but certainly here in Ireland I find it very handy.
Check out trade me NZ they have a very good feeder treadle type cheers for all the tips
The rats love this feeder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-iS82h941w
Just watched this and I was wondering, could you put a plate on the front so that they could only put their heads and necks in and not their feet. So no spill.
What about opossum, skunk, and raccoons? We need to keep them out too.
I wonder if you can cover the entire thing with something that they can still climb , but can't fall through the holes
I have the same problem with clogged feeder
Great info thanks
I have the same feeder and rats have figured out that two of them can activate the pedal so this product is totally redundant from that aspect too.
I've had this feeder for about a year and it is a game changer. No spillage issues with pellets until you get to the powdery stuff at the bottom. Looks like it doesn't work as well with crumble. I like the feeder a lot and would highly recommend to those feeding out pellets.
I have 2 bantams and 11 standard. Do you think the bantams will be able to access?
Thanks for the candid review, I like the points you make about the treadle getting plugged with the wasted feed. That alone makes this an unacceptable option for me.
Thanks Mark, back to the drawing board. Have you a better alternative a year down the track?
Thanks for your honesty! Truly appreciate YOU!
Thank you for the honest and thorough review. It's hard to find those (especially the former) nowadays on youtube.
Hi , thanks for the nice videos!
Just one question, what do you like better , this feeder, or the one you made yourself: https://youtu.be/n8NQCqfnJj4?
As others have mentioned if you raise it up 8” off the ground as one chicken spills the others clean up.
And I have not had any rat chewing This thing is fantastic.
And if you want increased capacity a simple chute exstension is a super easy build.
Thank you for an honest review.
Won't the plastic part be less durable?
What about the lower pecking order hens are they able to get food when they want it or bullied away ?
Wrong. Set the feeder 35 cm up and the fallen food can be eaten. Chickens like to eat and search on the ground.
Thanks for showing this feeder in a real chicken coop. Food getting trapped underneath it would annoy me enough to pass on buying this one.
Hi Mark, thanks for the review. Do you know if the feeder has been updated with better features? Your review is 2yo so I expect the feeder has been upgraded since? Cheers.
Raise it from the ground in order the chicken being able to eat under the feeder.
What about Rats ?
I think they could Get that food.
I think my little chihiuahuas will figure out how to get into the chickens food with this.
I love your review, I'm looking on buying a smaller one for when we are on holiday so that my neighbours only need to check if the chicken are ok. So your negative points are not really an issue for me. The fact that you stated the negative points helped me a lot and made sure for me that your review is honest. Thank you very much!
I've had one of these for 6 months and i was really pleased with it as the rats disappeared almost overnight. It didn't spill and I thought it was great. Now though, it's started overflowing despite being thoroughly cleaned. I guess the chickens learned how to make it feed too much as Mark says. Going to try raising off the ground as suggested by others.
Bought one of these and the rats just chewed through the plastic in a couple of weeks!