Grandpa's Feeders 40 lb Review: Does It Stop Rats?

The treadle feeder that has been around thirty years, and the two weeks of training nobody warns you about.

The verdict: A treadle feeder is the only feeder design that genuinely denies rats and wild birds your feed, and this galvanized steel version is the long-standing benchmark for it. Buy it if rodents or feed waste are costing you real money and you can spend two weeks training the flock. Skip it if your flock is bantams, very young birds, or a single hen, since light birds may not reliably work the treadle.

Specifications

Specifications above come from Grandpa's Feeders' published product information. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

• A closed lid that only opens under a bird's weight is the one design that actually excludes rats, mice and wild birds rather than merely slowing them down.
• The anti-flick grill addresses billing, which is the largest single source of feed waste in an open feeder.
• Galvanized steel outdoors will outlast the plastic and thin sheet alternatives by years.
• Forty pounds means a genuine week or more between fills, so it covers a weekend away without a neighbour visit.
• Side guards stop birds feeding from the flanks, which is where pecking injuries start around a busy feeder.

Where it falls short

• There is a training period, and it is the thing owners are least prepared for. Birds have to learn to stand on the treadle, and the usual approach is to prop the lid open for several days and then let it down gradually. Expect a week or two, not an afternoon.
• The treadle needs bird weight to work. Bantams, young pullets and very light breeds may struggle, and a single hen may not be heavy enough to open it reliably.
• It is heavy when full and it is expensive next to an open hanging feeder. The payback is real if you are feeding rats, and it is not if you are not.
• A treadle mechanism is a mechanism. Grit, ice and bedding under the pedal will stop it working, so it wants siting somewhere dry and sheltered.
• Wild birds and rodents will still take spilled feed from the ground around it, so it removes the source rather than the whole problem.

What owners report

Owner reports on treadle feeders are remarkably uniform on both the benefit and the catch. The benefit is described in the same terms over and over: rodent activity around the coop drops sharply once feed is no longer available overnight, and feed bills fall because wild birds are no longer eating a share. The catch is training, and the reports that describe a bad experience almost always describe an owner who expected the birds to work it out unaided.

The successful pattern owners describe is consistent: prop the lid fully open for several days so the birds associate the box with food, then lower it in stages over another week so they learn that standing on the treadle opens it. Light breeds take longer. A few owners with bantam flocks report never getting reliable operation, which is the honest limit of the design rather than a fault in this feeder.

What it saves, and whether that pays

The economics only work if you are currently losing feed. If rats are visiting the coop at night or a flock of sparrows is emptying an open feeder every day, the loss is substantial and the feeder pays for itself. If your feed is already stored securely and consumption matches what the flock should be eating, the saving is smaller and the case is mostly about convenience. Our real cost of raising backyard chickens breakdown puts feed in the context of everything else you spend, and the chicken feed by age chart tells you what your birds should be eating at each stage so you can tell waste from appetite.

Treadle, hanging or port feeder

A treadle feeder excludes pests but needs training. A hanging feeder is instant, costs a fraction, and feeds everything in the neighbourhood. A port feeder sits between them, cutting waste without a mechanism to learn. We put the first two head to head in hanging feeder versus treadle feeder, and if you are choosing a body material, metal versus plastic feeders covers durability against weight. The full field is in our best chicken feeders roundup.

Who it suits

• Anyone who has seen rats around the coop, which is the situation this product actually solves.
• Keepers of six to twelve standard-size hens.
• People who want to leave for a weekend without arranging a feed visit.
• Owners tired of watching wild birds strip an open feeder every morning.

Who should skip it

• Bantam flocks and very light breeds, which may not reliably trip the treadle.
• Brooder and grower setups, where the birds are too light and too small.
• Anyone unwilling to spend a fortnight training the flock onto it.
• Single-hen keepers, where the weight on the pedal is marginal.

Alternatives worth considering

Keep reading

• Hanging feeder vs treadle feeder
• Metal vs plastic feeders
• The real cost of raising backyard chickens
• Chicken feed by age chart
• Best chicken feeders
• Omlet no waste chicken feeder review
• Premier 1 heated poultry waterer review

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.