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Peep & Pen

Stage 3 — from the move outside, onward

Chicken feeders, judged on waste and what else eats from them

Chickens feed by scratching, which means an open trough is designed to lose feed. Everything in this category is an attempt to stop that.

By Scooter M.·Published September 1, 2026

A metal poultry feeder standing in a run

The short answer

A treadle feeder is the answer to both waste and rodents: it only opens when a bird of sufficient weight stands on the plate, and closes when it steps off. Grandpa’s Feeders publishes 20 lb feeding six chickens for ten days with three to four birds able to eat at once, and a two-week, two-stage training period.

There are three approaches to feeding a backyard flock, and the differences between them matter more than the brands within each.

  • An open trough or hanging feeder. Cheap, simple, and it loses feed to scratching and feeds every sparrow and rodent in the neighborhood.
  • A port feeder. Feed is behind holes a bird puts its head into. Reduces scratching waste considerably; does nothing about rodents overnight.
  • A treadle feeder. A weighted lid that opens only when a bird stands on a plate. Solves both, at the cost of a training period and a substantially higher price.

What Grandpa’s publishes, and why it is unusual

Most feeders publish a capacity in pounds and stop. Grandpa’s publishes the numbers that actually let you size one:

Published figures for both Grandpa's Feeders models.
ModelCapacityBirds and daysEating at onceDimensions
Standard20 lb (9 kg)6 chickens for 10 days3 to 417 x 20 x 11.5 in
Large40 lb (18 kg)12 chickens for 10 daysNot published17.5 x 22 x 16.5 in

“Three to four eating at once” is the specification nobody else gives, and it is the one that decides whether the bottom of your pecking order eats. A feeder with a single port and a flock of eight means two birds spend the day waiting and losing condition. Two independent capacity figures agreeing at roughly a third of a pound per bird per day also gives you a planning number for buying feed.

The training period is real

Grandpa’s publishes a two-stage training procedure using included bolts, one week on each setting — two weeks in total during which the feeder is progressively less open. This is an unusually honest thing for a maker to publish, and it is worth taking seriously: a treadle feeder installed and left is a feeder your birds do not use, and hungry chickens do not solve the puzzle by themselves.

The practical consequence is that for two weeks the feed is still accessible overnight, which is exactly the period rodents are learning about it. Plan the switch for a time you can also lock the feed away at night.

The maker also notes that bantams may require a small weight added to the tread plate, which is a useful admission — light breeds are a known edge case rather than a hidden one.

The pest exclusion claim, examined

Grandpa’s publishes that the cantilevered lid “prevents access by sparrows, rats, mice and other pests.” That is a design claim rather than a tested one, and the mechanism behind it is straightforward: with no bird on the plate, the lid is closed and there is nothing to reach.

What it does not do — and no feeder does — is remove feed a rodent has already spilled on the ground, or the feed sack in your shed. A treadle feeder is one half of the rodent answer; sealed storage is the other, and the rodent page covers both.

Sizing yours

Work from the published birds-and-days figure rather than capacity. Six birds and ten days on 20 lb means a flock of ten empties the Standard in six days — perfectly workable, but not a “fill it and go away for a fortnight” proposition.

The 40 lb Large model at twelve birds for ten days is the only feeder here that supports a genuine week away, and that is really what you are buying at the larger size: not more feed, but fewer decisions.

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The short answer

The short list

Ranked on the published rubric. Every row jumps to that product's full write-up below; the button goes straight to Amazon.

#PickBest forKey specScorePrice
1
Score8.7

Our pick

Grandpa's Feeders

Standard Automatic Chicken Feeder, 20 lb

A galvanized treadle feeder that publishes exactly what it does — 20 pounds, six chickens, ten days, three to four birds eating at once — and a two-week training schedule that tells you it will not work on day one.

Six birds and a rodent problem20 lb, 6 birds for 10 days8.7of 10
2
Score8.5

Grandpa's Feeders

Large Automatic Chicken Feeder, 40 lb

Double the capacity of the standard feeder for the same mechanism and the same 24-month guarantee — the version to buy if you ever want to leave the flock for a week.

A dozen birds, or a week away40 lb, 12 birds for 10 days8.5of 10
3
Score8.4

Gamma2

Vittles Vault Outback, 40 lb

A food-grade HDPE drum with a threaded double-gasket lid that swallows a whole 40 lb sack — the container that ends the rodent argument by removing the smell rather than the rodents.

A whole sack of feed, sealed40 lb, 21 x 12 x 17 in8.4of 10

#ad No live price feed on this build yet, so every button reads “check price” rather than showing a figure we cannot stand behind. Scores are our own published rubric, not customer ratings.

Score8.7no photo yet

#1 · Six birds and a rodent problem

Grandpa's Feeders Standard Automatic Chicken Feeder, 20 lb

A galvanized treadle feeder that publishes exactly what it does — 20 pounds, six chickens, ten days, three to four birds eating at once — and a two-week training schedule that tells you it will not work on day one.

Who it is for. Anybody with four to six standard-breed birds who has found rat droppings in the run and wants the feed shut when nobody is standing on it.

Published specifications

Feed capacity
Storage area holds approx 9 kg / 20 lb of poultry feed
Dimensions
43 cm W x 51 cm D x 29 cm H (17 in x 20 in x 11.5 in)
Weight
6.7 kg (15 lb)
Materials
Aluminum tread plate with galvanized finish; metal construction
Feeding capacity
Will feed up to 6 chickens for 10 days
Simultaneous feeding
3 to 4 chickens eating together at one time
Training
2 settings with one week on each setting, using the included training bolts
Pest exclusion
Cantilevered lid prevents access by sparrows, rats, mice and other pests
Bantams
May require a small weight on the tread plate
Warranty
24-month 100% money-back guarantee

Source: Grandpas Feeders, Standard Automatic Feeder product page (grandpasfeeders.com), retrieved 2026-09-01

Rubric — 8.7 / 10

  • Capacity honesty9/10 · weight 26%
  • Documentation9/10 · weight 24%
  • Build and weather9/10 · weight 20%
  • Running cost9/10 · weight 15%
  • Daily use7/10 · weight 15%

What it gets right

  • Publishes a birds-and-days figure rather than just a capacity, which is the number you actually need
  • Three to four birds at once is published — that is the spec that decides whether the bottom of your pecking order eats
  • A stated two-week, two-stage training procedure with the hardware included, which is honest about the real adoption problem
  • Galvanized steel and an aluminum treadle, in a category full of thin painted sheet

What it costs you

  • Two weeks of training means two weeks of feed still available to rodents while the flock learns
  • The maker notes bantams may need a weight added to the treadle, so light breeds are a known edge case
  • 15 lb empty and 35 lb full is not something you casually move
  • No published minimum bird weight, which is the number bantam keepers most need

Skip it if. Your flock is bantams or very light breeds. The maker's own note about adding weight to the treadle is telling you this is a marginal fit.

Check price on Amazon

#ad No live price feed yet, so no number is shown rather than a stale one. How this is funded.

Score8.5no photo yet

#2 · A dozen birds, or a week away

Grandpa's Feeders Large Automatic Chicken Feeder, 40 lb

Double the capacity of the standard feeder for the same mechanism and the same 24-month guarantee — the version to buy if you ever want to leave the flock for a week.

Who it is for. Ten or more birds, or anybody who wants to be able to go away for a week without a neighbor visiting.

Published specifications

Feed capacity
Large storage area holds 18 kg / 40 lb of poultry feed
Dimensions
17.5 in W x 22 in D x 16.5 in H
Weight
18 lb
Feeding capacity
Feeds twelve chickens for ten days
Materials
Galvanized steel with aluminum treadle and stainless steel nuts and bolts
Warranty
24-month quality guarantee

Source: Grandpas Feeders, Large Automatic Feeder product listing (grandpasfeeders.com), retrieved 2026-09-01

Rubric — 8.5 / 10

  • Capacity honesty9/10 · weight 26%
  • Documentation8/10 · weight 24%
  • Build and weather9/10 · weight 20%
  • Running cost9/10 · weight 15%
  • Daily use7/10 · weight 15%

What it gets right

  • Twelve birds for ten days published, which is the only capacity figure here that covers a real vacation
  • Stainless steel fasteners are published, and fasteners are what rust first on outdoor feeders
  • Same treadle mechanism and pest exclusion as the standard model

What it costs you

  • 18 lb empty and nearly 60 lb full — this is a fixed installation, not something you carry in daily
  • Forty pounds of feed sitting out is forty pounds going stale if your flock is small
  • Same two-week training requirement, and a bigger treadle takes more bird weight to work

Skip it if. You have six birds. A 40 lb hopper means your feed sits for three weeks, and feed does not improve with age.

Check price on Amazon

#ad No live price feed yet, so no number is shown rather than a stale one. How this is funded.

Score8.4no photo yet

#3 · A whole sack of feed, sealed

Gamma2 Vittles Vault Outback, 40 lb

A food-grade HDPE drum with a threaded double-gasket lid that swallows a whole 40 lb sack — the container that ends the rodent argument by removing the smell rather than the rodents.

Who it is for. Anybody currently storing feed in the paper sack it came in, which is most first-year keepers.

Published specifications

Capacity
40 pounds
Dimensions
21 in L x 12 in W x 17 in H
Material
Food-grade HDPE plastic, BPA-free, resists shattering and cracking
Seal
Gamma Seal threaded locking system with double gaskets
Stacking
Stackable up to two containers high
Origin
Manufactured in the USA

Source: Gamma2 / Petmate, Vittles Vault Outback product listings, retrieved 2026-09-01

Rubric — 8.4 / 10

  • Capacity honesty9/10 · weight 26%
  • Documentation8/10 · weight 24%
  • Build and weather7/10 · weight 20%
  • Running cost9/10 · weight 15%
  • Daily use9/10 · weight 15%

What it gets right

  • A threaded, double-gasketed lid, which is a genuinely different mechanism from a snap-on bin lid that a raccoon can lever
  • Food-grade HDPE and BPA-free are both published, and feed sits in this for weeks
  • The tall narrow footprint suits a coop corner far better than a wide tote
  • Rodents are drawn by smell before they are drawn by access; an airtight seal removes the invitation

What it costs you

  • Plastic is not rodent-proof in the way a galvanized can is — a determined rat can chew HDPE given time and motive
  • Twenty-one inches long needs planning if the storage spot is a narrow gap
  • Gamma2 publishes no warranty on the Outback line

Skip it if. You already have an established rat population working on the feed. Start with a galvanized can with a locking lid, then keep this indoors.

Check price on Amazon

#ad No live price feed yet, so no number is shown rather than a stale one. How this is funded.

FAQ

Questions people actually ask

What is the best chicken feeder to stop waste?

A treadle feeder, which is closed unless a bird of sufficient weight is standing on the plate, or a port feeder, where feed sits behind holes a bird puts its head into. Both defeat the scratching behavior that an open trough is designed to lose feed to. The treadle additionally shuts the feed away overnight.

How much feed does a chicken eat per day?

Roughly a third of a pound. That figure is derived from two published feeder ratings that agree: Grandpa's Feeders states 20 lb feeds six chickens for ten days and 40 lb feeds twelve chickens for ten days, both of which work out to about 0.33 lb per bird per day.

Do treadle feeders really work?

They do, once the birds have learned them, and the makers are clear that learning takes time. Grandpa's publishes a two-stage training procedure using included bolts, one week on each setting. A treadle feeder installed and left alone is a feeder your flock will not use, and hungry chickens do not solve the mechanism unaided.

Will a treadle feeder work for bantams?

It may need help. Grandpa's Feeders notes that bantams may require a small weight added to the tread plate to operate it, which is a useful admission that light breeds are a marginal fit. No maker in this category publishes a minimum bird weight, which is the figure bantam keepers most need.

Where the numbers came from

Sources

Every figure cited on this page came from one of these documents. If one of them has changed since we read it, the number here is out of date and we would like to know.

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