SmartStep™ Poultry Feeders
Treadle-action poultry feeder reduces feed waste by keeping songbirds and rodents out.
- Stop small rodents and songbirds from eating your feed
- Feed stays dry and protected
- Reduces wasted feed
- Pre-assembled! Simply adjust tension spring to match birds' weight
The chicken’s weight on the roost activates the hinged door allowing access. When the bird leaves, the door closes.
California Residents: Proposition 65 Information
Instructions/Diagrams:
Feeder Comparison Chart 
Benefits
- Stop rats, mice, wild birds and other small pests from eating your poultry feed
- Feed stays dry and protected in most weather conditions
- Side window allows for visual check of feed level. Lid opens toward back of feeder for filling.
- Recessed trough design and lip reduces wasted feed. Birds can’t reach in and scratch out feed.
- Roost is elevated 1.75" above the ground, which allows more manure to fall through, rather than collect and bind operation.
- Treadle can be adjusted for birds’ weight. Choose from 0.5 lbs, 1.10 lbs and 1.65 lbs settings.
Specs
| 13 lb Capacity |
26 lb Capacity |
66 lb Capacity |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Item # | 540426 | 540423 | 540424 |
| Feeds Up To* | 2 hens at once | 2 hens at once | 2 hens at once |
| Feed Capacity | 13 lb (6 kg) | 26 lb (12 kg) | 66 lb (30 kg) |
| Dimensions | 10"L 10.75"W 13.5"H |
11.8"L 11.8"W 16.7"H |
19.7"L 11.8"W 19.7"H |
* Number Fed is determined by capacity multiplied by 4 oz (amount of feed the average adult chicken eats per day).
How to Use
To train chickens how to use the treadle, put a stone or weight on the footplate. It may be helpful to keep the stone in place for a day or two, this way the birds will discover where the food is.
Tips
- Chickens need to be trained to feeders. Select a trainee and place them on the roost to activate the door. They will see the feed and recognize that this is the place to be fed.
- Allow room under roosts. As manure and bedding accumulates, doors will not be able to open fully. Either hang the feeder or periodically clear bedding and manure. Partially open doors have the potential to scrape the combs of large combed birds.
- Because the feed lands far back in the feeder, we do not recommend its use with waterfowl.
- Use coarsely ground feeds for optimal feed flow in humid conditions (the same with all high capacity feeders). High concentrations of fines (powder) in feed bind easily when moisture is present (stopping feed flow).
Precautions
Periodically check and remove accumulated build-up from underneath the footplate to allow proper operation.
Roosters with large combs may drag their combs on the edges of the door, creating minor cuts. We suggest looking to other style of feeders for your roosters.
Some bantam varieties may not be tall enough to reach feed low in the trough.
Not for use around small chicks. They may become trapped inside the feeder.
-
Buckets and Troughs
TurboScoop, large
Item #938361 -Has a front-facing handle so it's uniquely easy to use and kind to wrists. Strong aluminum holds up to years of use without breaking or rusting.
$24.00 -
Buckets and Troughs
TurboScoop
Item #938351 -5 lb capacity scoop with forward facing handle. Useful for scooping feed out of bags or narrow containers.
$9.00
Write a Review
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Bob S from Arizona
Disaster.
Does not open all the way and food is very deep inside well so if you have hen or rooster or a bird with a bigger head they will get stuck when trying to come out.
Screw holes in back if used are not water proof and overall very poor water proofing, even in light rain.
Paddles very springy and at awkward angle making it next to impossible to hold down if trying to acclimate chickens to the use. Further, steps too short and slopped too sharply.
Impossible for smaller chickens like Silkies.
Adjusting spring to change resistance is frustrating.
Chris S from Kentucky
I do not enjoy writing negative reviews but this needs to be made known.
- The top lid is designed in such a way that it will not open when mounted flush against a wall.
- The mounting holes are too close to the top, so when I added wood furring strips to move it out from the wall (#1 above) they too were in the way of the lid when opening. Not a big deal for me to drill new holes but for others it might be.
- The access area for chickens to reach in is narrow and the chickens must reach way down in. After two weeks of propping the automatic lid open, I’m still not convinced my larger birds are able to get enough feed.
- The roost bar mechanism is chinsy and undersized for larger breed hens to comfortably stand on while eating.
- The lever mechanism that is attached to the lid is poorly designed and does not fully open when a chicken is on the roost. This exacerbates the problem of hens not being able to reach the feed.
- Not a complaint but more of a future design consideration... make the top lid angled so chickens won’t perch and poop on it.
Cheri B from Louisiana
I love these feeders! The large capacity is a time saver for our farm and the hens easily figured out how to access the food. The product is sturdily constructed and easy to install. We had to use the lightest setting for our hens, but changing the setting is a cinch. I will be buying more as the flock grows.
Regina P from Florida
Sturdy. It took a few days for the chickens to start using it but no feed on the floor of the chicken house!
Denise H from Maryland
Going to see about returning this. Bought it due to squirrel issue I have getting into my chicken feeder. Well the squirrels take out the plastic pieces which one can see the level of feed remaining. Also, my chickens don’t get that have to step on it to eat. I’ve tried showing them.
Summary: The squirrels are too smart and my chickens are too dumb.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to