Feed-O-Matic Chicken Feeder Review

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: brookfieldpoultryequipment.com/
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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 :)

[@elenidemos]

Could be risen on bricks or concrete blocks on sides to allow chickens to get under when spilled. Lay a ramp at front & allow space at rear so chooks can get in.

[@TheWareek]

was thinking something similar myself, even if not high enough for chooks to get under maybe a rake or broom to clean it out.

[@anthony8484]

better to have it high enough they can go under and keep it clean. less work is better

[@hogheadv2]

Chickens are happy get into every crevice... Put it up on 6-8" 150-200mm lift frame. Bird will hop up to feed tray when they wish...

[@chrissheila]

I mounted mine on bricks and out bricks underneath it with a tray to collect the spills.

[@m.a.oostingh2120]

@@chrissheila do you have a picture of this and does it work?

[@rosemariealholm-dick7640]

💪 “blow out a bicep” 😂😂♥️ You’re my new fave! So glad I’ve found you mate! 😘

[@Latouche-Sublime]

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!

[@whome146]

You should place the feeder on a platform that allowed the spilt feed to fall free to the ground. Make it high enough that the chickens could eat the feed under the feeder. Then the chickens would clean up the spilt feed. It would would eliminate the need for you to clean up after them.

[@ladybucket9798]

a little tray to catch up all the spilled feed would really improve it. so you just pull out the drawer, empty and clean it and then put it back in. its not perfect but would at least be less annoying to clean it up. great video as always. keep up the good work! looking forward to your next videos. ♥

[@Selfsufficientme]

That's a great modification idea! Thank you :)

[@chrissheila]

I raised mine off the ground and out an old baking tray under it to collect the spills. Only problem is that the spills get mixed with all the rubbish on the ground that the birds kick up so you end up having to sift through the spill before you can pour it back in.

[@swissmaid]

@@chrissheila or keep the tray as is, no sifting needed, keep it overnight, inside the house, then give it to them in the morning on the ground. I bet it will be gone in 5 min.

[@homesteading]

My experience is that the hens are much more likely to spill food from a feeder if the feed is mixed in some way - mixed grains or grain plus pellets. They throw out the stuff they don't like to get at their favourite food! I found the spillage problem stopped when I went to feeding a single food in a feeder i.e wheat only or pellets only. This means that if you want give them food choices you need multiple feeders!

[@redstarling5171]

Yep that's why I switched to pellets from mixed seed, they just pick out their favourites otherwise

[@troy1672]

Mark, I got some simular made by a company in the U.S. All metal. I love the ones I got. One thing I do is mix a little food grade diatomaceous earth in with the feed. It keeps bugs out of it. Before I did that, small little bugs would take up residence in the feed. Not sure if mine spills feed or not. My hens are pretty good at keeping the food cleaned up.

[@TwoHandsAtAllTimes]

Thank you for the honest and thorough review. It's hard to find those (especially the former) nowadays on youtube.

[@KeiranR]

Also i love the comment section on your videos .. everyone just yells out suggestions and tries to help out .. and theres bugger all trolling ...

[@erwinfilius818]

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.

[@ChadStocks]

My wife bought one of these a few years ago and loves it. It keeps the wild birds out and this makes it so she doesn't have to run through feed so often. The only thing she found annoying was the rod that runs along the back lost it's bolt to hold it in but the feeder still works. She uses pellets so she doesn't have a spill problem.

[@1twilight9]

Well done mate, been watching your vids for years. 2 mill subs now, Wow. EFFORT = SUCCESS. Fantastic! 👍

[@American_Heathen]

Your opinion does help me with starting my flock. This year is my purchase of a kennel and chicken coops. I will check out the site and I am reading my living with chickens book

[@mrmathewsp]

Hey Mark! I love your videos. I just moved to Central Florida where the climate seems to be a lot like where you live. I used to live in North Florida where we had a lot better soil. I did a little garden every year up there (just tomatoes) for fun with the kids and was thinking I would not be able to garden in my new yard because it is nothing but sand. I found your channel and was inspired to start my 1st raised garden. I've got 3 boxes with tomatoes, squash, sweet peppers and jalepenios. It has made all the difference in our new tiny back yard and the whole family enjoys sitting on the back porch now. So thanks for the inspiration. I was wondering in the future if you could do some videos on how to preserve your extra veggies and maybe some cooking videos to show folks what to do with some of the veggies we might not be as familiar with?

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Paul and thank you for the feedback I love nothing more than hearing about people who have started food gardening for the first time and if I played a part in making this happen it makes me even happier. I have made some videos on preserving food and cooking and to do more is a common request from my dedicated supporters but in general these videos don't tend to do very well when it comes to viewership so I'm considering other ways to either make these videos more appealing or better formatted or perhaps create a new channel which concentrates on how we use our produce. Anyway, I appreciate your feedback and we'll work out a plan soon meanwhile all the best with your raised beds! Cheers :)

[@denzbarz]

@@SelfsufficientmeHey Mark, which country do you live at. Here in Germany its hard for gardening all year, cause the waether is much too cold in winter to grow plants all year.

[@mrmathewsp]

@@Selfsufficientme Hey Mark, Good morning from the USA. Thank you so much for responding to my comment. Just an idead off the top of my head (and you may already do something like this), but how about your write a book or a manual. Instead of selling the book as a whole book you could sell the pages seperately. This would allow people to pick and choose the pages they need based on what they grow in their garden or what they want to grow in the future. For each vegetable you spotlight in your videos you could link to the corresponding book page with tips for growing, how to store, and maybe a favorite recipe or 2. Viewers could purchase for a buck (thats a dollar here, not sure about Austrailian money lingo) and download to print or just keep on their computer. Anyways, I hope you have a great growing season and I continue to love your videos. Paul M. :)

[@SandraDelesalle]

Thanks for the review, just have to say your review is constructive not “negative”. Hopefully the people designing them find this information useful

[@ltlbnsgarden]

I really like the very honest review my friend! Overall it sounds like and investment worth thinking over 😊

[@elaineclguerrero5592]

Thank you for your honesty! I like that the negatives were presented in a matter-of-fact way.

[@prosp9483]

100% thought you were gonna eat that worm at the end, the music build up was convincing

[@nerd4rocks]

Seems like they should change out the trailer plate to a perch bar. Or you can hang it on the wall so they can get to it from a perch bar. Thanks for the honest review mark. Your videos are always informative and balanced. That's why I'm subscribed 😄

[@filstewart2380]

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.

[@donbrade6848]

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.

[@444gtb]

I appreciate your honesty. Subscribed.

[@tengla]

I've had one of these for about a month. Great product.

[@JyjusHomeVideos]

Great Review Mate !! True regarding the spillage. After some time that footplate will stop moving due to the spilled food. I didn't like this design and finally decided to make one grandfather's design myself, and my chooks love it.

[@jimmat2640]

Is that feeder shown in your Automatic chicken Coop Video Jyju ?

[@kellyward182]

There is a good design for an easy diy no spill feeder on the Living Traditions Homestead vlog. They use it for their quail but it would be super easy to scale up for chickens. Thanks for the review!

[@lyntaylor4131]

Thanks Mark, just watched this video as well as your older diy feeder video. Which one do you prefer now.. Thanks so much for sharing all these ❤️

[@terriesmith8219]

Great honest review!!

[@abuelitopastelero355]

Hi Buddy, your comments about the spillage problem are spot on. I have the 5kg model for my 2 medium-sized hens who spill more feed than they actually eat, even on the lowest setting. I have to collect and re-cycle the spillage ever day, otherwise the financial cost of keeping them would be unacceptable. A big disappointment and a purchase I would not recommend;

[@ldybgd]

I plan to try this feeder. I have the grandpa's feeder and my girls hate it. I have to leave it open, which, of course, defeats the purpose. I'm hoping the quieter design will work better for us.Thanks for the review Mark!

[@kennbannister5085]

Thank you for an honest review.

[@jolyndaj]

Thank you !! Great review.

[@captainanthony1399]

Thank You! Good information and perspectives. Appreciate you sharing. 👍👏🌾🐣🐔🐓🐭

[@balmera2823]

I was watching his gardening videos and I now watching a video about an automatic chicken feeder video. I DONT WVEN HAVE CHICKENS!!!

[@quintonthurmond114]

I don't have a garden or chickens, yet I still absolutely love these videos

[@raphaelschostok9467]

same. just love him talk and his honesty

[@MisterMitchMM]

Dare to dream. I don't have chickens either ;)

[@orouba14]

@@raphaelschostok9467 a true blue salt of the earth aussie. love his videos. I'm about to start my chickening journey and binge watching his vids on the matter.

[@kerrileelawrence2402]

Gardening and Self Sufficiency is Soul Soothing n VIP in Times When You Know What's Planned by The Banksters.. Albert Pike's Third World War and Endgame Economic Crash is Coming So Who Will Survive.. Let's Work Towards Vege Gardening and Self Sufficiency For All..

[@davidwebb2669]

I bought one of these feedomatics at my local hardware. It was great to start chickens used it happily and no issues until the rodents chewed through the plastic seed tray which rendered it useless in around 6 months. I have fabricated a steel feed tray to suit. Hopefully this will work better. The feed spill is a major issue as you have described.

[@deannastevens1217]

Excellent review.

[@markredshaw84]

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.

[@jamesgraham6947]

Really spot on review. I have same treadle and the food spill really annoys me. Defeats the purpose of stopping pests and actually attracts them. I have just checked mine and there must be around 30 slugs eating the spilled food under treadle. I would defo not recommend this treadle until better design allows chickens to eat spilled food as well.

[@jimmat2640]

Nice review Mark

[@faybradnock9125]

I don’t even have chickens nor my own house, but I still love to watch his videos 😂❤️

[@matthewparker4101]

honest review, well done

[@libbyshaw4588]

Good honest review. I resented purchased one secondhand. This feeder came highly recommended by our neighbour’s who have a large flock. They tell me it kills sparrows very effectively. I’ve only had my hens 5 days and I’m already disappointed. I am looking at setting it on a wide board as it doesn’t work properly outside the coop on uneven ground. The wild birds are having a great time feeding out of the open dishes that the hens insist in eating from. I should add that the girls came from a barn environment- so they most likely have no idea what an automatic feeder is. Good tip about the cucumber- they love zucchini (same family) I will give that a try - I was also thinking about putting a thin flat board on the foot opener and sprinkling treats on it to encourage them to step on.

[@bfrommars]

Interesting information, thank you.

[@slimdusty6328]

Great info thanks

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Guys! Johnno's Website is brookfieldpoultryequipment.com/ obviously he is based in Australiaaaaa. No worms were harmed during the making of this video ;)

[@VictorBrichaut]

Great review

[@CanterburyTrailsFarm]

Good review!

[@f3wbs]

Looks great! Quite efficient.

[@ewellacres]

One of the great side benefits I can see of this feeder is that it helps to keep the feed dry so that it will also last longer.

[@badoldbiker368]

Hey Mark, good honest and objective review, I really enjoy your channel great information source. Just wondering how you got those handsom pattern of scars on your arm? I have a good scar down the full length of my forearm, but mine is from harvesting veins for heart bypass grafting. Yours look like there could be an interesting story behind them.

[@justing6614]

Love ur video!!

[@dreamingrightnow1174]

I wonder if a bow or bin, made to fit the same footprint and attached firmly to the base with a steel mesh between so the grains could be caught from below but also keeping the rats out. Btw, I think you're absolutely right about the rats chewing the plastic. Some are convinced they especially enjoy plastic, having adapted to it when chewing through pipes, etc.

[@jsmartin1300]

Great review! Did you also do a review of the grandpa feeder? Other than the noise any other coments on it?

[@drunkinpiper]

As stated below. I put my feedomatic on a raised wire grid (concrete blocks raise it sufficiently high) which is high enough to allow food to fall through which is in turn eaten by the chickens. This stops rodents having a free meal.

[@jeffrogonzalo5067]

Nice figure 12 scarecrow. I Have some liquid fish fertiliser would love you to review. Love a good honest review.

[@SpYucaipaSoCal]

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.

[@collettecaraway2759]

Good review.

[@kandirodriguez5887]

I know it's not a fancy feeder, but if you take a large tote and some 3 to 4 in 90 degree PCV elbows you can create a no spill feeder. By drilling holes in the tote and slipping the elbows in face down. Plus depending on tote size it can hold a lot more feed! Put the top of the tote back on to keep poop out

[@mtnn4459]

Good review

[@thomas1144]

Dig a hole under the entrance point add a deep bucket with slippery sides with water at the bottom. Rodent control and extended time between clean outs 😊

[@user-bg9sg8cm3s]

I brought a 5kg one to give a try and was cheapest I could find at $130nzd Will see how it goes as keen to stop feeding all the wekas,pokekoes and sparrows etc😂hopefully it does ok and love you’re straight up honest reviews mate ,thanks from a Kiwi supporter (u Aussies aren’t bad 😅)

[@sampaquitee423]

Thanks for the honest review Mark. I'm in the market for a new feeder and am looking at this one. The exact video I was looking for. Are you still using it? Have you found a better set up since this video? Cheers!

[@jeep4ron]

Love the truth. Maybe lift the feeding tray high enough that when they go to scratch it to high. Make them stretch there necks just a little to feed? Just a thought while I was watching. I don’t have anything like that yet. Love your videos. Have a fantastic day Mark..!!

[@TheAlbiCollier]

Thanks for this, great vid!!!Would ya cover the plate with a flat piece of metal so the spillage can be caught instead of filling up those spaces?

[@levifisher6599]

Our chicken feeders are not automatic but there is never any spillage of feed. I open them each morning before work and close them as the sun goes down. There made of 90mm pvc tube. 3 in there run and 5 chickens the feed lasts 2-5 weeks depending on the amount of scraps they get. Although the feeders are not water proof, the feeders are placed inside small huts, also provides extra shelter and security when feeding. If you buy the pvc in long lengths then all up 3 feeders won’t cost more than $40

[@lucasgrowsbestyt]

Go on Mark!

[@WildwoodTV]

I wished I'd seen your great review before buying one! However I was going away for a week & wanted to make sure the chooks had access to food in case my kids forgot! My chooks soon figured it out (Silkies first!!) so I'm happy with it - but as others have said, chooks will peck mixed feed out to get to the tasty bits, and make a right mess.

[@ibm520]

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.

[@texascajun4023]

Thanks for you insight. Could you do a video on the best chickens for a newbie? I’d love to have a small group for my hubby and me, but not sure where and how to start this adventure.

[@johannespaul5933]

Check out Robert Höck on yt there should be an english playlist.

[@raw6460]

Good comments which can be used in the company remodel.

[@cindy25sawyer1]

put a piece of vinyl tile. like the kitchen floor tiles. over the step plate

[@brucegonsalves1793]

I bought a Australian made feeder that has all the same advantages and no feed spills out at all ok maybe a crumb or two which the hens can get as it has a all steel design

[@denisepappas4644]

Thanks Mark, back to the drawing board. Have you a better alternative a year down the track?

[@monicamead1884]

I've been following you for a wee while now, & so glad to have found your channel! I'm definitely needing an automatic feeder, as the rats have just exploded here in Northland NZ, & I'm reluctant to put poison out with our girls free-ranging it. Question: you said you used to use a Grandpa's feeder. Do you still & would you recommend it again? They're pricey here in New Zealand, but I'm willing to spend the money on something that will last & work well. Thanks in advance for answering! Cheers!

[@georginabegg7316]

Years ago I had a “Red Comb” feeder which looks similar to a grandpa feeder and that was fabulous, but I left it behind in my old sharehouse. I’ve recently bought a feedomatic as it was stocked at my local feed store. I’ve been disappointed as it took a long time to teach my chooks to use it. It is working well now and I don’t have much spill issues with only 3 chooks, but knowing what I know now I’d search for a Red Comb feeder again.

[@leonardpearce6893]

Hi, thanks for your review, we have 20 chickies, all rescues, ,neither this one nor any others I have seen would be suitable as not large enough, all of them eat together, and are food crazy, even though we treat them like princesses and they get the best of feed, their early lives have made them anxious to get food and it would be ww3 with all trying to eat, thanks for your vid, I have decided not to bother with this type of feeder. I have installed an auto door, which is awesome and I can recommend that, keep the vids coming, I appreciate them.

[@LivingRedefined]

I wish we were set up to have chickens. I think we need more than a few acres and the winters are just too rough without a larger setup.

[@fionaatbromleycottagenz393]

We also have a gravity feeder which did the same thing until my husband made some modifications. Admittedly we use pellets in ours but the spillage/wastage used to be horrendous. So what did he do to all but stop this from happening? He installed a second gate in the feeder chute to reduce the flow of pallets into the feed tray and he reduced the size of the feed tray so that the chooks were not able to flick the feed. That’s worked a treat for us. Might be worth having a play.

[@freeman6147]

Would be great to see photos of those adaptations.

[@Hayesdec]

Hi Very interesting feeder. I did make my own feeder. I was having the same problems with the chickens throwing the food out and waisting. I solved it by putting a piece of roofing rubber ( the sort that roofers use instead of felt) the chickens have to put the head in the feeder and the roofing rubber gives a bit doesn’t completely solve the problem but helps. Just stick it on with ct1. A product available in the uk. It’s like a mastic glue. Anyway hope this helps Richard UK

[@Gayle.M]

Now that you already have the feeder, can you put a light piece of wood over the tredle foot to prevent feed build up?

[@ricardodelzealandia6290]

I built a feeder that has no spill, but I haven't added a treader on it, so I do get rats eating out of it. It also takes 20kg sacks. I can send you a pic of it if you like.

[@caewalker9276]

Maybe if you stuck a piece of conduit cut in half length wise in front of the feeding tray, you might be able to catch most of the food that's being spilt. Thanks for the review as I've been looking into one . Do they make Ram proof one's. My ram keeps getting into the chicken tractor after the grain while the chickens are out for a run.

[@Bob123Max]

Bandicoots have been eating more of my expensive chook feed that the chooks - keeping them out of the chook yard and overnight chook pen is difficult. So I spent $49 on an "automatic" chook feeder that turned out to be a piece of rubbish! Thanks for your review on this one.

[@coinjunkyag1626]

cool vid thanks 👍

[@user-up7br8ft2v]

非常棒的设计

[@LaurensRadiatoren]

I liked this review very much. I bought the feedomatic a week ago but our chickens not using it. I did put a stone on it to keep it open but they have eaten allmost nothing. And now they avoid being near this machine...I do not know how to change this, they must be hungry..

[@phinex60]

How would a thin peace of tin ontop of the plate do? To stop it from going between the grates? Also could the tin be expanded to under the where the food is, so it won't gather under there either?

[@mmarrinan]

Hey mate, what sort of feed is that? I feed my chooks ‘coarse layer mash’ but curious what you feed yours and why? Thanks from Brisbane!!! Also, I made a gravity feeder out of pvc pipe that has no spill! Mine is the shape of a J, with a full 90 degrees connection at the bottom. Can give more info/pictures if interested!

[@paulburke6469]

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.

[@BacktonaturelivingCom]

You have a great channel! Has anyone told you that you look just like Richard Crowe? Personally, I have a feeder that puts out just enough food on a timer. I don't like to feed them too much because I like it when they free-range, and run to get worms or even mice.... Since we feed our fowl birds expensive organic chicken crumble. I only like to supplement their free ranging... Fowl are known to produce more eggs when they are underfed vs overfed... just a thought... :)

[@LutherMasonVitaminL]

not the same kind of feeder but similiar. my buddies feeder is up on two concrete bricks. it spills to the floor and the hens that are less keen on jumping on the pad just eat the spill over at the bottom under the press plate. also we have bad Possom and racoon problems here in the eastern US so he will put his traps under the feeder and let them fill up from the chickens over flow and then set them that night.

[@Peteslife]

Your suppose to mount those feeders up off the floor, atleast about 100mm (4inches) off the ground.

[@stonegiant4]

Hmm. It would probably work for me since the local fearl cat colony keeps the rodents decimated. The clogging up plate would be double annoying for my ducks as they tend to make everything mucky.

[@elizabethsansom6447]

I think you should put a plastic cement liner underneath the container and set it up on a couple of bricks so anything that falls through all you have to do is pick it up and put it back in the feeder

[@dpowell7299]

I'm surprised that they make the bottom a grate. It seems like if that was flat it would not allow the seed to fill up underneath.

[@terryedge1061]

What about the lower pecking order hens are they able to get food when they want it or bullied away ?

[@briansandle1915]

What is the purpose of the yellow strip which clips in at the front of the trough? It bends and stops it working.

[@calebmaxwell852]

Now I had wondered if you had any Army experience given your use of the ET but after spotting the figure 12 in the background of this video, I'd say it must be confirmed. The target and the ET gives me an Infantry impression but my second choice would be Artillery at a guess.. am I close? Maybe you say in one of your videos and I just haven't ran into it yet haha

[@philipcurl789]

When are you going to review the Borotto Incubator

[@johnkosterimages]

Have you ever covered the injury to your right forearm? I'm curious to hear what happened. Seems like you're in great shape.

[@angelsmurfwingss.5368]

I wonder if you can cover the entire thing with something that they can still climb , but can't fall through the holes

[@N8rGrant]

0:52 Yah right LOL you seem pretty accustom to that sorta thing 😂