Feed port covers should be included, especially for the price. The rats we have in the Pacific Northwest can still get to the feed ports so we had to order the covers separately
Overall, a nice feeder and it’s nice to have enough volume to be able to go on vacations without having a chicken sitter.
Hi Stuart,
Thanks for leaving the review, I am sorry you are having a problem with the rodents, I think we can fix the problem.
We developed the feed port covers mainly to keep out raccoons and larger critters out at night for feeders that are not kept inside a run. We just designed and started offering a new injection molded feed port cover. We make them optional since we found most people don't use them since so may feed silos are used inside a closed run.
I see you heave the telescoping legs on your 80 lb. feed silo. We do know rats can climb the legs and jump into the feed ports, however the single post mount is very rodent resistant. If a rat climbs the post they can't get into the feed ports, plus we have a metal plate on top so they can't chew trhough the feeder.
I will be glad to send a telescoping post mount to you if you so you can try it if you can jiulst let me knw if you prefer the stake mount or the x-base. I think you will find it will solve your rat problem without having to install the port covers at night.
Please email me at tom@CoopWorxUSA.com or give me a call on my cell at 910-233-0502.
All the best,
Tom
Works great to replace the ones we had that were destroyed by a racoon.
Hi Scott,
I am glad you are happy with your feed silo. Hopefully it will be very raccoon proof. Please let me know how it works for you.
All the best,
Tom
I found the feed ports very difficult to replace and they don't sit-in quite right. Of course, I waited until my feeder was empty and attempted many different ways to insert it, my husband even struggled with it. I believe the originals no doubt were inserted by a machine or a special tool, I don't know. Maybe provide a video on how to replace them. Despite the concept of the feeder which I like and the fact the feeder holds 80 pounds of feed at one time, my hens are still able to dump the feed on to the ground via the ports. If there was another product available from a different company, I would try it.
We have squirrels chewing and pulling off the red feed ports from our feeder, so we ordered some replacements. They came quickly and were easily installed. Additionally, we wiped some hot sauce on the ports, and it seems to have done the trick!
We have had our feeder for several years now, and it's the best thing ever! Highly recommend this company and their products!
We haven't had to replace any of the Feed Ports yet. I don't anticipate that for quite some time. They are well made and I have checked and they are easy to change when we need to. Excellent product.