SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder aids snowshoe hare research project

3rd January 2018

Yasmine is a PhD student in the Biology department at the University of Alberta. She has been conducting research on the influence of food on snowshoe hare behaviour, survival and reproduction in Northern Canada. When she came across the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder, she knew she had found the ideal food bowl to help support her research.

Yasmine placed 15 SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeders in the forest, which have stayed out in all types of weather for the last two years. The feeders have survived two northern Canadian winters, where temperatures regularly drop to -20°C! They’ve also survived attempted break-ins from squirrels and other hungry critters trying to reach the food that is firmly locked away. Yasmine has been impressed with the sturdiness of the product and its resilience against such harsh conditions.

The snowshoe hares adapted to using the feeders very quickly. Yasmine decided to use the product’s training modes from the get go as she was concerned that if she didn’t, the hares might have found the feeders difficult to use and become spooked by them. But as it happens, the animals all got to grips with the feeders after just a week of training. After that week, Yasmine was able to take the feeders out of training mode and all the snowshoe hares were using them happily.

The hares all wear collars with a microchip attached to them. When a collared hare approaches the feeder, it will open, allowing them to feed. The lid then closes when they have finished feeding, ensuring that other animals aren’t able to eat the food. Since she started using the feeders, Yasmine has found that she has saved money as previously she would put a pile of food out for the hares which of course would be eaten by any animal who chanced upon it.

When asked if she would recommend the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder, Yasmine said: “Yes, I have already recommended this product to several other researchers and many others have contacted me asking for information because they want to use them for their work. This is a great product for anyone doing food addition experiments on small mammals.”

Please note that while Yasmine’s research demonstrates the durability of the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder, we do not recommend the product is used outdoors in a domestic setting.