Not every product idea survives the scrutiny of a national audience. Ours did, and the experience changed how we think about everything from product design to the way we communicate with our customers. The story of shark tank chicken feeders and how Riverbend Resources found its footing on that stage is one worth telling, because it goes deeper than a television moment. It reflects a commitment to solving a real problem for real people tending real flocks every single day.
Table of Contents
Who is Erik Diedrichsen and why did he build this product?
Erik Diedrichsen is the founder of Riverbend Resources, a veteran owned business built around the belief that backyard chicken keeping should be simple, affordable, and genuinely enjoyable. Erik Diedrichsen did not start with a factory or a large manufacturing budget. He started with a problem he observed firsthand, scattered feed, frustrated birds, and a coop that required more daily attention than it should have.
His answer was the Poultry Pro Feeder, a kit that transforms any standard plastic bucket into a sealed, spill proof feeding station using a small set of engineered ports and a hole saw bit. The simplicity of the solution was intentional.
What problem did the Shark Tank appearance address?
Walking into a room with national investors requires more than a product. It requires a problem worth solving at scale, and the Riverbend pitch made that case clearly. Backyard chicken keeping has grown dramatically over the past decade, with millions of households now maintaining small flocks for eggs, companionship, and food sustainability.
Despite that growth, feeding technology had not kept pace. Most keepers were still using open trays that wasted grain, attracted pests, and required daily attention. Our Poultry Pro Feeder addressed all three of those pain points in a single kit, which is what made the Shark Tank moment resonate with a national audience.
How did national attention shape the Riverbend product line?
Appearing on Shark Tank pushed us to think more broadly about who our customers are and what they need beyond a feeder. The experience accelerated our work on the Poultry Pro Waterer, a companion product designed around the same core principles: simplicity, durability, and compatibility with standard containers already available to most backyard keepers.
Here is what both products share across the full lineup:
- Compatibility with standard five gallon buckets available at any hardware store
- Weatherproof materials rated for year round outdoor use
- Anti-microbial construction that stays cleaner between maintenance cycles
- Simple installation requiring no specialty tools beyond a basic drill
- Full satisfaction guarantees backing every product sold
That consistency across products is not accidental. Every design decision reflects what our customers told us they needed after we listened more carefully as a result of the Shark Tank experience.
What makes our feeder different from what came before?
Open tray feeders dominated the market for years because they were cheap and familiar, not because they were effective. Grain spilled constantly, rodents arrived predictably, and coop cleaning became a daily necessity rather than a weekly task.
Our sealed port system fundamentally changes that equation. Birds eat from inside the bucket rather than from an exposed tray, which keeps grain contained and rodents uninterested. The weatherproof lid protects feed from rain, humidity, and the kind of summer storms that ruin open trays overnight.
Why do backyard keepers across America trust Riverbend Resources?
Trust takes longer to build than a television moment, and we know that. What the Shark Tank appearance gave us was visibility. What kept customers coming back was a product that actually delivered on what we promised. Reviews consistently mention three things: less wasted feed, fewer rodent visits, and simpler daily coop routines.
We are also a veteran owned, American made business, which matters to many of our customers beyond the product itself. Supporting a company built on those values adds a layer of meaning to a purchase that might otherwise feel like a simple coop upgrade.
Visit our homepage to see the full story behind the brand and the products that came out of it.
You can browse the Poultry Pro Feeder and
the Poultry Pro Waterer to see how both products carry that original mission forward.
Our team and Eric Diedrichsen is always available for questions about any of our products.
Reach out to us here and we will respond promptly.
For a closer look at how our waterer supports egg production and flock health, this
published post on waterer impact offers useful background.
Riverbend Resources: Built on a Problem Worth Solving
The Shark Tank chapter was meaningful, but it was never the destination. It was a moment that sharpened our focus and widened our reach. Every product we make still comes back to the same question Erik asked at the very beginning: what does a backyard keeper actually need to make this easier? That question drives everything we build at Riverbend Resources, and it will keep driving us long after any television spotlight fades.
Frequently Asked Questions
