Final run from Otis's barn in Bardstown • In 14 active carts • 118 left
Otis's Winter-Ready Squirrel Barrel Feeder
Otis's Winter-Ready Squirrel Barrel Feeder
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Otis's Winter-Ready Squirrel Barrel Feeder
Built like a bourbon barrel, in a red barn in Bardstown, Kentucky
Otis Keeling, 73, spent 38 years as a cooper building barrels for the distilleries. Arthritis in both thumbs has ended his barrel making — these are his last squirrel barrels.
“One February morning I watched a mother squirrel dig through frozen ground for an hour and find nothing. The nuts she buried in fall were gone. That’s when I knew these barrels aren’t a toy. They’re a pantry for the hardest weeks of the year.”
Otis Keeling · Bardstown, Kentucky
What comes in the box
Fully assembled, ready to hang
Already fitted with six screws
For tree, fence, post or wall
Already fitted on the back board
What Otis built into every barrel
A round chamber, 7 inches across, like a small barrel. It feels like a tree hole to a squirrel — and there are no corners where damp can collect.
A clear front shows you from the kitchen when it needs a refill. And you can watch the squirrels eat.
A round 2.75-inch hole on each side. In one door, out the other. No squirrel gets cornered.
The roof opens on a hinge. Refill it in ten seconds without taking it off the tree.
A wide 13-inch platform where squirrels sit and eat — right where you can see them.
Give the squirrels their own table, and they leave the bird feeder alone. Hang it about ten feet away from it.
“Late winter is the hardest stretch of the year for tree squirrels. Their buried food runs low, and new buds are still weeks away. A covered feeder with a dry chamber, two exits and an easy lid is exactly what I recommend to homeowners. It helps the animals, and it keeps them away from the bird feeders.”
Dale Whitfield · Retired wildlife rehabilitator · Central Kentucky, 25+ years
Perfect for
Why Otis’s barrels last
- Solid wood, oiled finish. Warm, dark-oiled pine that sheds rain and looks good on any tree.
- Built like a barrel. Curved staves instead of a flat crate — the shape Otis worked with for 38 years.
- A roof over the food. The gabled roof keeps rain and snow off the seeds.
- Easy to clean. Lift the lid, brush out the shells, refill. That’s all.
- Checked by hand. Otis looked over every barrel on his shelves before it went into the box.
If it isn’t right for your yard, one email to info@cedarandtinco.com is enough. No forms, no questions — Otis would rather have it back than have it sit in a garage.
Otis’s one tip. Hang the barrel about five feet high on a tree, fence or post, about ten feet away from your bird feeder. Fill it with peanuts in the shell, dried corn or sunflower seeds. Give the squirrels a few days to find it — then keep it full through February and March.
Product details
| Contents | 1 assembled squirrel barrel feeder + screws and wall plugs |
| Material | Solid pine, dark oiled finish; clear acrylic front |
| Dimensions | Approx. 13 in wide × 9 in tall × 6.7 in deep (33 × 23 × 17 cm) |
| Feeding chamber | Round, 7 in across |
| Entrances | 2 round holes, 2.75 in / 6.9 cm |
| Refill | Hinged lid on top |
| Mounting | Back board with two hanging hooks; screws for tree, fence, post or wall |
| Best food | Peanuts in the shell, dried corn, sunflower seeds, walnuts |
| Care | Brush out shells now and then; wipe the window with a damp cloth |
| Made by | Otis Keeling, Bardstown, Kentucky — last batch, 118 remaining |
The Last Winter
The Last Winter
A note from the barn:
Otis Keeling spent 38 years as a cooper in Bardstown, Kentucky, building white oak barrels for the bourbon distilleries — about 90,000 of them. When he retired, he built his wife June a small round barrel for the squirrels, so they would leave her bird feeder alone. It worked, and he kept building them in the red barn behind the house. Now arthritis in both thumbs means he can no longer bend and hold the staves tight. There will be no further run — 118 barrels are left on the shelves, and when those are gone, there are no more.
Free US Shipping
Free US Shipping
Free shipping across the United States
- Delivery time: 3–5 business days
- Every barrel is hand-packed and ships from the US
- Approx. 13 in wide × 9 in tall × 6.7 in deep (33 × 23 × 17 cm), round chamber 7 in across
- Two 2.75 in entrances, hinged lift lid, clear front window
- Screws and wall plugs included for tree, fence, post or wall
- 30-day money-back guarantee — just email info@cedarandtinco.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Email us anytime at info@cedarandtinco.com. We answer Monday–Friday 9am–5pm and Saturday 10am–3pm (ET). Whether it's about your order, where to hang the barrel, or just to say hello — a real person writes back.
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Of course. 30-day money-back guarantee. Hang it up, give the squirrels a week to find it, and if it isn't right for your yard, email info@cedarandtinco.com within 30 days for a full refund. No questions, and US shipping is free.
How is it made?
How is it made?
Otis builds each barrel the way he built bourbon barrels for 38 years: a round chamber of curved wooden staves, 7 inches across, with a gabled roof, a hinged lift lid and a clear front window held by six screws. Two round 2.75-inch doors let the squirrels come and go. The wood gets a dark oil finish so it sheds rain. Every barrel is checked by hand before it is packed.