Rat proof container for bird food? (not a big dustbin)

KittenChops

Hi
Does anyone have a recommendation for a container to store bird food in, that will be rat proof please?  We've been keeping it in the big plastic lidded containers that we bought it in, but a couple of these have been chewed through in the last couple of days.
I've seen the big metal dustbins with lids, but ideally I'd like something a bit smaller so it will fit in the shed, which has massive wooden shelves built in down each side & the end.  A big bin would have to go in the middle on the floor, which wouldn't leave much room to get to anything else.  I'm thinking of a big secure metal bread bin type thing, if one exists?  Online searches just return either big dustbins & tiny metal boxes and not much else...
We live in the middle of nowhere, very rural - so there is no point in trying to poison the rats (not that I would want to anyway), I just need to remove the food source so they go somewhere else.
I'm about to start on a new medication which will impact my immune system, so this has got a bit more urgent as I want to sort it all  & clean the area before I start the new meds next week.

(edited for typos)

ETA 2
This is very similar to what we have in the shed:
https://www.spearheadoutdoors.co.uk/products/power-two-tier-shelving
It's really handy for the myriad of gardening stuff I have (and all the other junk that might just come in handy one day) so I wouldn't want to get rid of any of it

Misslayed

We have similar circumstances, except our shed is big enough for a metal dustbin. Do they come in different sizes? We have some huge cooking pots (used to cook up to four blown crabs at a time) which might serve the purpose - bought relatively cheaply in TKMaX. Cheap because not much call for such huge pans. 

fwor

We use a couple of large kitchen wastebins, which have a stainless steel external skin, and then a plastic "bucket" that goes inside, which is removable for cleaning. Looks presentable, not too big and the steel outer makes it rodent-proof.

Albermarle

You could double/triple wrap the food in plastic bags, and then put it back into the original container, that had been thoroughly washed. If they can not smell anything they will not try and get into it.
It works with my fishing bait anyway !

grumpy_codger

https://www.google.com/search?q=metal+bucket+with+lid

Ectophile

Maybe a metal tool box from a tool company.

Ammo box from army surplus store.  They come in many sizes.

KittenChops

Thank you for the replies so far - I have never worked out how to multi quote so I'll just reply individually...

KittenChops

Misslayed said:

We have similar circumstances, except our shed is big enough for a metal dustbin. Do they come in different sizes? We have some huge cooking pots (used to cook up to four blown crabs at a time) which might serve the purpose - bought relatively cheaply in TKMaX. Cheap because not much call for such huge pans. 

I would never have thought of this so thank you.  I will see what I can find with heavy lids at the weekend

KittenChops

fwor said:

We use a couple of large kitchen wastebins, which have a stainless steel external skin, and then a plastic "bucket" that goes inside, which is removable for cleaning. Looks presentable, not too big and the steel outer makes it rodent-proof.

Thank you.  I think I know the sort of thing you mean, but I can't imagine one with a lid that would keep the rats out.  Really I think I need something that would sit on the counter top of the shelves, rather than on the limited floor space

KittenChops

Albermarle said:

You could double/triple wrap the food in plastic bags, and then put it back into the original container, that had been thoroughly washed. If they can not smell anything they will not try and get into it.
It works with my fishing bait anyway !

Thank you but I think that would get a bit fiddly, especially in the cold weather.  And I'd rather get something rat proof so there's nothing for them to find however hard they look!

KittenChops

grumpy_codger said:

https://www.google.com/search?q=metal+bucket+with+lid

Thank you but nothing there looks big enough.  I changed the search to "large metal bucket with lid" and got the dustbins again
I'm probably looking for something that doesn't exist!