How to keep sparrows/wild birds out of run!?

[centrarchid]

Consider giving the chickens a restricted ration where they consistently consume all the feed before ceasing intake. Do not scatter feed, rather place it is a largish dark bowl so the chickens can see it easily. Also apply as pellets that are easier for chickens to clean up.

 

[jburts]

Im loosing my mind trying to keep the sparrows out of my chicken feed and their coop and run altogether. My chickens free range in my yard all day. The run door is open so they can come and go as they please and so they have access to their food and water. Well the entire neighborhood of birds has decided that they want to come to my house to eat as well. Ive tried the CD thing.That worked for all of five minutes. Tried the fake owl, tried hanging pieces of material thinking maybe the movement would deter them. Tried making a tunnel out of the coop and blocking the door with plastic. Well the sparrows walked right through the tunnel with not even a second thought. I tried feeding in the front of my house hoping they would get full and not want the chicken food. Nope. And I also tried hawk and other birds of prey noises. They didn’t flinch. I bought grandpas chicken feeder also. But that didnt go over well. They are pooping in the chickens water and in their food and im afraid they’re going to bring them diseases…. Please pleaseIf you have any solutions I would love to hear them. Thanks so much!

Well I have had the same problem I tried bird netting but I was out there rescuing birds caught in it so took it off. In summer they are not in there as much but winter they are. I quit feeding the birds and that cut down on how many birds I have. Now we have a cat and she's been keeping the rats and mice away, and some birds as well. My chickens just welcome their feather friends. I clean there water out every night. I have not been able in total preventing them but it has cut down. The cat climbs the tree they are in and birds fly out. In winter we have hawks and they scare the birds

 

[Sammster]

I use this style feeder. It's designed to deter rodents and wild birds. It's working well, here. You can also make your own. Lots of videos on youtube.

 

[Mojave Desert Chickn Lady]

Im loosing my mind trying to keep the sparrows out of my chicken feed and their coop and run altogether. My chickens free range in my yard all day. The run door is open so they can come and go as they please and so they have access to their food and water. Well the entire neighborhood of birds has decided that they want to come to my house to eat as well. Ive tried the CD thing.That worked for all of five minutes. Tried the fake owl, tried hanging pieces of material thinking maybe the movement would deter them. Tried making a tunnel out of the coop and blocking the door with plastic. Well the sparrows walked right through the tunnel with not even a second thought. I tried feeding in the front of my house hoping they would get full and not want the chicken food. Nope. And I also tried hawk and other birds of prey noises. They didn’t flinch. I bought grandpas chicken feeder also. But that didnt go over well. They are pooping in the chickens water and in their food and im afraid they’re going to bring them diseases…. Please pleaseIf you have any solutions I would love to hear them. Thanks so much!

Same problem here without all the creative attempts at solutions.

 

[raingarden]

Ya'know, the result of feeding sparrows is more sparrow reproduction and more sparrows. It's a public servie to turn them into sparrow breast pie.

 

[AnnPann]

Had the same problem with my former run, which wild birds could easily access. For a while in the spring, loosely attached tarps flapped in the wind and kept them away, but as soon as the wind quit, the moved in. They came for the water during the summer heat/drought, and stayed for the food. Then they just plain stayed. Every time I went out there, 10-20 of them would fly off their various perches. I was going through feed like crazy. New run that is covered in HWC keeps them out. My feed costs dropped dramatically. So much that I was worried why the flock wasn't eating very much after the move. Then I remembered I'd been feeding the wild birds all summer!

 

[Mojave Desert Chickn Lady]

Had the same problem with my former run, which wild birds could easily access. For a while in the spring, loosely attached tarps flapped in the wind and kept them away, but as soon as the wind quit, the moved in. They came for the water during the summer heat/drought, and stayed for the food. Then they just plain stayed. Every time I went out there, 10-20 of them would fly off their various perches. I was going through feed like crazy. New run that is covered in HWC keeps them out. My feed costs dropped dramatically. So much that I was worried why the flock wasn't eating very much after the move. Then I remembered I'd been feeding the wild birds all summer!

Sparrows here fly right through the holes in the chicken wire. Hardware cloth with 1/2" openings would keep them out, but it's fairly expensive compared to chicken wire. I might try installing chicken wire with smaller openings designed to keep baby chick's in, when I have the next chicken pen built this spring.
Sparrows are supposed to be good at eating flying insects, but do they have room for insects after stuffing down my chickens' feed?

 

[raingarden]

I might try installing chicken wire with smaller openings designed to keep baby chick's in, when I have the next chicken pen built this spring.

We used to be able to buy half-inch chicken wire. Expensive, but not nearly as expensive as hardware cloth. I haven't seen it in ages.

 

[Wot The Flock]

Bird netting, the same as you would for fruit trees - but it should be installed tightly. You will get the odd sparrow caught in it. I did (where it was not tight enough), left the carcass there for the others to get the message, and finally they stopped coming. Prior to that, an endless war.

 

[Paz]

What worked best for me to keep birds out of the *garden* was hanging a dead crow/raven over the garden, as well as throwing some large feathers all around, or placing the dead body of a raven on the garden beds.