Arizona Chickens

[Gallo del Cielo]

Any one having finch problems swarming on the coups ?? Any suggestions ? They swoop right through my chicken wire !!!

I never had a problem with finches, but the European house sparrows about over ran us when we first got chickens. I agree, smaller holes in the wire will help. Hardware cloth (1/2") will keep most things out. If you free range though, that won't help much because the wild birds enter through from where the chickens come and go. The most direct way to limit wild birds is to limit their access to chicken feed. You can see what I did to limit wild birds in my coop at the "my coop" link under my avatar. Oh, and

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

CITY FARM, I still have a few. Some broken, some disappeared. I had taken care of my mother for 5 years, then I could not handle it any longer. It is a very long story....... my nephew came here to SCW, and we lived in the same condo for a little over a year. He is still taking care of her.

Thanks. I have issues......

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

Thanks for the info shared here.  I am new to chickens and have been wondering how we will transition our girls once the weather heats up again.  Sounds like it will be lots of trial and error but I feel more confident after following some of the posts on this thread.  Peace, 

Welcome, I am newer to chickens also. I bought my chicks in April 2012. I have been though one summer, this is my first winter. My friend thinks buying them in spring is best so they can get used to the heat gradually and it is natural for them. She bought hers in fall. They did not get use to the heat as easy. I am not sure how true this is, just her theory. I try to make my run a fun place...LOL  I have a suet small metal square metal cage thingy  for feeding the birds. I hung it in my cage at beak level and fill it with lettuce for them to peck at while it swings around. It is like a tether ball. I also feed them grass clippings, we have a mulching blade so it cuts it into tiny pieces. I am trying to think of more fun stuff to put in their run. I wish they caught mice. I have a huge mice problem right now.

Chickens love mice, if they can catch them.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

That was quick with Craigslist. Placed ad last night for my silkie boys and had a response. They saw a silkie at Pratts but it wasn't for sale. The wife had wanted silkies for Christmas.

The family loved the boys and they also asked if they could have their sister. I let them have her as well. The three of them are very attached. They will be heading up to Utah to their farm with plenty room to play. I am sad but they will have a good home.

I'm just getting caught up and saw this. That must have been so hard to do but it warmed my heart that they got to all stay together as a group. I'm so sorry about the little chick too.

 

[parentwarrior]

Chickens love mice, if they can catch them.


Cool, I just noticed the problem so hopefully they will take care of it. I am seeing them mostly at night when they sleep though. Between the mice and the sparrows, I go through a lot of food!

 

[parentwarrior]

I never had a problem with finches, but the European house sparrows about over ran us when we first got chickens. I agree, smaller holes in the wire will help. Hardware cloth (1/2") will keep most things out. If you free range though, that won't help much because the wild birds enter through from where the chickens come and go. The most direct way to limit wild birds is to limit their access to chicken feed. You can see what I did to limit wild birds in my coop at the "my coop" link under my avatar. Oh, and

I have had the same problem. I am going over my 4 x 2 wire and chicken wire with smaller stuff to keep them out.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

I'm just getting caught up and saw this. That must have been so hard to do but it warmed my heart that they got to all stay together as a group. I'm so sorry about the little chick too.

Thanks G. Oh my it was hard to let the silkies go. I was a bit misty after they left. The family said they would send photos of them when they get settled in Utah.
Thanks about little Puffball. I am glad I had the chance to take care of her for her short time with me. She would always run into my hand to be picked up and cuddled.

 

[maryhysong]

Mice and sparrows out in the coop/run: Don't use automatic feeders, I would have literally hundreds of sparrows in my run eating chicken feed. I started feeding twice a day, just what the chickens would eat in a short time and now only see a couple sparrows now and then. Make sure there is no leftover feed hanging around at night for the mice and keep your feed sacks in metal barrels. you can put mouse traps in your run by building a wooden box to put the traps in with little holes for the mice to go in.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Mice and sparrows out in the coop/run: Don't use automatic feeders, I would have literally hundreds of sparrows in my run eating chicken feed. I started feeding twice a day, just what the chickens would eat in a short time and now only see a couple sparrows now and then. Make sure there is no leftover feed hanging around at night for the mice and keep your feed sacks in metal barrels. you can put mouse traps in your run by building a wooden box to put the traps in with little holes for the mice to go in.

Hmmm....I think that depends on your definition of automatic feeder. My automatic feeder (treadle feeder) stopped the food loss to sparrows immediately after it was installed two years ago. I still have sparrow issues in the garden, but not with my chickens. Perhaps you're talking about feeders that have food available at all times but are open to other animals like the pvc feeders or gravity fed galvanized feeders that are common? Then yes, those types of feeders can be a problem. I agree that feeding twice a day will help reduce feed loss, especially at first before the wild birds learn where and when you're feeding twice a day. I've had to resort to giving the chickens their treats in the treadle feeder too because the wild birds immediately swarm whatever I put out. I wonder, maybe that feeding strategy would be more effective outside urban areas where problem birds like sparrows and doves are lower in number? I like my auto feeder because the chickens have free access to feed whenever they want and yet I loose very little to wild birds (or to mice).

 

[maryhysong]

Hmmm....I think that depends on your definition of automatic feeder. My automatic feeder (treadle feeder) stopped the food loss to sparrows immediately after it was installed two years ago. I still have sparrow issues in the garden, but not with my chickens. Perhaps you're talking about feeders that have food available at all times but are open to other animals like the pvc feeders or gravity fed galvanized feeders that are common? Then yes, those types of feeders can be a problem. I agree that feeding twice a day will help reduce feed loss, especially at first before the wild birds learn where and when you're feeding twice a day. I've had to resort to giving the chickens their treats in the treadle feeder too because the wild birds immediately swarm whatever I put out. I wonder, maybe that feeding strategy would be more effective outside urban areas where problem birds like sparrows and doves are lower in number? I like my auto feeder because the chickens have free access to feed whenever they want and yet I loose very little to wild birds (or to mice).

yes exactly what I meant. Your treadle feeder looks neat but I have gone to fermented feed so feed mostly early in the morning, the birds clean up most of it in a short time. I check in the middle of the afternoon and if it is all gone give another smaller feeding. Around here a lot of people feed the wild birds and there are thousands of sparrows. When feed was out all the time the place was literally covered with them. since I started limited feeding I only see a couple at a time. I live just outside the limits of a small town and don't have any real close neighbors. Don't know what it would be like if I had more close neighbors that were feeding the wild birds.