Birds are invading!!! Help!

[Rach123]

Hiya, still trying to figure out how to work this thing but here we go!

Was wondering if anybody had any advice on how to keep small birds out of my run. I have a large run with wire mesh all the way around and over the top. This is fab and stops larger birds like crows and pigeons from stealing food and keeps my little hens safe but it doesn't stop smaller birds like sparrows and finches and they are clearing me of hen food! I only have a trio of Dutch Bantams that don't eat much, but, since i moved house i can get through a whole feeder (which would usually lasted the girls a week or so) in a day! Chicken food isn't cheep and i can't afford to feed all these little birds (even if they are really sweet). Does anyone have any idea on how to stop them? I've tried moving the feeder inside the coop, covering it from obvious sight, changed the type/colour of feeder...these little birds are driving me insane!!!

Any advice or help would be hugely appreciated.

Many Thanks
Rachel

 

[Ponyfeather]

Put chicken wire over the wire. It should be small enough to keep them out.

 

[gander007]

Ok Rachel, this is a normal problem for every one and as small as a sparrow is a very small bird and they come right through my chicken wire but the only real way to stop them is to get smaller wire or a cloth netting every year as the sun wind and rain will break it down in time ...

And yes they are pesky and will drive a person insane given the chance ....

 

[bugflipper]

I had this issue many years ago. I just decided to leave them alone, that they needed food as well. For my apathy I got the worst infestation of mite imaginable. There were literally millions on each fence post of the yard. The fix was to get a plastic owl and put it on one of the fence posts. No more birds ever.

 

[4 the Birds]

I had this issue many years ago. I just decided to leave them alone, that they needed food as well. For my apathy I got the worst infestation of mite imaginable. There were literally millions on each fence post of the yard. The fix was to get a plastic owl and put it on one of the fence posts. No more birds ever.

Decoy owls may work to scare off hawks but they do little to scare smaller birds. I have 2 on my coop and the sparrows and starlings ignore them even though I tried moving their location each day. I have also hung CD's that shine and flutter in the breeze and this was little help. The invading birds should be much less in the warm months since they can find food but the Winter is when I have the most problems. With snow on the ground, food is scarce and invading birds will even shimmy under the doors to get to the chicken feed.

Chicken wire will keep out medium size birds but sparrows can go through. Hardware cloth will keep them out. If you let your chickens free range from a run opening and have your coop open then there is not much you can do about invaders. I fill my feeders daily and throw cracked corn out on the ground as well. Hope this helps.

 

[gander007]

Quote:
Nice flock you have !!!!!

But what is all that green stuff !!



That wont grow here .....






Stage Brush is about all we get ....

 

[Rach123]

'Gander007' and '4 The Birds', both lovely flocks, so interesting seeing others flocks especially from America! 'Gander007' i can imagine it being a bit dry in the Death Valley, i can send you some of our rain, we've had more than enough this year! Thank you all for the suggestions, will try the owl idea, although being up in the Scottish hills we don't get many owls more buzzards. Unfortunately i can't let my little girls free range as i have working spaniel, who would find great pleasure in destroying my ladies, and i don't have the money to put finer mesh around the whole run as it is quite big

Cheers again

 

[gander007]

'Gander007' and '4 The Birds', both lovely flocks, so interesting seeing others flocks especially from America! 'Gander007' i can imagine it being a bit dry in the Death Valley, i can send you some of our rain, we've had more than enough this year! Thank you all for the suggestions, will try the owl idea, although being up in the Scottish hills we don't get many owls more buzzards. Unfortunately i can't let my little girls free range as i have working spaniel, who would find great pleasure in destroying my ladies, and i don't have the money to put finer mesh around the whole run as it is quite big

Cheers again

That is some good looking country side ...

So when can you send us some of that rain and even your fog would
do as we have only received 1/2 inch of rain this year and the norm
is 6 inches ..

 

[Rach123]

That is some good looking country side ...

So when can you send us some of that rain and even your fog would
do as we have only received 1/2 inch of rain this year and the norm
is 6 inches ..

1/2 an inch! Even 6 inches!! We can get that in a day! Wow...you can have it all, its not too bad up here in the hills but flatter land and Wales have had terrible flooding Rather cold and wet winter indeed, heard them saying its been the wettest winter since 1766! We'll be needing webbed feet here soon!

 

[Sarevan]

You can try a treadle feeder, hen steps on board it opens so it can eat. It is even adjustable to weight of bird so bantams can open it but not little itty bittys. Someone has a post on how to bild one here in forums and you can buy one too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/building-a-treadle-chicken-feeder

http://www.woodworkingcorner.com/feeder.php


http://www.magisto.com/video/NlQGNEgVQWssUgNpYw

That one above made from a trashcan! Here is forum link
The info you need is at end of the post.https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/842326/squatters-and-freeloaders


We have quail come in our yard, so far haven't gone and stole from chickens. In winter I throw out feed for them away from the run and coop. During hunting season we have a huge amount of quail hiding around the place.