calling any one from missouri

[shawluvsbirds]

If it isn't song birds it's mice. I would remove food at night as a deterrant, but Feeding them of an evening is the only way I can get them to go back in their pen. And those little ducks really kind of need to be able to be free fed. With the big ducks I only feed them what I think they will finish.
I been battling mice living in there constantly. Then I battle with my dog over there digging around and in the pen if it's open. He fancies himself a great mouse hunter. But he rarely catches one. Him being a cold nosed hound.. He gets Hyper focused on where the mice have been.. Instead of
where they are in the moment. It's a damn mess.

 

[Bawkbok]

Flipping sparrows are eating me out of house and home here too. They go in my call duck enclosure and just eat rigjt along with the ducks. I had about 20 in there with them the day it snowed.

I thought They were getting in through the gap around the door. So I put a screen up over it. They are still getting in.
I checked the whole thing over for any other gaps. I didn't think there were because we went through and put new zip ties on everything when we added the other tarp for winter. I
Did not find any gaps. I have decided they are literally pushing themselves through that plastic coated chicken wire then sone of them eat so much they can't get back out lol
I would have never thought they could get through that wire.
View attachment 4027522

I
We had to attach garden mesh to the entire wire run. The mesh is maybe 1/4" circles. It is flexible. Since then we have never had any birds squeeze through. However, large squirrels are able to get through those small holes. I never would have thought it possible until I saw it for myself. Watched a squirrel in the run torment the girls when I went out and I saw another one in between the tarp and the mesh. I hit his little feet with a board as he was running back and forth in a panic, trying to figure his way out. He crammed through a hole and out he went. Didn't break the mesh. I couldn't believe it. Since then, it has never returned but they do like to run all over the top of the tarp but no further breaches.

 

[jthornton]

I put 1/2" chicken wire around the run and only left a small opening for the hens with a cloth door and the damn birds just fly right through the cloth door.

JT

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I hope we get to build my bird barn this summer. That Amazon run has done it's duty. I can't complain, but it's definitely time for an upgrade.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I put 1/2" chicken wire around the run and only left a small opening for the hens with a cloth door and the damn birds just fly right through the cloth door.

JT

An animal behaviorist friend had a good idea for me that I put to work. I made a curtain based on those hanging strands of beads like those African door curtains. https://www.amazon.com/YIIBAII-Curt...8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1
She said the birds wouldn't fly through, yet the chickens could still come and go. It worked like a champ.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Just in case anyone is near St. Louis and knows someone interested in embarking on chicken keeping, St. Louis Community College is hosting my Beginner Chicken Class again this spring at the Meramec campus. I've been teaching this and various other chicken classes at STLCC for over 15 years.

Backyard Chickens: Beginners Have you thought about keeping chickens in your city or suburban backyard? Learn local ordinances and where to fnd more information for your area. Hear about the benefts of keeping chickens, appropriate housing, feeding and diferent ways to keep your chickens healthy and happy. Instructor has years of personal and professional experience and is an enthusiastic knowledgeable healthychicken farmer. ECOL-705 | 1 session | $28 AGE 60+ | $39 REG P01 Sa 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Guy Niere Feb 8 MC-SO 107

Registration is through Continuing Education.
https://stlcc.edu/docs/workforce-employer-services/25p-cecatalog_final_web.pdf

 

[jthornton]

An animal behaviorist friend had a good idea for me that I put to work. I made a curtain based on those hanging strands of beads like those African door curtains. https://www.amazon.com/YIIBAII-Curtains-Doorways-Decoration-Partitions/dp/B0B55YP16F/ref=sr_1_1_sspa
She said the birds wouldn't fly through, yet the chickens could still come and go. It worked like a champ.

I'll try anything once or twice... I'll have to introduce them one bead at a time, my hens really hate change. I have upside down buckets that I put treats on and if one is laying on it's side they won't even get near it.

BTW, anything after the ? in a link is tracking information and can be deleted including the ?.

JT

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Wow, thanks for that information.
I originally scoffed a bit at her idea but then it made sense that a sparrow may not fly through somehing like that but the chickens being on foot and much bigger can push it aside and go right in. My first application was just a piece of fabric that fit the door with slits the vertical length. It worked surprisingly well. The sparrows and finches had turned the coop door into an aerial freeway before that.
Perhaps install when the chickens go to roost and when you open the pop door they'll have to negotiate it to go outside

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Happy Birthday @shawluvsbirds

 

[karenerwin]

Well, I thought I was going to finally sell the Poplar Bluff house. But then the buyers decided they wanted to look around more. So they backed out of the contract. They hadn't even gotten an inspection done or anything. I get the earnest money, which isn't much, but I would have much rather sold the house finally.