damn sparrows

[0die]

Odie, you can leave dry grain out for them all day. I found cardinals like the sunflower seeds, but nothing else. As for the rats, a bucket trap might work for you.

I have bucket traps and they have not caught anything. A rat trap will only reduce, not eliminate rats.

My current feeder is rat proof. But wild birds can eat. That is my current problem. How much they are eating I don't know. A different feeder might cost more than the feed loss?

The dilemma is changing the feeder design to stop the wild birds might allow the rats back into the feeder.

The issue right now is sparrows are eating the feed pellets. I need a feeder design that will both prevent wild birds in the day AND rats at night.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

Bring the birds in to feed in the morning and evening, feed for 20 mins and release. Monitor for a week to insure there is no weight loss. The birds should adapt fine.

 

[0die]

Bring the birds in to feed in the morning and evening, feed for 20 mins and release. Monitor for a week to insure there is no weight loss. The birds should adapt fine.

read post #7

can't do that.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

Gotcha

 

[Debbie292d]

Odie, you can leave dry grain out for them all day. I found cardinals like the sunflower seeds, but nothing else. As for the rats, a bucket trap might work for you.

We have cardinals, tons of goldfinches, evening grosbeaks, blue jays, snowbirds, purple finches, of course a zillion woodpeckers, tufted titmouse, chickadees, probably more I'm forgetting. All eat sunflower seeds. No sparrows.

 

[fowltemptress]

I would try out these type of feeders.

 

[0die]

I would try out these type of feeders.

looks interesting. pellets or crumbles?

 

[fowltemptress]

looks interesting. pellets or crumbles?

That depends on the size hole you drill, I would think. My father is making these, so I'll ask him if he's noticed an issue with crumble feed.

 

[0die]

That depends on the size hole you drill, I would think. My father is making these, so I'll ask him if he's noticed an issue with crumble feed.

I prefer pellet. crumbles tend to clump with moisture easy and become a solid cake. But crumble might work better in this case.

 

[fowltemptress]

I prefer pellet. crumbles tend to clump with moisture easy and become a solid cake. But crumble might work better in this case.

Every video I've seen and article I've read on these feeders has used pellets, so I wasn't sure it would be great with crumble. I can only get the food I use in crumble form, which is why I haven't made any of these for myself yet.