Detering wild birds?

[Naser]

You should get some shelter for them, if you can't afford it you shouldn't have them.
Trigger happy chicken feeder works for hens, I don't know about ducks, it is very affordable.

 

[kjackson1992]

You should get some shelter for them, if you can't afford it you shouldn't have them.
Trigger happy chicken feeder works for hens, I don't know about ducks, it is very affordable.

They do have a solid structure, both of the 'areas' as i called them, one group has a fully enclosed shed that the door is left ajar on so that they can get in and out as they please and several other nesting / covered areas

The other group has an entire shade house / outdoor thing (dont really know how to describe it beyond that)

They just choose not to use them unless the weather is real bad

 

[Shadrach]

I've got free range ducks and chickens. I've also got lots of wild birds and rats and mice.
Everything not just eats chicken, but also seems to like their feed as well.
I supervised feed 3 times a day. I don't leave feed in their coops and don't leave it outside either.
A supervised feed takes about 15 minutes if you want to make sure the juniors get fed as well. I do a round. I've got 4 separate chicken tribes and one Muscovy family.
The chickens and ducks (Muscovy) will forage between feeds if they are hungry.

 

[Ribh]

Agree with Shadrach. Don't leave feed lying about. Bin chickens are opportunistic & aggressive. Treadle feeders work for me so my chickens have access to feed 24/7 but I do a supervised afternoon feed using open tubs. I feed in the coop, which has it's own fully enclosed run & the food isn't left around for foragers to find. Ibis, unfortunately, are heavy enough to open a treadle feeder so if I were you I would put down feed @ set times then remove it once your birds have finished feeding. My supervised feed takes between 15~20 minutes. If I need them to hurry along I just put out extra tubs. You are the best deterrent for Ibis ~ armed with a long stick!

 

[aart]

Those buggers are pretty big birds!
...and why they call them 'bin chickens'?

 

[johntfs]

Noobie semi-educated amateur here. You should consider securing your flock at night during this time just to protect them from predators. Winter is coming. Food will be more scarce. A flock of unprotected ducks will be very appetizing to quite a lot of animals.

There's a thread above about a call duck that got rehoused because a lynx killed all the others in his flock. You mention money being tight. So, you probably don't want to have spend it to replace your flock because raccoons, foxes or just murderous feral cats killed and ate them all.

 

[Bird-Whisperer]

Scarecrow? LOL i'm not sure.
We have 2 peahens that do a good job keeping away the big birds and other animals.
Do let us know if the CDs work

 

[Ribh]

Noobie semi-educated amateur here. You should consider securing your flock at night during this time just to protect them from predators. Winter is coming. Food will be more scarce. A flock of unprotected ducks will be very appetizing to quite a lot of animals.

There's a thread above about a call duck that got rehoused because a lynx killed all the others in his flock. You mention money being tight. So, you probably don't want to have spend it to replace your flock because raccoons, foxes or just murderous feral cats killed and ate them all.

The OP is in Australia, heading into summer. He may have foxes but not racoons.

 

[johntfs]

The OP is in Australia, heading into summer. He may have foxes but not raccoons.

Well, I believe I noted I was a "stoopid noobe." Plus, it's Australia. Don't you guys have fantasy/horror creatures as your normal wildlife? Kidding. Sort of. Ultimately though, figure free ranging birds and open access feed will draw opportunistic wildlife. First scavengers going for the feed and then other predators coming for the scavengers and the flock.

 

[bhaugh]

I feed mash once a day to slow wild birds from eating it up. It's amazing just how much they can eat. I feed in the evening as the wild birds have gone off to roost. The feed is covered in water so wild birds don't bother and I try and only feed enough so that when morning comes its gone.