Doves... Beautiful, but...

[Daedalus62]

Not really sure this is the right place for this thread, but...

Thing is, ever since I've put up my coop/run (less than a month ago) some wild doves have started to hang around... Today I counted around 8, happily feasting on the chickens feed.

Mind you, I think they're beautiful birds... But honestly, I would like to keep chickens not doves... At this pace more and more will show up, and soon I'll be spending more on feeding wild doves than chickens!!

Any ideas/experience on (just) keeping them away?... Other than trapping/killing them... Or covering the whole run with net...

Thanks

Regards

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

You can make a treadle feeder.

Don't let them drink from the chicken waterers if you can help it also (maybe keep them in the coop) as they can spread canker and other diseases. Also they will bring in lice and mites.

You can make a flap for the entrance of your coop and teach the chickens to go in...with strips of vinyl to deter bird entrance.

 

[Daedalus62]

Thanks for the pointers ChickensAreSweet, very helpful.

That´s experience/knowledge talking... I didn't think on the diseases and/or pest spreading, only on the feed...

On the waterers, I'm putting up a bucket (with a lid) with some nipples on the bottom... So, hopefully, that one is OK.

I didn't thought on the doves before... Or I would build a treadle feeder, instead of this one I'm making now... Oh well, next time...



The entrance vinyl flap is a good idea, I'll put one up.

Thanks again.

Regards

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/gallo-del-cielos-chicken-coop
If you look a little more than halfway down this page you can see how this BYC member made strips on his pop door entrance.

You are welcome!

 

[Daedalus62]

Got it... Thanks, ChickensAreSweet

I especially liked the method to teach the chickens on using the flap... Gradually lower the flap an inch every other day... Clever.

Regards