Feeding wild birds alongside chickens

[Chickety Charcoal]

I have a question about those of us who feed wild birds in the same area as our chickens. Are we setting up issues in the future? I read somewhere that wild birds can spread diseases and pests to chicken flocks. How concerned should I be? Anything that can be done other than not feeding wild birds anymore?

 

[craftbug1021]

I have sparrows that go into my pen and eat out of my feeders. When we had our first clutch hatch, the roo stomped one into the ground...had never seen anything like it.
I never thought about the disease's though, good question.

 

[Chickety Charcoal]

I have sparrows that go into my pen and eat out of my feeders. When we had our first clutch hatch, the roo stomped one into the ground...had never seen anything like it.

My hens get a little ornery with the local Juncos when they get close to the BOSS, but they've never squashed them. That roo knows it's territory!

The other day I was watching the backyard shenanigans where a fairly large gray squirrel was sifting through the extras on the ground next to my Buff Orph. The squirrel 'hissed' at the hen and the hen lashed back, sending the squirrel away a few feet. The scavenging continued until the squirrel decided he wasn't going to be shamed like that and jumped onto the Buff! I barely had time to react as the whole thing lasted a second or two but they scuffled to where it looked like the squirrel was curling around the hen's head. Out of the bushes came the other three hens in the Buff's posse and they made short work of the squirrel, attacking it from all sides. The Buff was fine and has been since I inspected her, but that was scary. Who knew I needed to beware of squirrels as possible dangers to hens?​

 

[VelvettFog]

Time for squirrel pie... yum