Flock of sparrows in the run this morning

[zDoc]

2 sides of my run have chain link fence on them, very easy for a sparrow to get through. In the past, in the morning before I let the girls out I have spread some scratch in the run for them to forage for. But this morning I see about a dozen or so sparrows out there.

If you were me, and I was you, and you were doing it, and I wasn't,

would you stop giving them scratch in the run or would you try trapping the sparrows? Or would you just ignore it? I've only seen this one time so far.

 

[calista]

They'll be B-A-A-A-A-C-K...

After I read the recent thread here on BYC about trapping house sparrows, I went with this and it works like A CHARM!!!

http://www.sparrowtraps.net/

* Proven design: Hundreds of traps in use internationally and in all 50 US states
* 24”X16”X8” solid pine galvanized hardware cloth construction for years of service
* Water-sealed elevator arm minimizes need to adjust weight for wet/dry weather cycles
* Live trap so any native species can be easily released unharmed
* Self-resetting to catch multiple birds per day with no intervention needed
* Large capacity – will hold up to 40 birds
* When properly set it is virtually escape-proof. No more trap-shy birds.
* Easy-access removal door
* Full Instructions and trapping tips are included.

 

[gryeyes]

I ONLY put out treats (like BOSS, I don't use scratch at all) when the chickens are present.

I also use bird netting over the run, but folks using chain link fence do have the problem of small bird access through the fence. Some of the run is under trees, and I recently expanded it and haven't managed to get the bird netting over all of it yet. I don't feed outside any more, either, because the little birdies were sneaking in to eat the feed.

Although it IS kinda fun to watch Bernadette and Matilda, the two yard guard pullets, tear after sparrows and finches on the ground in THEIR run.

Bird netting is pretty cheap: $19.95 at Lowe's for a roll 14 ft wide and 75 feet long. Maybe you can drape it over the chain link fence sections?

 

[Little Ameraucana Mom]

Quote:
I have this trap. I had 6 sparrows in the first hour !!!!!!!! It works great.

 

[zDoc]

Yea I did a search on here about sparrows and read all the stuff about that trap, I may have to invest in one. I have the netting on the top of the run, I just hate putting it on the sides. If I switch to BOSS will the sparrows leave that alone?

 

[zDoc]

Got home from work and the run is full of those nasty creatures.

Ordered my trap express mail today.

 

[jennh]

Quote:
Are you kidding me? That's a great big NO !

Jen

 

[Kev]

Made the right decision. I'm one of those who responded in other thread.. got 15, 20 or something like that EACH day. Was MUCH worse than I thought. And, they are full of mites so take shower after handling them. There's a spray for that but don't know anything about it yet.

It also doesn't matter.. they can come for the scratch.. then go for whatever feed you're using. The sparrows here certainly know crumbles and pellets are very yummy food.. they learn fast. And they eat a lot!

 

[zDoc]

Is the dispatching an ongoing thing or do they thin out after a while?