I caught an INTRUDER in the coop!

David885

In the Brooder
Apr 19, 2018
43
28
39
Phoenix, Arizona
I went to feed and water my flock today when I got startled by this mourning dove, that had found his way into the run. The Coop is covered with green plastic garden fencing to keep out the owls and hawks, but he must have snuck in through a 3x3” hole in the side. Anyhow, fast question; should I be concerned about wild birds infecting my flock? (avian flu etc.)
8AFBCE45-6DE2-4DDF-BB6E-058CDEF8606D.jpeg


If so, what countermeasures should I take, aside from patching the holes in the coop, to prevent my chickens from getting sick?

(Side note: Bird Lovers need not worry about the fate of the trespassing dove. After letting my kids “terrorize” [pet] it for a minute, I released it back outside.)
 
I personally don't like wild birds in my coop because of, lice and diseases. But my girls free range and are around them all the time so I can't stop them. I definitely keep them out of my pheasant and quail pens though. I'm not all sure what doves carry, but I think they are less likely to be as sick as other song birds.
 
Good to know that doves are not too bad of disease vectors. There are a lot of free ranging chickens in my neighborhood and they don’t seem to be getting illnesses from the wild birds. I am new to having back yard chickens so I am being extra careful.
 
It's lucky your chickens didn't attack. The dove i found in my coop was pecked and bloody and not quite finished dying when I found it.
 
Wild birds bring in mites and lice; that's been the issue here most often.
Any small songbirds (wrens or sparrows) with gooey eyes are likely to be dying of Mycoplasma gallisepticum, at least here in Michigan, and would bring it to your flock. VERY BAD! If I see one sick bird at a feeder (wild bird feeders far from chickens!), I pull them all in and bleach them. Also have chickens on lockdown for at least a week. Also let the neighbors know, so they remove and clean their bird feeders. It's happened here twice in 25 years, and fortunately without infecting my flock.
If avian influenza arrives, that's a way worse issue.
Chickens are relatively resistant to West Nile and the other viral encephalitis diseases that occur here too. That's good!
Mary
 
thank you for the info. I sealed off all the “holes” in the roof of the run. Now a hummingbird bird cannot get in if he tried! I was really worried about Avian flu, so are there any “vaccinations” or medicatied feed that I can give my chickens to prevent flu? The doves and pigeons still sit on top of the run and deficate through the mesh. ( I would love to return the favor some day In their nest if I could). I like the other poster’s idea of setting up a feeder away from the coop to keep the free loading birds away from my chickens. Your thoughts?
 
I am shocked the bird wasn't dead.. lol. I had to carry my 2 yr old while being 7 months pregnant while herding all my chickens back into the coop because a bird similar to yours was in my roof run and all of my chickens were trying to peck it to death.. Your chickens are much nicer than mine. LOL
 
my birds are still pretty
Young; and the dove had the sense to stay at the top the run. Otherwise, it might have been one hell of a show in there if my chickens got a hold of RJ it.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom