Ideas on keeping wild birds out of the cchicken run

[preciouschick]

Does anyone have any new ideas on keeping those pesky sparrows out of the chicken runs?
i have tried pie pans, bird netting that only works if you cover every nook and cranny. They manage to find the smallest entrance.
I have read that those plastic owls don't deter them.
They keep building a nest under the run roof too, and i keep taking it down.
There are more birds this year
find out where the easy free food is.
I am out of ideas.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bryce Thomas]

Does anyone have any new ideas on keeping those pesky sparrows out of the chicken runs?
i have tried pie pans, bird netting that only works if you cover every nook and cranny. They manage to find the smallest entrance.
I have read that those plastic owls don't deter them.
They keep building a nest under the run roof too, and i keep taking it down.
There are more birds this year
find out where the easy free food is.
I am out of ideas.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

The solution is a treadle feeder. It sounds dumb and stupid, but its VERY worth it. I dealt with the same problem you are having 2 years ago. 7 days into using a treadle feeder all the sparrows and rats and other pest were gone. You need to treadle train them which is simple, just letting them know where the food is.

 

[preciouschick]

The solution is a treadle feeder. It sounds dumb and stupid, but its VERY worth it. I dealt with the same problem you are having 2 years ago. 7 days into using a treadle feeder all the sparrows and rats and other pest were gone. You need to treadle train them which is simple, just letting them know where the food is.

I use these but food still gets on the ground and the birds just go down to the bottom to feed

 

[Bryce Thomas]

See the grid thingy in the feeder where the chickens get their food? Thats a thing that prevents feed from coming out of the feeder, because of your treadle feeder you might just be able to make one yourself using household materials

 

[3KillerBs]

The only way to keep the wild birds out completely is to have a completely enclosed run.