Keeping birds out of coop and run

[Danny188]

Cheapest way is a pelet gun from Walmart, like a daisy powerline 880 they are like $30 or you can get a higher end one so you can shoot further. If they are starlings they are more than likely an invasive species in your area and you will be helping the environment more by shooting them, In my area the babies have just came out of the nests a week ago, if you shoot the parent the babies are too stupid to go elsewhere on their own and you can just pick them off. If the netting works it sounds like you won't have this problem anymore.

 

[happygirls21]

We recently got chickens back in the spring and set up a nice coop inside two large dog kennels. We haven't had any issues with hawks or predators as I lock the chickens up at night in the coop. I had no issues until the last month or so when I noticed tons of birds (appear to be starlings) hanging out in the run in the afternoon feasting on the chicken feed and now even going inside the coop through the pop door. I have since removed the hanging feeder that was in the coop and just keep the one outside in the run along with their water. Nothing is inside the coop anymore, no food or water, yet they continue to go in there.

I tried hanging CD's from the ceiling inside the coop but they didn't even care about that. They seem to fly in from the top of the run which is completely open, but also through the chain link fence as well.

I was thinking of various ways to keep them out as they are crapping all over in the coop, in the run, on the coop, and eating the feed I leave out for the chickens. I've basically come to the conclusion that the only way to ensure I keep all birds out, as well as maybe some potential predators in the future, is to completely enclose the run with hardware cloth. Of course it won't be cheap or easy to do, but that's likely the best way.

I was thinking of ordering some 3' x 50' rolls of 1/2" hardware cloth to run all along the sides and then somehow drape it over the top of the run. I'm guessing I will need some metal or wood to provide an arch or support of some sort over the center of the run. I"m not a carpenter, but I can do basic stuff. I have some ideas in my head, but I was hoping that maybe some of you on here have dealt with this issue in the past and have either a better/easier solution or at least some photos of what you did.

Any help is appreciated. I'm getting really tired of these little stupid birds acting like they own the place. Thank you!

Where did you get the fence and how much and how big is it