Keeping Wild Birds away from feed

[jomoncon]

I have a small flock of chickens who spend the night in a coop with an attached run. During the day, the girls are let out into an enclosed chicken yard and the door to the run is left open. The door is out 6' tall so that I can get into it. The run contains their food & water. The food is in a large feeder that I fill about every 10 days with 25 pounds of pellets. They girls do in & out all day long to get to their nest boxes & the food & water. Lately, I've noticed small birds, wrens I think, flying in and out the run. evidently eating the chicken feed. A couple of weeks ago, I attached a piece of netting to the top of the door opening, ending about 1' from the ground. The chickens can still get in & out & it stopped the wrens for a few days. But the wrens were smart enough to eventually figure out they could get in from the bottom, so I'm back to the same problem.

Can anyone think of any solution to my problem? The chicken food is being eaten up much faster than it has in the past. Plus I'm worried about any diseases that wild birds could be carrying.

 

[snoopysflock]

make a screen door out of bird netting and attach it to the coop. then move food in coop chickens will walk in coop and wrens will stay out.

 

[aart]

I've read of folks using 2" wide strips of cloth(could use the window screen too if it's flexible enough) on doors to keep wild birds out.

Put the strips up a few a time so the chickens get used to brushing against it and don't over lap the center too tightly and they can push thru it...but the wild birds won't try.

 

[goodb]

I've read of folks using 2" wide strips of cloth(could use the window screen too if it's flexible enough) on doors to keep wild birds out.

Put the strips up a few a time so the chickens get used to brushing against it and don't over lap the center too tightly and they can push thru it...but the wild birds won't try.

This is EXACTLY what I'm looking for. Thank you aart

 

[rakers]

This is EXACTLY what I'm looking for. Thank you aart

I have the same problem. Wondering if this worked for you. Thanks.

 

[KristinS]

I tried plastic strips over the pop door last summer, the stuff that you weave through chain link fencing for privacy, and it did not prevent the house sparrows from getting in. I am still battling them. I have also tried reflective tape, that did not work. I am thinking about getting a cat just for the chicken barn. Good luck to you, I hope yours is better than mine.

 

[Folly's place]

Last year I hung semi-clear plastic over the walk-in door, ending about two feet from the floor, so the chickens could go in and out. Those rotten house wrens figured it out in a week or so, and then had a hard time going back out at night!
I may try the strip idea and see how that works.
Mary