New chicken mum from Australia

Schmay

Chirping
Dec 9, 2018
32
104
66
Adelaide, Australia
Hey guys,
I'm brand new to having chickens. I got 3 silkies from a friend recently. And I have 2-4 neighbours standard chickens in my yard most days, and I will be adopting them soon once I'm all set up.

I live in Adelaide, Australia so we can have some extreme temperatures here and have found this site exceptionally useful during this learning curve.

I also have hundreds of other birds (sparrows, pigeons, Rosella, and heaps more) visit my yard every day so I'm trying to find a nice balance between supporting local wildlife birds whilst also putting the chickens priories first.

I am open to any advice people are willing to give. And thanks for taking the time to read this.

Schmay
 
Hey guys,
I'm brand new to having chickens. I got 3 silkies from a friend recently. And I have 2-4 neighbours standard chickens in my yard most days, and I will be adopting them soon once I'm all set up.

I live in Adelaide, Australia so we can have some extreme temperatures here and have found this site exceptionally useful during this learning curve.

I also have hundreds of other birds (sparrows, pigeons, Rosella, and heaps more) visit my yard every day so I'm trying to find a nice balance between supporting local wildlife birds whilst also putting the chickens priories first.

I am open to any advice people are willing to give. And thanks for taking the time to read this.

Schmay
Hello, welcome to BYC. I am also in AU just not the same state as you!
 
Also my chickens have lived in harmony with the wild birds for over three years now

Yeah sorry it's more I mean trying to support wildlife, while not going broke on feed lol. at the moment I'm going through almost a kilo of pellet mash a day for about 4 sometimes 5 chickens. And that includes food scraps and foraging too.
 
Yeah sorry it's more I mean trying to support wildlife, while not going broke on feed lol. at the moment I'm going through almost a kilo of pellet mash a day for about 4 sometimes 5 chickens. And that includes food scraps and foraging too.
Ahhh yes, the pigeons have learnt to open the feeders, but it keeps the rats and the mice out and that saves me loads on feed, maybe those will work for you??
 
I used the feeders the first week I had them but didn't like it as I couldn't calculate how much the chickens had actually eaten, versus other birds eating them. I don't really have mice or rat problems at the moment, I tend to be out there reasonably often (I'm suburban so it's not too far from the house) . I've just been topping up small bowels as needed, and I've tried putting them in the coop with fly wire screen at the opening. The fly wire keeps out the pigeons but unfortunately the sparrows still get through but and then get stuck in the run. (I have a coop with a run but then also open it up to free range during the day)
 
I used the feeders the first week I had them but didn't like it as I couldn't calculate how much the chickens had actually eaten, versus other birds eating them. I don't really have mice or rat problems at the moment, I tend to be out there reasonably often (I'm suburban so it's not too far from the house) . I've just been topping up small bowels as needed, and I've tried putting them in the coop with fly wire screen at the opening. The fly wire keeps out the pigeons but unfortunately the sparrows still get through but and then get stuck in the run. (I have a coop with a run but then also open it up to free range during the day)
Okay... you may need to try double wiring your coop so it makes the holes smaller and the sparrows cannot get in!!
Maybe try to be careful that the smaller birds don’t attract birds of prey
 
Okay... you may need to try double wiring your coop so it makes the holes smaller and the sparrows cannot get in!!
Maybe try to be careful that the smaller birds don’t attract birds of prey

Yeah we covered all the gaps today I think they walk through the fly wire (it's loose on one end so the chickens can come and go) and once they're in they forget how they got there, then I spook them when I come outside and they just flutter around like idiots. I then have to sneak up, remove the flywire and walk away for a second til they fly out the door (and sometimes I even have to take to roof off cause they're not smart enough o fly out the open door)

And as for birds of prey I generally find were fine in our yard. We're not far away from "rural" hence all the birds but we're still suburbs and everyone has dogs, cats, birds, some farm animals that we don't usually get anything too dangerous for chickens. Neighbours on all 3 sides of me have chickens that they don't lock up at night and none have ever been eaten or killed by random predators . I still lock mine up just in case though.

I don't actually mind the sparrows though I think the most annoying thing is them pooping in the food and water.
 
Yeah we covered all the gaps today I think they walk through the fly wire (it's loose on one end so the chickens can come and go) and once they're in they forget how they got there, then I spook them when I come outside and they just flutter around like idiots. I then have to sneak up, remove the flywire and walk away for a second til they fly out the door (and sometimes I even have to take to roof off cause they're not smart enough o fly out the open door)

And as for birds of prey I generally find were fine in our yard. We're not far away from "rural" hence all the birds but we're still suburbs and everyone has dogs, cats, birds, some farm animals that we don't usually get anything too dangerous for chickens. Neighbours on all 3 sides of me have chickens that they don't lock up at night and none have ever been eaten or killed by random predators . I still lock mine up just in case though.

I don't actually mind the sparrows though I think the most annoying thing is them pooping in the food and water.
Even still you may have to double wire to prevent foxes cause even in rural areas they do come around
 

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