plans or pics needed of feeders that will keep wild birds out!

[goldeneggtees]

Does anyone have any advice? I'm sick of feeding the resident starlings and sparrows! I can't afford it anymore!!!!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Hi howlinggood. I responded to the other thread, but I'll post here the link to my BYC treadle feeder page: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=56638-building-a-treadle-feeder

It's already dramatically reduced the number of birds visiting my yard.

 

[goldeneggtees]

Hi Gallo del Cielo, thanks for the advice on the feeder and the plans. I wonder if anyone has made a long version of this so more than one hen can eat at a time? How do your birds eat, do they take turns?

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Right now I'm training them to use the feeders (I have one in the run and one in the yard). The first week I had them propped fully open. This week I'm propping them 3/4 open. Next week I'll prop them half way open. I only prop them open for 20-30 min. at a time, the rest of the time they are closed. Progress with learning to use them has been quite good. Two birds have figured out how to completely open it and the others come in and eat along side them. Three birds eat from it at once quite easily. I don't expect I'd need much more feeder space for my 6 birds; since the food will be available at all times, any one of them can eat at any time. Before I had the wild bird problem I allowed them to eat as much as they wanted and they rarely ate in groups more than three at a time from my first feeder. Having said that, I don't know why you couldn't just take my plans and make one 24" wide instead of 16" wide.

 

[goldeneggtees]

Hi, that all makes sense. I guess if you add scratch in it from time to time, you might get an overload of waiting hens but the rest of the time (sans treats), I'm sure if it feeds three at a time, that'll work.