Sparrow Control Ideas?

[pederson3]

So, I have struggled with sparrows in the past but they are multiplying like rabbits & getting smarter all the time. They are no longer afraid of the Magic Halo or the Owl figurine, they seem to be learning to avoid the trap as I used to be able to "empty & refill" it several times daily but now I'll only catch a few birds but their numbers have increased drastically everywhere else. I have put black thistle & black sunflower seeds in my feeder but they have learned to pick it out to find the chicken feed. I am at my wits end with these things, they are eating more feed than the chickens. I hate to get rid of my ladies...so I need some fresh ideas. Oh, and we have 1 cat, and our neighbors have 2. They all frequent the coop, but that doesn't scare them off either. I was thinking of getting kittens because they're a bit fiestier, but that is probably a dead end street as well. I know I will never be sparrow free, but I need an extreme reduction. Help!

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Is your run covered?

I feed my chickens indoors and I just invested in 5/16" nylon netting for the tops of my runs (I had 1" and they were still squeezing in). Sparrows are not only a nuisance with stealing food--they spread diseases, too...mites is one and who knows what else.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

See Gallo de Cielo's strips of shade cloth (scroll down) to keep wild birds out:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=56638

and another person's:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=402670&p=3

 

[patman75]

I bought a sparrow trap, you can find the link in this topic.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=179570&p=1

It works very well.

 

[snowflake]

I feed inside the coop also cat and chicken take care of any mice that may come around and the birds don't get into the feed.

 

[arherp]

Strombergs sells a very effective repeatign sparrow trap.

 

[pederson3]

Well, my coop and run are not covered. It is an unconventional chicken run. It is an old set of loafing shed & we turned one into a coop, and the run is an old horse corral with chain link. The whole set up is over 3000 square feet so I would have to cover all of the top and the chain link sides so I am afraid that wouldn't work. But, I will try feeding in the coop...I have tried before and even my chickens didn't know the feed was in there so after a week I hung it back outside. I'll just lock them in with it for a couple of days so they realize thats the new feeding ground! And, I'll try a new trap. Ours is homemade and has to be emptied and re set after each sparrow. Ugh. Thank you, and I will keep fighting the sparrow battle!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Hi pederson3, I also once had a frustrating sparrow problem. I made a treadle feeder and my bird problem was over within days of setting it out. It really isn't that difficult to make and the costs are quickly offset by the feed saved. You can find plans here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=56638-building-a-treadle-feeder Good luck!

 

[Mattemma]

I bought a repeating sparrow trap a year or 2 ago from TX. http://www.sparrowtraps.net/

It works good.Some days I have none,and others I have 10 or more in the trap. I expect more once winter rolls in.Only issue is it will trap natives,so you have to get those birds out before the sparrows attack them. One day I even had a male and female cardinal!

Oh and the trap is also good at catching mice and chipmunks.

 

[halo]

That trap really works. Ive caught more sparrows than I want to even think about. I dont have a single one here now.