Sparrows eating ALL my chicken feed.

[terryg]

Lots of house sparrows around here and I hate to have them in the barn. I've reduced the numbers in two ways - the first is by hanging old DVDs in the run. I have them on strings, tied to the overhead hawk netting. They catch the light, shoot bright beams, and generally confuse the sparrows. I also hang one in the coop's pop door (also scared the chickens - so hang it high and let them get used to it, then lower is over a few days.) I learned this trick from a chicken breeder in England. It works! The other thing is, if you have a barn with windows in the loft, to block the light. The sparrows don't like to nest in the dark. I've got live-streaming cams in my coops and you can see the DVD in the pop-door. www.HenCam.com

 

[Jay-Mar28]

House Sparrows not only steal your feed for your animals but do compete and kill most native song birds that your area should attract. Almost every bird book ive read says to destroy any house sparrow nests you come in contact with. One experiment you could try would be to but up wren boxes, the sparrows cant get in to nest because the hole is to small and the wrens should naturally protect the area around as they will be territorial.

 

[The Lazy L]

Quote:

What type of web cams are you using?

 

[terryg]

What type of web cams are you using?

I've got a FAQ about them. Very complicated set-up! http://www.hencam.com/henblog/how-hencam-works/

 

[patdel54]

I've just started having this problem within the last two weeks.There are dozens of them.I have nothing against sparrows or any birds but where my feed fill-up usually lasts 5/6 days it's all gone in less than 3. Feed isn't cheap! I went into the pen yesterday when I got back from work,stuck my head in the hen house where the feeder is and was almost taken out by the hoard of sparrows that flew at me.It was like a scene from "The Birds"! I'm going to follow the suggestion of removing the feeder during the day while my chickens are free ranging.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I've just started having this problem within the last two weeks.There are dozens of them.I have nothing against sparrows or any birds but where my feed fill-up usually lasts 5/6 days it's all gone in less than 3. Feed isn't cheap! I went into the pen yesterday when I got back from work,stuck my head in the hen house where the feeder is and was almost taken out by the hoard of sparrows that flew at me.It was like a scene from "The Birds"! I'm going to follow the suggestion of removing the feeder during the day while my chickens are free ranging.

or get a treadle feeder

 

[chad3]

A BB gun could be effective. If you shoot enough and often enough, they will regard that as an unsafe place to feed. I am assuming that they are English sparrows. They are consider a nuisance specie so shoot away.

Yup this is the method I would use you can get a BB gun pretty cheap, take care of the problem and possibly find a hobby you enjoy

 

[scooter147]

I've had problems with sparrow and starlings getting my feed. Well the problem has lessened.
I keep the feed in the coop. The sparrows and starling would go through the pop door. I sneak being bery bery twuit and shut pop door. TRAPPED!!! I go in people door and take care of business and humanely I might add.
One Saturday about three weeks ago I dispatched over 150 sparrows and over 50 starlings overa three excursions to the coop that day.
In the winter the Starlings are just horrible. If I had a dollar for every starling I've killed over the last 10 years that I've caught in my coop, well I would have nice deposit to my savings account.

By the way, the English sparrow and the English Starling are considered invasive species and can be destroyed at any time, anywhere.

 

[studiozuzi]

I have the same problem. I live in Tokyo and have a roof garden on the 4th floor. They are free range and though I was thrilled that stray cats would never be a problem, I never imagined other birds would be ;-( I put three cups of feed in their OPEN cage every morning for two silkies and within hours it's gone. There must be a type of feeder that will allow chicken bills to get at the food but not small bird bills like sparrows etc.. If someone could invent that, I'd pay handsomely for it!

 

[Naser]

There must be a type of feeder that will allow chicken bills to get at the food but not small bird bills like sparrows etc.. If someone could invent that

Treadle feeder that is what I am using now. you can get one in ebay. it is also rats and mice proof
Edited: the one I use is galvanised steel.