Sparrows eating ALL my chicken feed.

[jc_chickens]

How do I keep the sparrows from eating all the feed in the chicken feeder? Daily, they clean the 3 lb feeder out, completely!

 

[okiechick57]

only thing that worked for me was bird netting over the run/coop area where feed is kept....I still have critters find their way in,but not going through near as much food !

 

[jc_chickens]

I would do that but they are free range. I keep the feed in their roost and the the sparrows fly in through the little door by the dozens. Its an issue I can't figure out how to resolve.

 

[okiechick57]

since you freerange, I would not put feed out until you lock them into where they eat? do they coop up at night?

 

[Ang]

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.

 

[jc_chickens]

They do coop up at night. I will try picking up the feeder during the day. I just can't do the BB gun thing, I don't have it in me. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Lunachick]

I had the sparrow problem too, but not nearly as bad as that, tho. I planned on stringing CDs around to deter them, but they went away on their own.

Now I only have one sparrow and one junco that visit with the chickens and only eat a little bit. But I still don't like them in there. They squeeze their little bodies right thru the chicken wire!

 

[countrygirl4513]

I've got the sparrow problem too, but along with that I have the biggest most beautiful cardinals too. They seem to enjoy the feed as well. But they don't come around the chickens. They bide their time to swoop in and get a treat. However, my cat, "Possum" has been keeping it to a minimum. He's waiting for them any chance he gets. He's already brought me 3 red birds and I told him to just kill the sparrows! He's hard headed cat, won't listen.

 

[pepperluvsmee]

Buy a cat!! MROW!! hee hee. What a pickle you are in, feed the wild birds and my birds or don't feed at all.
I am a loss for words. I know--weird huh?
-Theresa

 

[Miltonchix]

Unless they're eating too much I'd encourage them to stick around. Come spring/summer they'll switch to BUGS! Birds are the best thing for bug control.