Sparrows! >:- (

[VeronicaD]

I have a chicken run that will keep out any predator. My problem is sparrows. >:- ( Dozens can get in the chicken run and they are devouring the feed. I've put up hardware cloth around much of it and closed off as many entrances as I can find but they're still getting in any small opening they can find. I know my girls require access to their feed at all times but I have got to come up with some other answer. Plus the unreal poop mess from the sparrows is a horror as well.
Any suggestions?
My deepest thanks!
Veronica

 

[Debbie292d]

You can get them to move on simply by removing what they come there for.

If you have any wild bird feeders, those should only have sunflower seeds in.

Don't feed any scratch. If all sparrows have is their pellets, they may move on at that point.

If you have no grains or seeds around at all, and they're still coming there, then you'll have to go around your fence and patch up any hole larger than 1/2". Watch them for a few minutes and you might see how they're getting in and out.

 

[Hensfoot]

I had to switch to a treadle feeder for this reason. Depending on your flock size it may not be feasible, but if you have a small amount of birds you might consider one. Just follow the directions if you go that route and be cautious of the cheap models--don't buy a guillotine by mistake.

 

[ABQ chicken keeper]

I have a chicken run that will keep out any predator. My problem is sparrows. >:- ( Dozens can get in the chicken run and they are devouring the feed. I've put up hardware cloth around much of it and closed off as many entrances as I can find but they're still getting in any small opening they can find. I know my girls require access to their feed at all times but I have got to come up with some other answer. Plus the unreal poop mess from the sparrows is a horror as well.
Any suggestions?
My deepest thanks!
Veronica

Please post pictures of your run then we will be able to make suggestions to obvious problems.

 

[VeronicaD]

I had to switch to a treadle feeder for this reason. Depending on your flock size it may not be feasible, but if you have a small amount of birds you might consider one. Just follow the directions if you go that route and be cautious of the cheap models--don't buy a guillotine by mistake.

I only have four hens. That would be an expensive investment for me. I'll look for some DIY instructions. But this does seem to be the best solution.

 

[VeronicaD]

You can get them to move on simply by removing what they come there for.

If you have any wild bird feeders, those should only have sunflower seeds in.

Don't feed any scratch. If all sparrows have is their pellets, they may move on at that point.

If you have no grains or seeds around at all, and they're still coming there, then you'll have to go around your fence and patch up any hole larger than 1/2". Watch them for a few minutes and you might see how they're getting in and out.

I don't have wild bird feeders. And yep, no scratch grains. They're also after the flock block! We have a winter storm coming in so all of my efforts will be put on hold for a bit. Clearly I have a lot of work to do to completely put an end to this. Thanks for your reply.

 

[Al Gerhart]

You have gotten some great advice so far and your thinking of the two only ways to get rid of the flying rats; building a Fort Knox tight coop and run, and removing their access to the feed.

Of the two, a treadle feeder is the cheapest route and yes, they start at $85.00 plus shipping for a good American made one and can run twice that but those are the ones you have been warned about; the guillotine style feeders. That said, even a really poor treadle feeder like the Rent a coop or Grandpa feeder can deter sparrows. The problem is their cost, twice what you need to spend, the fact that they are made in China, and the three week training regimen that requires keeping the feeder blocked open which teaches the sparrows where the feed is, how to swarm the big treadle plate, and those style of treadle feeders do not stop pigeons or rats or mice in many cases if you read their negative reviews on Amazon.

Costly, yes, but if you keep it up out of the poop one will last for a decade or more and if you are feeding sparrows you are already paying for the feeder without having the benefits of having one. Not only is that sparrow poop awful, it is packed with disease plus the mites, lice, and lord knows what else a sparrow can bring into a flock of chickens.

BTW, price isn't always an indication of quality. You have Chinese made feeders like the Grandpa and Rent a Coop guillotine style feeders that are twice the cost of an American made feeder. And there are other Chinese knock offs of the Grandpa feeder that aren't any better or worse for half the price but they incorporate the old design that is unsafe due to the overhead lid, has the three week long training period with an open feeder, and all the mechanical design flaws, pinch points, and the lack of a soft close version if that matters. Plus those feeders are notorious for not having spare parts available and treadle feeders do have wear items that will need replaced.

So do your research on the treadle feeders. Avoid the websites that link back to Amazon or a manufactures website because those are commission sales articles, not independent reviews. They are supposed to say when they are getting a commission but most do not. Read the reviews and the instructions before you buy and pay close attention to the negative reviews.

 

[Debbie292d]

We have a winter storm coming in

That makes it worse as they know the storm is coming and stock up. We have several bird feeders, and they are covered with birds before a storm. Zero sparrows though.

The farm across the road was vacant when we bought this place a decade ago. When she moved in and brought horses and donkeys, there came the sparrows, flies, and rats. We've had to beat them all.

 

[VeronicaD]

You have gotten some great advice so far and your thinking of the two only ways to get rid of the flying rats; building a Fort Knox tight coop and run, and removing their access to the feed.

Of the two, a treadle feeder is the cheapest route and yes, they start at $85.00 plus shipping for a good American made one and can run twice that but those are the ones you have been warned about; the guillotine style feeders. That said, even a really poor treadle feeder like the Rent a coop or Grandpa feeder can deter sparrows. The problem is their cost, twice what you need to spend, the fact that they are made in China, and the three week training regimen that requires keeping the feeder blocked open which teaches the sparrows where the feed is, how to swarm the big treadle plate, and those style of treadle feeders do not stop pigeons or rats or mice in many cases if you read their negative reviews on Amazon.

Costly, yes, but if you keep it up out of the poop one will last for a decade or more and if you are feeding sparrows you are already paying for the feeder without having the benefits of having one. Not only is that sparrow poop awful, it is packed with disease plus the mites, lice, and lord knows what else a sparrow can bring into a flock of chickens.

BTW, price isn't always an indication of quality. You have Chinese made feeders like the Grandpa and Rent a Coop guillotine style feeders that are twice the cost of an American made feeder. And there are other Chinese knock offs of the Grandpa feeder that aren't any better or worse for half the price but they incorporate the old design that is unsafe due to the overhead lid, has the three week long training period with an open feeder, and all the mechanical design flaws, pinch points, and the lack of a soft close version if that matters. Plus those feeders are notorious for not having spare parts available and treadle feeders do have wear items that will need replaced.

So do your research on the treadle feeders. Avoid the websites that link back to Amazon or a manufactures website because those are commission sales articles, not independent reviews. They are supposed to say when they are getting a commission but most do not. Read the reviews and the instructions before you buy and pay close attention to the negative reviews.

All of this makes perfect sense and thank you for your reply plus the warning about Chinese made junk. I'll have to seal up the holes for the time being. I'm hit hard with medical issues and a lot of trips to Mayo Clinic (4.5 hr from me) so money is focused there at the moment until I can obtain a feeder. There are plans to make them on Pinterest but I would have to hire that done. We have a winter storm system moving in so it's going to be impossible to do much. It was 50 yesterday by Wed will drop to a high of 29. Ah, life on an ever changing, self-correcting planet and in the mid-west! At least I know what the solution is. That's half the battle right there. Thanks much!