Squatters and Freeloaders

[Bullitt]

I LOVE that feeder. I wonder where I can get one? Will be googling that for sure. I don't really want to take away the food for a day because we have been having a cold snap (night before last was -27) and they really need to eat well. The pasture is currently under snow, so not much to be gleaned there. LOVE the feeder though.

I forgot you said you had snow on the ground. I was just trying to throw out suggestions.

Hopefully the treadle feeder will work for you and prevent the starlings from eating the chicken feed.

 

[GD91]

Meow,Meow...

Get a puddy cat to guard the feed. Everytime a starling comes in it will get pounced on.

Our kills lots of thing, mainly mice & rats, but he will take on birds just for sport.

 

[mydakota1]

I have 5 cats already. I guess mine are slackers.

 

[Bullitt]

I have 5 cats already. I guess mine are slackers.

You have a lot of freeloaders around.

 

[OneLostHen]

How about some bird tree netting (sold at lowes or Home Depot) and put over the windows the birds are getting into, and in the door way all the way down till about two feet. I doubt they'll swoop that low to get inside. And the chickens can still walk in and out. Maybe make it unhook so you can walk through too lol. That might help!

 

[GD91]

You remember Roald Dahl ?

The book where they put all the birds in the pies

 

[beesong]

I have the same problem and have been netting them by hand inside the coop, but that still leaves hundreds left to go. I keep a small length of 2x4 and a wooden bench in the coop so I can whack them as they're caught. I used to drown them but realized that a good head whack is far more humane. I like your idea of netting the door. If the netting is loose enough, do they entangle themselves so you can get them? If it catches a lot at a time, I guess my whacking technique wouldn't work, but I'm quite willing to submerge the whole thing in a stock tank. I'd love to hear how your door net works for you.

 

[beesong]

How much feed do they hold? They look kind of small, and while I like the idea, I'm afraid they wouldn't last my flock long enough.

 

[sbhkma]

Honestly, if your pasture is all snowed under, the free range birds aren't eating bugs n grasses I don't see why you couldn't keep your birds in the coop for just 2 or 3 days-the starlings should move on, looking for the next free meal. Combine that with the weighted feeders (if they're too small you could get 2 or 3 of them I imagine) and I think you'll have the starlings convinced the smorgasbord is closed. I detest starlings. So far I haven't seen any here but if I do, the shotgun comes out.

 

[Mrs. K]

Call your county extension agent for help. They can be a terrible pest and the mess they make is really hard to believe if you have not been sieged by them.

Mrs K