Starlings

[scooter147]

It's that time of year again, those nasty, ugly and disgusting English Starlings are starting to flock again and are starting to invade my chicken coop for a free meal.

They enter through the chicken pop door. About an hour ago I went out to collect eggs and when I opened the people door 16 (you can guess how I know it was at least 16) starlings took flight and landed on the roost and window sills.

Obviously I can't keep the pop door closed but I was thinking of tacking up strips of cloth in the door but I am afraid the chickens will think this is a solid barrier as well and won't exit and if he strips blow in the wind it is likely to freak the chickens out as well.

Does anyone have any other ideas on how to prevent these varmits from entering my coop and eating my feed and possible spreading disease?

In my 40 years I have never seen anything like it, last year I can't tell you how many starlings I trapped inside the coop and destroyed. I was hoping it was an isolated incident but apparently the few that escaped before I could shut the pop door told all their relatives, friends and neighbors about the free food because it appears the problem is going to occur again this year.

 

[waynesgarden]

Your shadow can scare the poop out out of your chickens so try the strips hanging from the top of the pop door and see if it works. It may scare them once and then they'll ignore it and your starling problem might be solved.

If you can get some heavy acrylic plastic, try strips of that. Perhaps from an old clear plastic table cover.

Wayne

 

[Redfeathers]

We have a horrible Starling issue here too. They don't invade our coop, but they all bunch up on the power lines and in the trees, when they all take off, the power lines slap together and we lose power. Portland General Electric is trying to figure out how to solve this problem..but I'm not sure what they will be able to do.

 

[AngieChick]

The only thing that I ever had work was encouraging blue jays and flickers into the area, as they will actively chase off starlings.

I have heard of chickens going through cloth strips to get to nestboxes, so I don't see why they won't figure it out on their pop door. I say try it and see what happens. Maybe put something really tasty in the coop the first couple of times to encourage the chickens to take the plunge.

 

[scooter147]

Angie I thought of the netting over the 1 inch woven wire run and I guess I will do that as a last resort. I am just not going to like how it looks.

 

[Bassleg]

Starlings are pigs they will eat their weight a day! If you think they will be back next year you might think about building a run with a cover.

 

[birdlover]

Gosh, this is a first for me! I never knew starlings could be such pests. On a different note, did you know starlings can learn to talk? They're closely related to minah birds. A fascinating true story is "Arnie, the Darling Starling". GREAT read.

(Please don't hate me!)

Ellen

 

[xke4]

Ah! So that is where they went. Did you get the geese I sent as well?

 

[pips&peeps]

Flaps of material will not work. You will have to make a run.

I had a temporary little building for some of my younger birds a couple years ago that had some cracks in the door. I wrapped it with a large tarp and sat blocks on the tarp.

Those darn starlings would literally climb under the tarp and into where the chickens were and still eat the food.

Kill em!!! Get a sparrow trap and trap english sparrows and starlings.

 

[Attack Chicken]

we use bottle rockets or firecrackers sometimes lol