Timed feeding to keep wild birds out?

[Mittmom]

Wild sparrows are gobbling up my flock’s food and pooping everywhere. I have 5 hens. Am considering a treadle feeder but would rather not spend that much, esp if there’s a simpler solution. I have tried the shiny hanging things and they don’t work anymore. It’s impossible to completely cover the coop and run with wire or bird cloth. I would like to consider timed feeding- AM and PM, but want to do what’s best for my flock. They usually go out foraging for a few hours every evening. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Silexian]

I have enclosed coops with pop doors. I hang my feeders inside the coops, farthest from the pop doors. The wild birds don’t like going into the confined space. So they don’t bother the feeders.

 

[Mittmom]

I have enclosed coops with pop doors. I hang my feeders inside the coops, farthest from the pop doors. The wild birds don’t like going into the confined space. So they don’t bother the feeders.

What is a pop door? We have an auto door so quite a small opening, I put the feeder inside the coop (barely visible) a few days ago but the sparrows spied it immediately and are still gobbling!

 

[Silexian]

What is a pop door? We have an auto door so quite a small opening, I put the feeder inside the coop (barely visible) a few days ago but the sparrows spied it immediately and are still gobbling!

The sparrows at your place are more brazen. Than what I have around here. A pop door is just a small door for the chickens to go in and out of the coop. I have not had a sparrow enter a coop. Since I covered my runs quite a few years back. They have left my water founts alone also. I am hoping I didn’t just jinx myself. I wonder if dropping the door and making them feel trapped a few times would deter them?

 

[Acre4Me]

Are you able to enclose the run at all?

We are in the process of replacing old, and mismatched chain link fencing, some of which was only 3’ high. So, some of our birds would jump the fence for the grass. To keep them in, we bought a 50’ roll of 8’ tall plastic deer fencing. It is economical, and reached the roof overhang. It’s not predator proof, but could keep out the wild birds. Of course, having a roof helps.

But, prior to adding the roof, and then the deer fencing, we got many wild birds in the run eating food….which brought poultry lice, which needed treatment. Now you also have HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza) to worry about as it is transmitted by wild birds.

Good luck.

 

[Moose364]

I use a 5gal hanging deer feeder it drops feed twice a day. its inside my enclosed coop and run so it helps get everyone inside before the door closes for the night. after a week or so they know the sound it makes and what time it is going to drop food. most of the time there waiting for it to go off for there bedtime snack.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Treadle feeders are expensive and the shipping.... more than doubled since 2012 when we first started shipping feeders. But, if you need one, you are already paying for it. Treadle feeders also stop a lot of feed loss from spillage too. There are some birds that are born rakers though, sometimes the feeder lip extension stops them, sometimes you need to resort to a chicken dinner.

Avoid any treadle feeders with wide steps, the birds can gang up on them and defeat their purpose.

You want an inward swinging door for safety with the caveat that no machine is 100% safe around chickens. We have a saying in Oklahoma, "Farm animals are never safe around moving machinery and Oklahoma State Senators."

That said there is risk allowing wild birds to bring in disease and pests to your flock so doing nothing has a slight risk as well and much higher than any harm a treadle feeder might do. If in doubt with valuable or pet birds, go with the soft close feeder.

Hand feeding will stop the wild birds as long as you remain there till the feed is cleaned up. Otherwise the wild birds will quickly learn the timing and be there to eat.