Wild birds

[Nambroth]

Ok thank you. the black birds might be starlings but I am not 100% sure. there was a period of time when I had NO animals at all in my barn and there was no feed and they still stuck around. I think scraps of food is just a perk for them lol. I will look up the feeders and traps. And thank you for the links!

Barns are just such a great, safe place for birds to roost! That must be the main attraction for them.

Just another thought-- if you are open to the idea, you might invite a falconer (falconers can fly other birds besides falcons) to your barn for some raptor training and perhaps hunting. Even just a few visits might be enough to ward them off!

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Barns are just such a great, safe place for birds to roost! That must be the main attraction for them.

Just another thought-- if you are open to the idea, you might invite a falconer (falconers can fly other birds besides falcons) to your barn for some raptor training and perhaps hunting. Even just a few visits might be enough to ward them off!

That is definatley a unique Idea. Not a bad one either, there just isnt anybody around here that really does that kind of stuff. or at least I am aware of.

 

[Spikes Chooks]

You've had some good advice about not having any food or roosting sources to attract them. The other direction is good husbandry, which perhaps you are also on top of.

I live in the suburubs of Sydney, right next to a national park and we have many native bird species (we have recorded 31 species in our back yard) and they are all protected. I couldn't keep them away no matter what I did - and I don't especially want to, so I don't try!

However, I follow a clear routine to ensure my chickens don't get mice, lice and worms, with regular treatment of them, their coop and thier run. They also free range some of the afternoon. So, in particular, I use DE in the dustbathing areas, where wild birds also go. I have a high bird bath to provide water for the wild birds, but the chickens can't get to it. They have their own outside water bowls, tucked under eaves where wild birds are wary of going.

I think you should not worry so much about diseases wild birds will bring in, it isn't a big problem here and we have so many birds about. I appreciate you are looking out for your chickens - but I do think you could relax a little about the wild birds.
All the best!

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

You've had some good advice about not having any food or roosting sources to attract them. The other direction is good husbandry, which perhaps you are also on top of.

I live in the suburubs of Sydney, right next to a national park and we have many native bird species (we have recorded 31 species in our back yard) and they are all protected. I couldn't keep them away no matter what I did - and I don't especially want to, so I don't try!

However, I follow a clear routine to ensure my chickens don't get mice, lice and worms, with regular treatment of them, their coop and thier run. They also free range some of the afternoon. So, in particular, I use DE in the dustbathing areas, where wild birds also go. I have a high bird bath to provide water for the wild birds, but the chickens can't get to it. They have their own outside water bowls, tucked under eaves where wild birds are wary of going.

I think you should not worry so much about diseases wild birds will bring in, it isn't a big problem here and we have so many birds about. I appreciate you are looking out for your chickens - but I do think you could relax a little about the wild birds.
All the best!

Thank you for all the advice. But I know quite a few people that raise chickens where I live that have had problems.(we are in different continents)( i am not overly worried just dont want to run into any problems). I do sprinkle stuff in their dust bathing areas.

 

[Nambroth]

Keeping wild birds out of your chicken's water supply will be a very good goal, as pigeons (rock doves) especially can indeed transfer disease and parasites to our chickens. Have you considered trying poultry nipples for water? Wild birds almost certainly wouldn't use those!
The other major factor will be mites and lice. You might offer a dustbathing area that is covered-- chickens are apt to use it but wild birds may not feel secure in doing so. I have a big rubber feed bin that I have a little roof on, and the chickens love it but the wild birds don't go near. It is too confined for an animal that depends on flight to escape, I think.

Any of the other diseases that wild birds can carry, I am sorry to say, probably can be reduced by getting the wild birds to vacate, but not eliminated. I don't have the situation you have-- I only have a wooded lot-- but I still had wild birds (likely) bring in a virus to my chickens. Keeping your chickens healthy and as stress-free as possible will help them fight off potential illness.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I actually do have nipple waterers. But when I bought the buckets I forgot to buy the slides. to put on them. I havent had a chance to go to lowes yet. Do you suggest putting sevin dust or DE in their dust bathing areas?

 

[Nambroth]

I actually do have nipple waterers. But when I bought the buckets I forgot to buy the slides. to put on them. I havent had a chance to go to lowes yet. Do you suggest putting sevin dust or DE in their dust bathing areas?

As I haven't had a problem with mites or lice, I use DE as a preventative. I mix wood ash, DE, and sand to make a powdery dust bath for them and it seems to do the trick. I hate to use toxins in my yard. HOWEVER... if I started experiencing a problem with mites and the DE wasn't enough, I will readily admit I'd start looking at something stronger such as sevin. I just hate to use it unless I need to because the chickens inevitably breathe and absorb some in their dusting. DE is not completely benign as it can be an irritant but it is at least a neutral irritant. That said, mites not only make the bird miserable, but can cause illness, anemia, and even death if left unchecked so I'd switch if I found any on my birds. The choice is yours. DE has worked for me for the duration I've had my chickens but each situation is unique. Do what you are most comfortable with!

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

ok thanks. i have never used DE before. None of chickens have never had mites or lice or anything. well except for this rooster i bought but he was in quarintene so no other chickens fot it. iccasionlaly i sprinkle my chickems with sevin dust and mixed a little in with sand. I use sand forr their bedding too, i think i am going to make a little sand box thing they can get into and put some DE in that verses putting it everywhere. That you for all your help and do you just get the ashes from your fire pit or do you buy them? Sorry for the 20 questions lol.

 

[Nambroth]

ok thanks. i have never used DE before. None of chickens have never had mites or lice or anything. well except for this rooster i bought but he was in quarintene so no other chickens fot it. iccasionlaly i sprinkle my chickems with sevin dust and mixed a little in with sand. I use sand forr their bedding too, i think i am going to make a little sand box thing they can get into and put some DE in that verses putting it everywhere. That you for all your help and do you just get the ashes from your fire pit or do you buy them? Sorry for the 20 questions lol.

No problem. I get them from a neighbor/friend that has a woodburning stove, but there is no reason you couldn't get them from a fire pit. You are looking for powdery ashes, not blackened pieces of charcoal-burnt wood. Once it dries, it is great to mix in a dust bath. I have read that it also helps to deter (not prevent, but deter) mites because of the acidic nature. I don't know if this is factual or not but it cannot hurt.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

No problem. I get them from a neighbor/friend that has a woodburning stove, but there is no reason you couldn't get them from a fire pit. You are looking for powdery ashes, not blackened pieces of charcoal-burnt wood. Once it dries, it is great to mix in a dust bath. I have read that it also helps to deter (not prevent, but deter) mites because of the acidic nature. I don't know if this is factual or not but it cannot hurt.

Ok. I have a fire pit that I can get shes from. Thank you for all the info!