Know of a way to defeat starlings?

[WalkingOnSunshine]

The quickest and most direct way to deal with unwanted wild birds is to prevent them from accessing the chicken feed. Sparrows and doves found the chicken feed in my coop, which was not visible from the outside, and were eating more than my chickens. I would have dozens and dozens of sparrows inside my small coop at any given time before I removed the food and took other measures to limit their access to the coop (see details on "my coop" page). My wild bird problem was largely eliminated once I built a treadle feeder. Once the wild birds couldn't access the food, their numbers visiting the yard greatly decreased. It also had the added benefit of limiting loss of chicken feed to wild birds and rodents while allowing the chickens free access to food. There are other auto-feeder designs that are easier and cheaper to construct. The trigger/lever activated bucket feeders are well reviewed and can be seen in this thread. Also see post #10 & #13 in this thread for a very cleaver auto-feeder design. I would point out that the success of these types of feeders depends on training the chickens to use them.

Thanks for this! The trigger feeder especially seems good for my situation. I'll have to send the treadle feeder plans and video to my poor husband. He's the build-it-on-demand guy around here, and a pretty good sport about my little chicken problem.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I realized I forgot the link to the last feeder I mentioned (post #10 & 13). Good luck!

 

[bigoledude]

I found the only foolproof method of getting a starling problem under control.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I found the only foolproof method of getting a starling problem under control.

Oh, heck yeah. We do shoot them when they swoop into their nesting cavities in the evening. I also clean out any nests I find in the hen house. But there's no good way to shoot them when they're flocking to my feeders, since we'd do damage to other stuff we don't want to damage. I really, really hate starlings, and they don't belong on this continent. Some fine specimen of a human brought 100 birds over from England and released them into Central Park in 1860-61 for sentimental reasons. Ugh.

 

[VRH25]

I have a 7 lb. crumble feeder in my pullet pen. The pullet house is up on stilts, so the feeder sits underneath it to protect it in case it rains. I'm having huge flocks of starlings descend on it and they're eating me out of house and home! Anyone have any good solutions?

I have self-feeders for my chickens that I bought, one on Amazon and one at Tractor Supply. The chickens step on the bottom paddle, opening up for them and closing when they step back off it.

 

[terriergal]

repeating bird trap - purple Martin & bluebird land lords also have control techniques for them and house sparrows. But you must dispatch them, they’re non native pests, relocation will not work, obviously.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Get a treadle feeder. Once you stop feeding them they leave.

 

[vawolfmom]

I was going to say a pellet gun, but if you've got them in droves...

Re-locate your feeder. I'd put it inside of your coop so that it's much less visible to the roving starlings, and a bit less accessible. I'd recommend probably keeping the coop closed up with the food inside (and chickens, too) for a few days just to make sure the starlings have nothing to feed on in the area....alternatively, after moving the feeder, also move the coop just to screw up their pattern. The only way that you're going to get rid of them is to remove their known food sources, because if they can grab lunch, they'll keep coming back.

they are afraid of birds that eat birds-hawks, falcons. Maybe play some raptor noises when they come around, get an owl or hawk statue for the top of your coop?