Wild birds

[Zobot0110]

Ever since I moved my chicken coop now the wild birds are going crazy. I have hundreds of them everywhere. Pooping on everything.
I put food out for them far away from my chickens. I thought maybe they would go over there,but they are everywhere. I’m not sure what to do. I don’t hate the birds, but they’re kind of scaring my chickens and creating a real mess.

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

Ever since I moved my chicken coop now the wild birds are going crazy. I have hundreds of them everywhere. Pooping on everything.
I put food out for them far away from my chickens. I thought maybe they would go over there,but they are everywhere. I’m not sure what to do. I don’t hate the birds, but they’re kind of scaring my chickens and creating a real mess.

Do you leave food for the chickens outside?

 

[Zobot0110]

Do you leave food for the chickens outside?

In the run yes

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

In the run yes

They're likely attracted to their food, then.

 

[Qwerty3159]

If they can access the food in the run, they unfortunately probably won’t differentiate that between the food set out specifically for them.

Maybe seasonal changes are causing more frenzied feeding by the wild birds? I would probably stop putting out food for the wild birds if you’re attracting a problematic amount. That will let you focus on keeping them away from the chicken food.

 

[Zobot0110]

I put chicken wire entirely covering run and bought a roof cover. I think that will keep them out

 

[AGeese]

I put chicken wire entirely covering run and bought a roof cover. I think that will keep them out

Chicken wire will probably not keep out house sparrows, especially younger ones. Hardware cloth will.

There's no way around the freeloaders other than to discourage them from settling any way you can think of, and covering as much as you can because they will drop over everything all the time.

I have a long bamboo pole I shew them off with. I'm going to try a spot light to point at them too. I never let them stay in my garage which is where my chickens are. If they're lucky one or two of them will be quiet enough I'll miss them, but I make sure to shew them off before I close up. Reason being is when I walk out there if they don't immediately fly off, all I have to do is say BIRD and they're gone.

Only to be back after I walk off.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Wild birds are only different from rodents in that they bring in even worse disease and pests. The solution is the same; stop feeding them and they have to leave.

But a good treadle feeder, even a halfway good treadle feeder, will usually stop wild birds. A spring loaded door isn't as important but a narrow and distant treadle absolutely is. You say you have hundreds though so maybe having the spring loaded, inward swinging door would be best.

Look up online an article about Fifth Crow Farms and how they solved their bird problem with treadle feeders. It saved them a hundred pounds of feed per day plus their micro greens crops had become unsalable from birds pecking the greens and pooping everywhere including the greens. Once the birds left they were able to sell micro greens again.

 

[Zobot0110]

Thank you!