4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[ChrisP]

Feeding the entire population of wild birds in my area

 

Every day, many small wild birds come into the run and feed off their feed (the hens free range all day so the run is left open). This means that not only is all the food rapidly disappearing - i have to fill the grub every morning and its nearly all gone by evening - but the birds are pooing in the glug, which means every couple of hours i have to go and wash it out and change the water

 

I have tried moving the glug and grub from the side of the run to facing back in towards the eglu so that the birds cannot see into the grub, but this has not stopped them

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for how to stop the wild birds feeding off the pellets? Only its getting rather expensive having to use a 2 litre jug every day of pellets, and for the hens not to be eating much of it*!

 

On a happier note, the girls met the rabbits without them being in the run today and they all got on well together. No scratches, pecks or anything

 

Thanks in advance,

Chris

 

*=I wouldnt mind spending the money on the feed if it were the hens eating it - it's just annoying that its mainly not the hens that i am feeding at the moment!

 

Edited for silly spelling mistakes

[Egluntyne]

Could you dangle some strips of fabric in the doorway, to prevent them entering the run?

 

The hens would be able to get through.

 

The only other thing that I can think of is that you get a treadle feeder, which can only be opened by the hen standing on a footplate arrangement.

 

You would have to teach the hens to use it though.

 

They are used where rats are a problem mainly.

[farrowy]

The other week my hubby commented how quickly the chooks are getting through our latest bag of pellets.

 

It was only at the weekend I realised that at times it's like a hitchcock film in our back garden with all the birds swooping in and out and in and out of the run to grab some grub. Big ones and little ones and you can see them gathering on the telephone line and on tops of the hedges waiting for a good time to swoop in!!!

 

Have thought about popping the grub and glug in through the eglu and hooking them onto the run just outside the eglu entrance instead, thinking the birds might not venture that far in (we have run, converter and extension) ... haven't tried it yet though!!!

 

[dogs and chickens]

Could you dangle some strips of fabric in the doorway, to prevent them entering the run?

 

The hens would be able to get through.

 

The only other thing that I can think of is that you get a treadle feeder, which can only be opened by the hen standing on a footplate arrangement.

 

You would have to teach the hens to use it though.

 

They are used where rats are a problem mainly.

 

What brill ideas! I have a magpie problem, but could not think of any way of stopping them! I will certainly try the fabric thing first, but failing that where do you get a treadle feeder from?

 

Thanks

[Egluntyne]

**Here**

 

or

 

**Here**

 

The second one doesn't specifically say that it is rat proof....but the price is lower. I'm tempted to get one myself.

 

You have to train the hens to use it.

 

I have read that if you sprinkle a bit of food on the treadle, they will make the connection eventually.

 

I bet someone clever could design a wooden one.

[Lapinou]

What if you put out something more tempting for them on a bird table like fat balls and bird seed that's actually meant for them - probably cheaper than layers pellets I guess! And then made it harder for them to get in the run with the fabric strips so the easier option for them would be to just use the bird table...?

[joe14]

My 3 are like guard dogs. If anything lands anywhere near the run they try and pounce on it. They actually caught one(bird) the other day well before I had chance to save its life!!

A baby rabbit sometimes comes into our garden from a nearby field. Last night just before bedtime they were terrorizing it to death. It only comes in to nibble the wifes cabbage!! Anyway it escaped thgank goodness

Talk about out of control teenagers!!!

[dogs and chickens]

Thanks Egluntine, I will be looking into all these things now. I have cleaned out there run and moved it over the weekend, so now just need to start phase 1 - fabric over doorway, failing that, I guess it's the rat proof feeder, looks good fun for them Not sure why I think that !

[mayflower]

I maybe being 'over the top' concerned but, I would advise trying to stop wild birds eat from the hens' container. I understand that bird flu virus can be spread by wild birds therefore as far as possible do not let wild birds...however lovely, contanimate the hens' food.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I may be corrected by someone more knowledgeable but I thought it was it's migratory birds like ducks, geese and swans that carry bird flu rather than local garden-type birds . No harm being vigilant anyway .

[Snowy]

I may be corrected by someone more knowledgeable but I thought it was it's migratory birds like ducks, geese and swans that carry bird flu rather than local garden-type birds . No harm being vigilant anyway .

 

I'm fairly sure that is right ANH.

However, garden birds can harbour parasitic lice, hence the lice that chickens can get, so not a good idea to encourage them really.

[chickenanne]

Totaly agree- as lvoely as wild birds are, the risk of them introducing disease or parasites into a flock of chickens means that they have tp be kept away from them. Also, if wild birds are eating a lot of the food, then it's safe to assume that you run a good chance of attracting rodents as they will also be able to access it.

[my fat hen]

Bill Turnbull off the Breakfast news invested in a treadle feeder for his chickens as the wild birds were eating all his feed. The only trouble was that the blackbirds learned to use it before the hens did

[dogs and chickens]

Bill Turnbull off the Breakfast news invested in a treadle feeder for his chickens as the wild birds were eating all his feed. The only trouble was that the blackbirds learned to use it before the hens did

 

Maybe will not go for the treadle feeder then!!!

[ChrisP]

Totaly agree- as lvoely as wild birds are, the risk of them introducing disease or parasites into a flock of chickens means that they have tp be kept away from them. Also, if wild birds are eating a lot of the food, then it's safe to assume that you run a good chance of attracting rodents as they will also be able to access it.

 

Thats why i wanted a way of stoppint the wild birds.

 

I *think* that the grub is high enough off the ground that rats and other rodents cannot get into it, but the birds are still getting in

 

I put those 'fat balls' around the garden for the wild birds, but they seem to think that the pellets are a much better option

 

I did have a plan to shut the run door and open the eggport and teach the hens to get into the run for their food that way, and that worked for a few days, until the wild birds cottoned on too.

[Egluntyne]

How about srtinging up cd's and spinny flappy things to frighten the wild birds away.

[ChrisP]

Thanks Eglutine, I will try that now when i go out to hang some clothes in the garden, will let you know if it helps!

[..lay a little egg for me]

Thanks Egluntine, I will be looking into all these things now. I have cleaned out there run and moved it over the weekend, so now just need to start phase 1 - fabric over doorway, failing that, I guess it's the rat proof feeder, looks good fun for them Not sure why I think that !

 

We are having the same problem...did you try the fabric thing, dogs and chickens? Did it work? What fabric did you use and how wide did you cut the strips and how long did it take for the chooks to work out they could go through it???