Chickens vs. Wild Birds

Around the same time that I noticed feed prices going up, I also noticed that we were going through chicken feed much faster than usual. I thought that maybe the girls were eating more...but I soon found out that I had been feeding more flocks than just my own.

A huge flock of sparrows had recently discovered the bounty of food that my chicken pen provided. The feed dishes, which previously had food remaining at the end of the day, were now empty by mid-afternoon and covered in sparrow poop. Something had to be done- quickly and cheaply- so I sat and thought about a simple solution.

Alas! The old CD to the rescue! I have meet many a gardener who have had success with keeping wild birds out of their fruit trees by hanging old CDs in the branches. So I got out some elastic string, and asked my husband for some old CDs, and in less than 5 minutes I had sparrow proofed my chicken pen.

It was a cheap fix with instant results! Immediately the sparrows were kept away by the flashing and spinning of the CDs and now I am back to the regular feeding schedule of one scoop in the morning, which once again lasts the whole day. This is good news not only for my chickens, but also for my feed budget.