Small problems related to my chickens

**Dutchie** · 04-10-2011, 02:12 PM

Firstly let me say that the 'fancy ladies' have adapted very well and are giving as good as they get to the white chickens.
I have even been pecked a couple of times when I dared to put my hand into the coop to fill up their food. (And it hurt!!!)

Anyhow, my girls are all messy eaters and lots of the seed/grain that they eat is thrown all over the place resulting in quite a mess just outside the coop.

Here is the problem - we have about 5 pigeons in the area (I fear that they are building nests in one of the trees in my yard) and they are coming down more and more and eating the 'thrown out' grain.

Now I hope I don't offend anyone with this but I hate this kind of pigeon since they are well known disease carriers here and we
not-so-affectionally refer to them here in Holland as flying rats.

Of course when we go out into the yard they fly away.

Does anyone have an idea how I can get rid of them (the pigeons that is).

Thanks

**Russ** · 04-10-2011, 07:03 PM

Personally, I'd shoot them. But you can trap them and maybe give them to someone who raises them.

**Dutchie** · 04-11-2011, 02:36 AM

Thanks for your answer Russ but there is absolutely no one who would want them since everyone here thinks they are vermin. And we are not allowed to shoot them or poison them.

While writing this I got an idea. As I said they are known in Holland as vermin, maybe our council has a pigeon policy.

I just called them and they do have a 'pigeon policy'. I will be contacted about this by the relevant department and they will come and get rid of them.
I don't know about the US but here pigeons are known as disease carriers. Maybe that's why the council will get rid of them for me.

**ladytoysdream** · 04-11-2011, 06:17 AM

HI.
You need to move the chicken grain to a different feeding area, so wild outside birds cannot access it. If in a outside run, it needs a top cover on the wire.
We have a hanging metal feeder we use inside the coop for their laying grain. Then we use heavy rubber ( horse type) dishes in the tarped run, for their other grains. They still dump the feed out at times, and scratch for it. Nature of the chicken.
We have a few pigeons flying around also, but they don't seem to get anywhere near the chickens.

You're lucky, the council will get rid of them for you.

**Dutchie** · 04-12-2011, 01:00 PM

You are not going to believe this but the council called me and at first I was really pleased since I thought that they were going to come and get the pigeons. They even said to me, we will catch them and gas them. YEAH!!!!

However it seems that we have 'wood' pigeons and they are 'protected'. Even if we had 100 of them and they killed my chickens with disease, they are still protected.
Sh..

**Trentt** · 04-15-2011, 07:33 AM

Get a little terrier. They love to chase birds.

Seriously, I think your only solution is to find a more suitable spot for their feed, to minimize the amount that is scattered for pigeon food. Chickens are messy eaters - if you watch them, they will deliberately scratch their grain out of the feeder onto the ground because they love to hunt and peck for it.

**Homekeepn** · 04-20-2011, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by Trentt

Get a little terrier. They love to chase birds.

That is what I am afraid of. Our Sophie is a terrier mix. She is very interested in the new chicks.

**hippytreehugger4ever** · 04-22-2011, 05:09 PM

I'm wondering if feeding the pigeons raw rice would work, if you catch my drift ;-)

**Jeanna** · 04-23-2011, 01:02 AM

I would change my chicken rations to pellet form. They do not make near the mess with it and if the pigeons are not getting fed maybe they will leave on their own.