Pigeon Feed Help needed Please! (1 Viewer)

KeithB1969 · Dec 11, 2016

I live in a subdivision. My neighbor is claiming my feeding the pigeons is causing a rat problem in his house. My bird depend on me and the weather is about to go to ZERO!

What can I do to save my birds? Please help! If I made a huge feeder with a piece of plywood 2-3 feet off the ground will the pigeons use it? I don't know what to do =(

MTem · Dec 11, 2016

That should work ok. You will need to put something around the legs to stop the rats climbing the legs, or place the legs right in the centre so they can't get round the overhang.
Certainly the birds will feed off the ground.
Mick

KeithB1969 · Dec 11, 2016

MTem said:
That should work ok. You will need to put something around the legs to stop the rats climbing the legs, or place the legs right in the centre so they can't get round the overhang.
Certainly the birds will feed off the ground.
Mick

Thanks for the info. I plan to remove the feed from the feeder every night and I only feed the pigeons when they beg as I've had a hawk that has been hunting them as well. So I'm not worried about rats.

I was mostly concerned if the pigeons would eat off the feeder as the prefer ground feeding. Unfortunately, ground feeding isn't an option as I have been told by zoning it is a health concern because of my neighbors rat problem =(

Elmer Fudd · Dec 14, 2016

KeithB1969 said:
I live in a subdivision. My neighbor is claiming my feeding the pigeons is causing a rat problem in his house. My bird depend on me and the weather is about to go to ZERO!

What can I do to save my birds? Please help! If I made a huge feeder with a piece of plywood 2-3 feet off the ground will the pigeons use it? I don't know what to do =(

The rats are obviously attracted by something in your neighbor's house and not by your pigeon feeder (only). Why don't you have the same problem your neighbor has? Rats are smart and "think" economically. So why should they move to your neighbor after dinner or breakfast and no stay at your place?

I would mount a trail cam at your feeder and by nighttime would place it that way that you can watch the rats moving between both houses and the feeding place.

Fedster · Dec 14, 2016

I used to (squirrel) proof my feeder by simply mixing the feed with chili pepper. Birds do not react to capsaicin but rodents do, and they quickly got the message. It is still paramount that you do your best to keep the feed as safe from rats as possible, and make sure there is no spills on the ground, but I think adding a lot of dry chilly powder (as spicy as you can find it) would make a huge difference. In fact if you can record the action, putting a bowl of feed laced with pepper where rats can go should prove it is an effective deterrent.

Fedster · Dec 14, 2016

Fedster said:
I used to (squirrel) proof my feeder by simply mixing the feed with chili pepper. Birds do not react to capsaicin but rodents do, and they quickly got the message. It is still paramount that you do your best to keep the feed as safe from rats as possible, and make sure there is no spills on the ground, but I think adding a lot of dry chilly powder (as spicy as you can find it) would make a huge difference. In fact if you can record the action, putting a bowl of feed laced with pepper where rats can go should prove it is an effective deterrent.

Let me add, if the chili trick works, make sure you feed in small batches and keep the feed dry as much as possible. Mixing seed with powder might make the whole lot cake up and get mouldy if there is a lot of feed and if it gets wet or it gets very humid.

Elmer Fudd · Jan 2, 2017

Fedster,

thank you! I will try this at my place very soon. And I will also mount a trail camera at the place where the chili-infested bird seed will be offered to our long-tailed friends.

Pigeon Feed Help needed Please! (1 Viewer)

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