Dirty birds

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Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 11:08 am

I have an outdoor dog (named Jojo Laughing

) that I have a food bowl and water bowl outside for. Recently it seems that some birds have discovered that the bowls are a great source for free food and water. Jojo has been outdoors for over 3 years and I have never had this problem before. It appears that the birds are taking food and soaking it in the water before they eat it. The water becomes very nasty after a couple of "feedings". My solution is of course to get out the trusty air rifle (I live in the city) and put an end to their thieving ways. Since I know that there are bleeding hearts on this forum Laughing

, I will entertain thoughts of humane ways to end this freeloading by the birds.

Whats really amusing about this whole thing is that Jojo is an awesome hunter, easily catching rabbits and the occasional opossum, but elects to leave the birds alone.

The birds are black, and I think they are starlings, but I could be wrong about that.

Any ideas that will spare the little bastards lives?

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 06 Feb 2008 Posts: 720

Reason with them

Or
hang old and unused CDs from trees around the yard. When the sun hits a CD it shines a light everywhere all the time! Try this. It will keep all birds away and they wont come back. If you have lots of birds at your home, I would hang the CDs in at least 4 spots around your house.

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 11:44 am

Get a plastic owl and put out there with it looking towards the food bowl about 15 feet away. the birds wont go anywhere around it.. you can get them at wally world for about 10 bucks ... Ive used them for years to keep the birds off my deck and out of the gardens... works like a charm.

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 11:48 am

Do the nice thing Wink

and put some peanut and seed feeders out for the birds, well away from the dog's stuff. Put a bird bath out too.

Baiting Guru Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 2922

What mugatu and packman said...

Elite Baiter Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Posts: 1702

[joke] I vote for the air rifle solution, RPG's in citys can cause complaints from surrounding neighbours.

You could add a bit of baking soda to the food, and some other anti-acid powders, when the little thieves eat them they explode mid air. This makes target practice a bit more interesting. [/joke]

But the owl idea would work best - or a pidgeon hawk.

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 2:05 pm

Sellotape a cat to the water bowl and another to the food bowl.
That should work.

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 2:32 pm

Where's remmy223 when you need him? Laughing

Moving the feeding/watering stuff closer to the house may help perhaps?

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 3:19 pm

Doodle Bug wrote:

Reason with them

Or
hang old and unused CDs from trees around the yard. When the sun hits a CD it shines a light everywhere all the time! Try this. It will keep all birds away and they wont come back. If you have lots of birds at your home, I would hang the CDs in at least 4 spots around your house.

CDs of Celine Dion are incredibly good for this task - the sun doesn't even have to shine on them (the printed side works even better!)

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 5:21 pm

You can scare the shit out of the birds as they are stealing food. Get a flood light with something that rattles attached to it, and and air horn. Spot them with the floodlight, rattle it and blow the horn. I've seen this done in downtown Dallas to get starlings to fly out of the trees.

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 06 Feb 2008 Posts: 720

I bet your neighbours love you

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 6:02 pm

^^ Probably not as much as mine, when I spread birdseed all over the street, resulting in very poopy cars lining both sides of it Laughing

I was ten, what can I say? Embarassed

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 06 Feb 2008 Posts: 720

very naughty Laughing

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 7:10 pm

Harry, I am honoured (but not surprised) that you have named your best friend/lover after me. I mean, it's a little weird, but it is to be expected.

Leave those birds be. I am a bleeding heart. Also, be sure to turn off any lights when you walk outside, lest you waste energy. Go green my friend!

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 7:43 pm

Harry Bawls wrote:

... Any ideas ...?

The air gun sounds just fine.

Of course you could yell at the birds. You know: "hey, get a job!" Wink

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 10:15 pm

Some burnt-offerings:

1. get a third bowl. When you see pidgys at the dog food, shoot the third bowl for the awesome CLANG it produces to scare off the birds.

2. Ultrasonic repellent devices are out as they will drive your dog mad.

3. Put the dog's bowls under a low shelter so that they are invisible from the air.

4. Get a fiercer dog, or my personal preference, a leopard.

Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 1:15 am

My neighbor has Cd's hanging off the clothes line. The magpies sit on the clothes line still.
If these are starlings I would put out rat poison for them. The air rifle is a great option.

Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 1:40 am

Slightlyoutofit wrote:

Sellotape a cat to the water bowl and another to the food bowl.
That should work.

That was my next idea.

kleindoofy wrote:

The air gun sounds just fine.

I knew I liked you for a reason.

jojobean wrote:

Harry, I am honoured (but not surprised) that you have named your best friend/lover after me.

sorry jojo, she has had that name longer than I have known you, and she is petite.

digital-one wrote:

I vote for the air rifle solution

I like the way you think.

packman wrote:

Get a plastic owl and put out there with it looking towards the food bowl about 15 feet away.

I like that idea. If I miss the birds with the air rifle, I may hit the plastic owl.

harrya wrote:

If these are starlings I would put out rat poison for them. The air rifle is a great option.

Great minds think alike.

So, here's the outcome. I will take fudgepackmans advice and go to Wally world. I will buy some .22 caliber pellets, and tomorrow I will get a case of beer, and sit outside with the air rifle, drink all the beer, and shoot anything that aproaches my beloved Jojo's food and water bowls. Thank you all for your input!

Trophy Videos · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 1:49 am

harry, don't you know that guns and alcohol don't mix??
You might end up shooting off the end of your great toe. Very Happy

Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 3:40 am

Harry Bawls wrote:

... I will get a case of beer, and sit outside with the air rifle, drink all the beer, and shoot anything that a[p]proaches ...

Some people really know how to live! Laughing

Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 4:35 am

.22? Is it a pump up? I know Starlings are the original rats with wings but don't give it more than two pumps. You end up having to go pick the thing up and throwing it over the trailer. Wink

Really kills the beer buzz. I would highly recommend an Air Soft using the white .20 gram balls. A direct hit into a glass window will not do any damage. They won't even break any feathers and you get your point across without spreading any lead all over the environment. Wallyworld has a licensed Beretta 92F on a red tag sale for $17. Their M-16 want to be is accurate enough to hit a Starling in the chest at 50 feet and not worry about hitting it in the eye and hurting it. I've got the WSCG-103. Its a clear Gold Cup that features CO2, blowback action and a Picatinny rail for a laser and three other gas powered air soft guns. The last one I bought is a Daisy CO2 with a wraparound grip that I can't find right now. I last used it to scare off a big tom that was beating up on my 14 year old queen.

An alternative is to lay a rubber snake around the food and water dish.

Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 5:48 am

I take it JoJo likes birds? Why the heck isn't the dog barking and chasing the birds away. Tell the birds that you will WU them a monthly amount if they will stay away from the dogs dishes. It's 100% risky free!

At work we put plastic spike strips where the birds have a tendency to roost but that may prevent the dog from using his bawls. So nixt that one. Perhaps the birds are just a cover for some racoons (they like to wash their food before they eat it). Again starlings can be bought and I am sure the racoons are paying them money to make it look like the starlings are the culprits.

If your chosen method doesn't work, I have Coumadin that works well for killing rats........just a suggestion..... Laughing