AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

I have just finished putting the wire and monoclad on my pen. I have a huge problem with cockatoos. I have stopped them from entering everywhere except through the door. This morning I had the idea of attaching some shade cloth to the door with two cuts in it to allow the chookies to go in and out, hoping to keep the cockatoos out. How wrong I was . Came home to find three cockatoos in the pen. Has anyone any ideas on how to keep them out but allow the chooks to go in and out as they please.

Perhaps one of those plastic owls from Bunnings? You could place it at the door to scare them off.

Had a problem with them also, seems to be an increase in population, I have a couple of plastic owls my fruit trees. My neighbour uses a one of those kid's cap guns to scare them off.

How about a Maremma to guard your flock and keep predators and unwanted visitors away

You need to break the habit of the cockatoos so they no longer believe this is a place to freely go in & out of for food.

Cockatoos are very smart & the minute they see the others moving in & out then they will follow.

This will also mean your girls will not be able to roam freely in & out of, until you break the cycle/habit of the cockatoos, so a lockable door to start then eventually go back to your current set up.

It may take a few weeks of you letting your girls out to free range & back in to go to bed, but once the cocky's realise there is no free food source they will most likely move on & find another.

And yes other deterrents couldn't hurt like what HH suggested. I think getting a dog/another mouth to feed might be a bit much but a plastic owl doesn't eat or need food & water so that might be a cheaper alternative.

Maybe you can borrow your neighbour's dog

Thank you for your replies. I will buy a little owl for outside the coop door.

Nice idea to borrow Gus, but he's a gentle giant. I think he would be frightened of a cockatoo if it sqwarked at him.

If only our little white silkie was a smart as the cockatoos. We call her our blonde one as she is the last to catch on to whatever is happening, new door included

Last night after the girls were locked up I attached some bird netting over the shade cloth, no cockatoos this morning . I might have to make an inner door so that it can bee closed once the girls go to roost. This might give the cockatoos the picture that entry is not permitted.

I looked on the Bunnings web site and they sell an owl that hoots and its head spins around with the wind. Might put it on the roof of the pen.

Eventually the whole yard will be covered in vineyard anti bird netting as I want to protect my fruit trees also.

I honestly wouldn't waste my time with plastic owls etc.
The cockatoos quickly work out that they are no threat. Same goes for fake hawks, snakes and the rest.
The other suggestions are well worth pursuing.

I agree with parvo those plastic statues are only good for a few days



Raf

Thanks everyone for your replies. Happened to pick up two plastic owls at Spare Change for $25. Will invest in a cap gun. At least the owls look nice and will give me a couple of days reprieve. The girls weren't too sure when they were going through the door to bed tonight

Guardian Owls of the Chook Coop

We used to have a scarecrow named Kevin, our neigbours thought he was my dad!

Still like the idea of a Maremma