Seed feeders being robbed by large birds

Question

When I fill a seed feeder it is swamped within minutes by a flock (about 8) Jackdaws and a further five magpies and emptied within an hour. The seed they drop is hoovered up at the same rate by up to 12 feral pigeons. The tits and greenfinches the seed is intended for have no chance. Any suggestions (apart from not using the seed feeder!) for discouraging the big brutes? The same, incidentally, applies to the fat blocks I put out.

Sparrow · Accepted Answer

Hello Norman, 
 What sort of seed feeders do you have? If they have a tray at the bottom for catching seed, I suggest you remove it. I have a lot of jackdaws, but they can't cling to the perches on tube type seed feeders, although they can sit on the trays to eat. 
 Then I suggest you provide the jackdaws and magpies with their own feeding area - preferably a large flat table, away from the hanging feeders, and encourage them to use it with their own preferred food and fat block. Jackdaws love raisins, mealworms, and fat. I don't get magpies so I don't know about them. My feral pigeons share a bird table with the jackdaws. They only come to the ground when there is nothing better on the table. My table is roofed and is about 7 feet in the air next to a fence. 
 Make life as difficult as you can for the jackdaws where the hangers are, and easy and tempting somewhere else in the garden. 
 I know how frustrating it can be as I had the same problem with starlings. I have now given the starlings another area with their favourite food, and removed all hangers that were starling-friendly. It has worked up to now.