birds going mad for meal this year

vanderbadger

does anyone else notice that birds seem to be going particularly mad for meal this year, to the extent that I have had to move bagged meal out of an open shed and into a fully closed one, never seen anything like it, left pallets over the bags initally and they still attacked te side of the bags. have a neighbour who milks who says they have his parlour filthy every day as there are bits of meal left over by the cows. seems to always be a heap of the fcukers around the creep feeder as well. maybe they are hungry from the cold year or something but they seem worse than normal

LostCovey

vanderbadger wrote: »

does anyone else notice that birds seem to be going particularly mad for meal this year, to the extent that I have had to move bagged meal out of an open shed and into a fully closed one, never seen anything like it, left pallets over the bags initally and they still attacked te side of the bags. have a neighbour who milks who says they have his parlour filthy every day as there are bits of meal left over by the cows. seems to always be a heap of the fcukers around the creep feeder as well. maybe they are hungry from the cold year or something but they seem worse than normal

What kind of birds are they vanderbadger?

LC

vanderbadger

LostCovey wrote: »

What kind of birds are they vanderbadger?

LC

crows mostly id say, share of magpies as well

INEEDANID

Could be a sign of a bad winter coming!

We have had a lot of birds eating the berries from our trees when usually they leave them until the winter when the ground gets hard

LostCovey

vanderbadger wrote: »

crows mostly id say, share of magpies as well

A neighbour with the same problem found this worked really well, but he had to keep moving it in case they got used to it.

http://www.gullstop.co.uk/peregrine_falcon_decoy.asp

LC

vanderbadger

LostCovey wrote: »

A neighbour with the same problem found this worked really well, but he had to keep moving it in case they got used to it.

http://www.gullstop.co.uk/peregrine_falcon_decoy.asp

LC

i bought somethng similar before, a cat replica that hung from the rafters, it could move about a bit in the wind and had 2 little glass type things for eyes, they were reflective so I guess you might think they were the real thing...
they birds picked the 2 eyes out of it...:rolleyes:
the little feckers were really going to town on some machinery i had in the same shed with bird crap, ive had to put all that gear into a fully closed up shed they cant get into now, the original shed has cavity block walls and holes here and there and its seems to have become a birdhouse more than anything...

LostCovey

vanderbadger wrote: »

i bought somethng similar before, a cat replica that hung from the rafters, it could move about a bit in the wind and had 2 little glass type things for eyes, they were reflective so I guess you might think they were the real thing...
they birds picked the 2 eyes out of it...:rolleyes:
the little feckers were really going to town on some machinery i had in the same shed with bird crap, ive had to put all that gear into a fully closed up shed they cant get into now, the original shed has cavity block walls and holes here and there and its seems to have become a birdhouse more than anything...

They are dead wide alright - but I suppose it doesn't take a genius of a bird to figure out that a cat hanging from a rafter is a limited threat.......

vanderbadger

LostCovey wrote: »

They are dead wide alright - but I suppose it doesn't take a genius of a bird to figure out that a cat hanging from a rafter is a limited threat.......

but the decoy Peregrine would fool them would it

Atilathehun

I bought a bag of grass seed, over a month ago for a bit of seeding I had planned. Put it in the shed, on top of a few bales.
Got the land prepared over the following few weeks. Ready to spread the seed. Went to to the shed, to find the bag of seed riddled and probably over half of it eaten :mad::mad::mad::mad:
That's not the worst. It was six o clock on Saturday evening, so no place open for me to get another bag FFS ................... :mad::(:eek
I nearly had to be sedated:eek:

johngalway

The ould fella was killed telling me I'd have problems with birds once I started feeding the lambs. I just give them enough so that they clean it up then and there, the feed itself is stored indoors where birds can't get at it. Haven't had a problem yet.

Prevention is the key, a bit like with rats and feed. Deny them the opportunity to get handy grub wherever possible.

reilig

johngalway wrote: »

Prevention is the key, a bit like with rats and feed. Deny them the opportunity to get handy grub wherever possible.

+1

Sealed sheds and vermin proof stores are the only solution to keep birds and vermin from eating your feed and spreading disease around your farm!

whelan1

we had them earlier in the year but they fecked off when the corn started to ripen, was getting meal in half tonne bags but now have it tipped in shed and there are no crows at all:D they must have gone to all of ye

reilig

We bought an electronic bird scarer last winter for around the slatted shed that we feed meal in - the crows were having a field day. We moved it around the shed every few days. It worked great for about 3 months, but the crows slowly came back and in the end there was no stopping them.

We did have a problem with swallows starting to build nests around my new house last spring and I plugged it in around the garage - they abandoned several half built nests after its arrival.

Username John

reilig wrote: »

We bought an electronic bird scarer last winter for around the slatted shed that we feed meal in - the crows were having a field day. We moved it around the shed every few days. It worked great for about 3 months, but the crows slowly came back and in the end there was no stopping them.

We did have a problem with swallows starting to build nests around my new house last spring and I plugged it in around the garage - they abandoned several half built nests after its arrival.

What kinda one was it Reilg - have a problem with the swallows on the house meself, and would like a solution for next year.

Thanks.

Tora Bora

reilig wrote: »

We bought an electronic bird scarer last winter for around the slatted shed that we feed meal in - the crows were having a field day. We moved it around the shed every few days. It worked great for about 3 months, but the crows slowly came back and in the end there was no stopping them.

We did have a problem with swallows starting to build nests around my new house last spring and I plugged it in around the garage - they abandoned several half built nests after its arrival.

Must be getting alzheimers or something, but I could swear there was some reference on this forum or maybe it was BFF, about an Australian bird of prey sound, which can be down loaded from youtube.
Even though it's not a native bird, the local crows etc, get spooked.

Anyway, I can't find it now, but supposedly you could down load it and repeatedly play it in and around the sheds to keep bird at bay.

Anyone know what I'm talking about

reilig

I saw that too Tora Bora, about 2 days ago. can't for the life of me remember who wrote - I think it was one of the moderators?

The electronic bird scarer that I have is one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Pest-Stop-Electronic-Bird-Scarer-/230540990099?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Garden_Plants_Weed_Pest_Control_CV&hash=item35ad505693

It has a PIR and you can set it to go off manually at various intervals.
Bought mine in a FRS farm store for €70.

weefarmer

Does anyone know where I could get the plastic for a bird trap for the creep feeder, damn crows..

reilig

weefarmer wrote: »

Does anyone know where I could get the plastic for a bird trap for the creep feeder, damn crows..

I use an old "mayo comfort cow mat" - cut into 3 pieces on mine. It was on a cubicle for 10 years and has been on the creep for the last 10. It does the job perfectly.

Oranage2

By Jaysus them crows be nearly as big as them cows!

flatout11

reilig wrote: »

I saw that too Tora Bora, about 2 days ago. can't for the life of me remember who wrote - I think it was one of the moderators?

The electronic bird scarer that I have is one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Pest-Stop-Electronic-Bird-Scarer-/230540990099?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Garden_Plants_Weed_Pest_Control_CV&hash=item35ad505693

It has a PIR and you can set it to go off manually at various intervals.
Bought mine in a FRS farm store for €70.

best device i ever bought..... for a week they were sitting in the shed beside it this year!!!! they moved off last week barley started!!!!
but they were bad earlier this year
is there not a device for trapping them???

weefarmer

[/QUOTE]
I use an old "mayo comfort cow mat" - cut into 3 pieces on mine. It was on a cubicle for 10 years and has been on the creep for the last 10. It does the job perfectly.[/Quote]

So it doesnt have to be clear plastic then, ill figure out somethin now thanks

LostCovey

reilig wrote: »

We did have a problem with swallows starting to build nests around my new house last spring and I plugged it in around the garage - they abandoned several half built nests after its arrival.

If there were several nests on the outside of the house, they were probably House Martins rather than Swallows. I would love to have them on the house, but they don't seem to like pebble dash (maybe thats a tip for people who don't want them!)

LC

Username John

LostCovey wrote: »

If there were several nests on the outside of the house, they were probably House Martins rather than Swallows. I would love to have them on the house, but they don't seem to like pebble dash (maybe thats a tip for people who don't want them!)

LC

Why would you like them on the house?

LostCovey

Username John wrote: »

Why would you like them on the house?

I like them!

finbarrk

Seemingly the swallows are flying very low these days in West Clare. The old fellas say it's not a great sign of the weather.

Bactidiaryl

a pile of birds around sheds this year.reckon they got used to handy feed during the harsh winter. i have crows coming into my open calf shed. i shot a few and hung them up,got one of those plastic falcon yolkes(they shat on his head) have the pir recording of preditory birds going off every 5 mins and they take not a blind bit of notice. i reckon i need to be shooting a few every couple of days to spook the buggers. need to get me a gun licence.

LostCovey

Bactidiaryl wrote: »

a pile of birds around sheds this year.reckon they got used to handy feed during the harsh winter. i have crows coming into my open calf shed. i shot a few and hung them up,got one of those plastic falcon yolkes(they shat on his head) have the pir recording of preditory birds going off every 5 mins and they take not a blind bit of notice. i reckon i need to be shooting a few every couple of days to spook the buggers. need to get me a gun licence.

Well, certainly some type of certificate is called for.

Are they staring at you?

johngalway

Bactidiaryl wrote: »

a pile of birds around sheds this year.reckon they got used to handy feed during the harsh winter. i have crows coming into my open calf shed. i shot a few and hung them up,got one of those plastic falcon yolkes(they shat on his head) have the pir recording of preditory birds going off every 5 mins and they take not a blind bit of notice. i reckon i need to be shooting a few every couple of days to spook the buggers. need to get me a gun licence.

If you're in possession of an unlicensed firearm that's a serious offense. I would urge you in the strongest possible terms to rectify that situation ASAP, and refrain from posting about such actions on a public board in future.

I may be reading your post incorrectly, and sincere apologies if I am, perhaps you had a friend shoot them for you and you intend to buy your own gun in future.

LostCovey

johngalway wrote: »

If you're in possession of an unlicensed firearm that's a serious offense. I would urge you in the strongest possible terms to rectify that situation ASAP, and refrain from posting about such actions on a public board in future.

I may be reading your post incorrectly, and sincere apologies if I am, perhaps you had a friend shoot them for you and you intend to buy your own gun in future.

JohnGalway,

I think he may possibly have been taking the mickey, in a good-natured harmless way.



LostCovey

Username John

LostCovey wrote: »

I like them!

ha ha - are you sure you like them, or you like the idea of them.

Having them on the house with ****e all over the wall and the ground under em isnt so pleasent. Grand to have em in the area, but not on the house...

reilig

Username John wrote: »

ha ha - are you sure you like them, or you like the idea of them.

Having them on the house with ****e all over the wall and the ground under em isnt so pleasent. Grand to have em in the area, but not on the house...

They're the biggest nusiance. They Sh!t everywhere. They try to build nests under the apex of the house and if they are successful, you'll see the sh!t running down the walls, on the windows, on footpaths and on cars. They'll rest on your washing line and sh!t on your clothes. They seem to be getting more plentyful every year.

LostCovey

reilig wrote: »

They're the biggest nusiance. They Sh!t everywhere. They try to build nests under the apex of the house and if they are successful, you'll see the sh!t running down the walls, on the windows, on footpaths and on cars. They'll rest on your washing line and sh!t on your clothes. They seem to be getting more plentyful every year.

I know they can be a nuisance, but anything that eats that much midges has to be a positive thing!

It's a short season, I think I would be willing to put up with the nuisance, and washing it away, just to have them around.

Typical that I can't get them but those that are getting them don't want them.

I may resort to putting these up next year http://tinyurl.com/3bnp94x, as our House Martins clearly won't do the DIY thing here.

LostCovey



PS This is the RSPB advice note on living with House Martins (the birds and nest are protected by law in the UK, same as here):

Droppings tend to build up beneath house martin nests, so don't fix nest cups above a doorway.

A shelf about 25cm wide fixed about 2m below the nest will catch the droppings if they cause a problem.

House martins often carry parasites such as feather mites. These are normally harmless to the birds, and do not affect people, but they can be a nuisance if a nest is built just above a window.

A little pyrethrum applied just around the nest (but away from the nest hole) will prevent the parasites leaving the nest. Never spray insecticide into the nest.

Username John

LostCovey wrote: »

I know they can be a nuisance, but anything that eats that much midges has to be a positive thing!

It's a short season, I think I would be willing to put up with the nuisance, and washing it away, just to have them around.

Typical that I can't get them but those that are getting them don't want them.

I may resort to putting these up next year http://tinyurl.com/3bnp94x, as our House Martins clearly won't do the DIY thing here.

LostCovey



PS This is the RSPB advice note on living with House Martins (the birds and nest are protected by law in the UK, same as here):

Droppings tend to build up beneath house martin nests, so don't fix nest cups above a doorway.

A shelf about 25cm wide fixed about 2m below the nest will catch the droppings if they cause a problem.

House martins often carry parasites such as feather mites. These are normally harmless to the birds, and do not affect people, but they can be a nuisance if a nest is built just above a window.

A little pyrethrum applied just around the nest (but away from the nest hole) will prevent the parasites leaving the nest. Never spray insecticide into the nest.

Ah, you must be doing something wrong LC - maybe that plastic peregrine lad is too frightening...

Q for you - do House Martins always return to the same spot every year?

LostCovey

Username John wrote: »

Ah, you must be doing something wrong LC - maybe that plastic peregrine lad is too frightening...

Q for you - do House Martins always return to the same spot every year?

Yes, if they can, and if nothing has changed.

They seem to like certain things (a wall that doesn't face full sun, or prevailing winds, and they like an apex), but they will make exceptions.

They are part of the summer for me, I would love to have our own colony (or I think I would! Maybe a dose of reality will fog up my rose tinted spectacles!)

LC