Nature on your farm.

gozunda

Lady Haywire wrote: »

I just chopped them up, roasted them, scooped the flesh off & boom, soup. Understand a load of them isn't ideal for making soup though

For a change try them with chilli when roasting instead of curry powder - then make your soup


Other thing is - once the skin is hardened - harvested pumpkins can be stored in a cooll but frost free shed and will keep for several months.

Base price

I heard a wood pigeon calling earlier. I never heard one this late in the year let alone on Christmas day.

kollegeknight

Barn owl had disappeared for a bit but flew over the OH the night before last. She was delighted, her first time spotting it.

A new neighbour had raptors- one set is a European hawk owl, they are supposed to be lethal. Hoping he will keep control of them

Base price

Saw a barn owl a few mins ago when I was forking up feed to the cattle. It flew out of the hay shed and looked eerie in the light of the full moon.

NcdJd

Base price wrote: »

Saw a barn owl a few mins ago when I was forking up feed to the cattle. It flew out of the hay shed and looked eerie in the light of the full moon.

Would it be staying there over the winter Base ?

Base price

NcdJd wrote: »

Would it be staying there over the winter Base ?

I reckon it was in hunting mice that are living in the bales of straw.

NcdJd

Base price wrote: »

I reckon it was in hunting mice that are living in the bales of straw.

Barn owl nest box Base, vermin control

Capercaillie

[/QUOTE]

Base price wrote: »

Saw a barn owl a few mins ago when I was forking up feed to the cattle. It flew out of the hay shed and looked eerie in the light of the full moon.

Get a barn owl nest box put up in your shed ( if owl can fly in and out easily). If possible make sure rodenticide are not used. If rodenticide are used don't put nest box up.

Base price

Get a barn owl nest box put up in your shed ( if owl can fly in and out easily). If possible make sure rodenticide are not used. If rodenticide are used don't put nest box up.[/QUOTE]
I was thinking the same after I saw it last night. We don't use rodentcides here as we have a few cats in the yard that look after that end of things.

Capercaillie

Base price wrote: »

Get a barn owl nest box put up in your shed ( if owl can fly in and out easily). If possible make sure rodenticide are not used. If rodenticide are used don't put nest box up.

I was thinking the same after I saw it last night. We don't use rodentcides here as we have a few cats in the yard that look after that end of things.[/QUOTE]

Get box ASAP! Have you WBC crop?

Base price

Capercaillie wrote: »

I was thinking the same after I saw it last night. We don't use rodentcides here as we have a few cats in the yard that look after that end of things.

Get box ASAP! Have you WBC crop?[/QUOTE]
Yes, two seperate areas 4 acres & 1 acre.

Where would I get one now with the shops closed. The shed is aligned North/South with each end open. Its a round roof hay shed with the ends closed down a few feet from the top, iykwim. Where would be the best place to situate one in the shed.
Edit - if anyone has plans on how to make one I could get a friend to do it. I looked online and there are lots of different designs. I wouldn't know which one would be the most suitable.

endainoz

https://www.barnowltrust.org.uk/barn-owl-nestbox/barn-owl-nestboxes/

Plans here! Can be made from a standard sheet of ply. I still need to get mine made up.

endainoz

Report coming up shortly about barn owls on RTE news there.

Birdnuts

endainoz wrote: »

Report coming up shortly about barn owls on RTE news there.

A number of rescue Barn Owls have been picked up in the last few weeks - Ireland is at the edge of their natural range(they do best in warm dry climates) and they really do suffer in cold/wet winters:(

endainoz

Birdnuts wrote: »

A number of rescue Barn Owls have been picked up in the last few weeks - Ireland is at the edge of their natural range(they do best in warm dry climates) and they really do suffer in cold/wet winters:(

There will have to be owl boxes put up in every shed in the country so!

Base price

I was talking to our friend about making a nest box and I emailed the link of the Barn Owl Trust to his wife - he is an older man and doesn't do the internet.
He was saying that it would be a great project for the Men's Shed that he is involved in but unfortunately they are not operating due to Covid. He said that when they are back up and running he will mention it to the rest of the lads.

Birdnuts

endainoz wrote: »

There will have to be owl boxes put up in every shed in the country so!

The loss of traditional nest sites like old hollow trees and old farm buildings certainly has been an issue for them over the last few decades.

endainoz

Finally got the barn owl box up, the most difficult part was putting it up! Hope it'll attract some residents now!

Capercaillie

endainoz wrote: »

Finally got the barn owl box up, the most difficult part was putting it up! Hope it'll attract some residents now!

Tidy job!

SmartinMartin

Good job. Would it be better sited to the left, butted up against that vertical beam? That way there are 2 beams to attach to, and the platform would be level with the horizontal beam, giving more places to perch.

TooOldBoots

Wildlife are hungry with the frost. Number of bird especially those robins hovering about waiting for the cattle to get there ration

blue5000

TooOldBoots wrote: »

Wildlife are hungry with the frost. Number of bird especially those robins hovering about waiting for the cattle to get there ration

I agree, had a plover in the yard yesterday looking for his oats.Often have pheasants in too. Dog rose two mallard out of the bird cover on NYE.

endainoz

SmartinMartin wrote: »

Good job. Would it be better sited to the left, butted up against that vertical beam? That way there are 2 beams to attach to, and the platform would be level with the horizontal beam, giving more places to perch.

Possibly, but it was hard enough to put it up there so it won't be moving again!

endainoz

Capercaillie wrote: »

Tidy job!

Thanks, but the image is intentionally a bit blurry to hide how rough it is! I'm no carpenter but it was fun doing a bit of woodworking and it was a good chance to use the Aldi circular saw I bought ages ago.

Base price

Question - why don't they have the front part of the box, under the perch hinged but with a locking device so that it is easier to clean out.

endainoz

Base price wrote: »

Question - why don't they have the front part of the box, under the perch hinged but with a locking device so that it is easier to clean out.

Not sure, I did see some plans that had something similar to what your talking about. I just went with this one as it seemed fairly easy to do.

Pie Man

endainoz wrote: »

Finally got the barn owl box up, the most difficult part was putting it up! Hope it'll attract some residents now!

Don't tell me about it, put up a couple in the last few years. There not that heavy but the size and shape makes them awkward, especially if your putting them up by yourself.

I'd love to think we would attract a barn owl, we had a bad mice and rat problem this year.

We had pine martens for a couple of years a while back. There was no such problem then! Don't know why they left.

minerleague

endainoz wrote: »

There will have to be owl boxes put up in every shed in the country so!

Couple of questions for you:
Neighbours yard just beside mine , they use rat poison, would it be irresponsible to put up box to attract owls?
Will owls fly to the back of closed in shed or should it be close to opening?
Would box have to be protected from cats underneath?

endainoz

minerleague wrote: »

Couple of questions for you:
Neighbours yard just beside mine , they use rat poison, would it be irresponsible to put up box to attract owls?
Will owls fly to the back of closed in shed or should it be close to opening?
Would box have to be protected from cats underneath?

I definitely wouldn't call it irresponsible, would be no harm to have a word with the neighbour to see if they would cut back on the rat poison, especially if you have a natural predator that will keep vermin away anyway.

From what I've read ideally the opening should be visible to the bird from outside so maybe not too hidden.

They recommend that the box is 3m+ above the ground, don't seem to mention any issue with cats.