Crows?

[Scrambler]

I had a walk over some fields planted at the end of January. Emerging wheat seems to be being pecked out by something. Is this typical of crows? If it is, will banger ropes keep them off?

 

[Fubar]

Crows for sure. And they will walk the row and take every seedling. They are so clever and persistent. My wheat is just at the surface and I am on all day trying to keep the crows off. I've had a few shooters here over the last week so mine are pretty gun shy now and one shot over the field is enough to drive them off. But they are soon back. It's so frustrating to think the seed has survived the deluge and escaped the slugs, only to fall at the final hurdle.

 

[Wombat]

Yup looks like crows, they just want the grain at the bottom of the plant and don't care about killing it. I have em back now as a few plants have started to emerge the deluge. Banger, rockets etc will keep em moving but now they now the plants are there u will need to be on em every day

 

[jed]

Hang a few dead ones out by their legs upside down they dont like the voodoo!

 

[Spencer]

Seen Pheasants do it as well. But usually earlier in season.. not as many about this time of year

 

[Pilatus]

Yup looks like crows, they just want the grain at the bottom of the plant and don't care about killing it. I have em back now as a few plants have started to emerge the deluge. Banger, rockets etc will keep em moving but now they now the plants are there u will need to be on em every day

Surely a shot gun is the solution, perhaps Packham may think differently but he does not make his pay cheque from farming,

 

[Scrambler]

Hang a few dead ones out by their legs upside down they dont like the voodoo!

Yes. I can remember my father doing that many years ago. It really worked well. I'll have to get someone in to shoot them though.

 

[Wombat]

Surely a shot gun is the solution, perhaps Packham may think differently but he does not make his pay cheque from farming,

At this time of year you can move em from one end to the other and in the time you have gone back they have moved again. I like rockets as I can let em go from the yard without trailing all over all day

 

[yellow belly]

dead ones make the best scare crow
then in may shoot them in the rookery
I have lost bean crops before no chance to drill since September here
although they do eat slugs

 

[jg123]

dead ones make the best scare crow
then in may shoot them in the rookery
I have lost bean crops before no chance to drill since September here
although they do eat slugs

Worked here for about 5hrs! Borrowed as many gas bangers as I can get hold of, got banger ropes and occasional blast with gun but just about given up now. Wind has been that strong here last week you can hardly hear a bang accross 10ac. Bit gutting we drilled all night to get it in and it looked like it would have come decent if left alone

 

[Brisel]

Bangers don't work on corvids for long. Rifle one and string it up, well out of the reach of foxes. Its mates don't like that.

 

[jg123]

Bangers don't work on corvids for long. Rifle one and string it up, well out of the reach of foxes. Its mates don't like that.

Thats not working for us this year. Think they are pretty desperate for food as the starlins have finished off any easy scavenge grub

 

[Scrambler]

I went to have a look this morning expecting to see a plague of crows but I only saw 2 crows, 2 hares, a pheasant and a few partridges across 10 ha.

 

[Zippy768]

I went to have a look this morning expecting to see a plague of crows but I only saw 2 crows, 2 hares, a pheasant and a few partridges across 10 ha.

You weren't quiet enough

 

[deleted user 837354]

Get a keen shotgunner to sit and blast the lot of them, they soon wise up and leave.

 

[Fish]

Crows always hit it at the white shoot stage, (I think the bast*rds can hear it growing), when the field shows green they will stop.
Best way to stop them is shoot one or two and tear it up and scatter the parts all over the field, head here, leg there, they will not come back.

 

[jg123]

Get a keen shotgunner to sit and blast the lot of them, they soon wise up and leave.

No-one wanted to sit in the howling wind and rain last week I did suggest it to a few

 

[Dry Rot]

"Four seeds in a row, one for the rook,one for the crow, one will wither and one will grow".

 

[OutdoorTim]

Actually rooks doing this chaps .

 

[JCMaloney]

If there's more than one crow they are rooks, if there is only one rook its a crow.