Grass loss to wild grazers?

[Dry Rot]

There was a study done on the predation of foxes on lambs on the west coast many years ago. The 'experts' concluded foxes took only a very small percentage of the lamb crop. But as one sage remarked, it may be a small percentage over all, but if it's all from your own flock it is a hell of a lot!

The geese will be wanting to top up after the winter ready for breeding and they will take the first decent grass they can get. Not a lot to do with diversity, bio or not!

 

[Percy Veer]

[QUOTE="Guleesh said]
Biggest downside we find with giving longer rest periods for grass is that we seem to be feeding more wild deer and geese than ever. Its particularly annoying at this time of year when the grass is just getting started and we're keeping in-lamb ewes on harder ground to let grass get a good start before lambing. I sometimes think I may as well just let the sheep overgraze it rather than the wildlife.
I'm curious to how others on here deal with, or just how they view this problem.
[/QUOTE]

Last autumn I left grass levels higher than before for a better start in the spring, but it was futile as deer have eaten it right down to the ground. A neighbour has offered to shoot a couple to drive the rest of them away

It reminded me of the Boll Weevil song of my youth.

 

[Guleesh]

[/QUOTE]

Last autumn I left grass levels higher than before for a better start in the spring, but it was futile as deer have eaten it right down to the ground. A neighbour has offered to shoot a couple to drive the rest of them away

It reminded me of the Boll Weevil song of my youth.
[/QUOTE]

It's pretty demoralising. I've been thinking about this today, and once coronageddon is over ill have to save some pennies and get myself a firearm certificate.

 

[A1an]

Not really into guns I used to shoot a few rabbits with an air rifle until licensing came in but its not something i'd want to spend money on really. the deer aren't so bad as the geese. I know a few folk that use bird scarers/bangers but I don't think it's worth upsetting all my neighbours so I've ruled that one out.
The other issue is that my fields are about the freshest in that area for the resident greylags.

Greylags are now on the General License. Where in Skye are you?

 

[Guleesh]

It reminded me of the Boll Weevil song of my youth

Your youth must have been earlier than mine , never heard of them

 

[Guleesh]

Greylags are now on the General License. Where in Skye are you?

Duirinish, north west

 

[A1an]

I know some chaps local to you that would be able to help thin out the mouths. If you required their help just drop me a pm.

 

[Guleesh]

I know some chaps local to you that would be able to help thin out the mouths. If you required their help just drop me a pm.

Thankyou, to be honest for this year there's no point as the damage has been done and sheep are back in soon, but maybe autumn or if I don't get something sorted for next spring I'll be in touch.
Highest numbers were probably around 2nd week in March and they've tailed off a bit now the whole place has started greening up. (only saw 6 on this morning)

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Bit of an aside, is there a market for wild venison in the UK?
A few with deer 'problems' down here have simply built traps with deer fencing and sell the wild deer alongside their own deer, all very quietly of course.

Same with wild cattle, and likely wild horses too.

If they're a nuisance to that extent, I'd get a firearms ticket, butcher the carcasses and donate the meat to the needy/friends/salvation army

 

[Guleesh]

Bit of an aside, is there a market for wild venison in the UK?
A few with deer 'problems' down here have simply built traps with deer fencing and sell the wild deer alongside their own deer, all very quietly of course.

Same with wild cattle, and likely wild horses too.

If they're a nuisance to that extent, I'd get a firearms ticket, butcher the carcasses and donate the meat to the needy/friends/salvation army

There's a growing market but i don't know about the legal requirements.
The ground here was all big estates with tenanted crofts and farms, and although now alot of those have been sold into private ownership it was common practice on many land dispositions for the estate to retain sporting and mineral rights.

 

[onesiedale]

Would a crow banger work to scare them away?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

There's a growing market but i don't know about the legal requirements.
The ground here was all big estates with tenanted crofts and farms, and although now alot of those have been sold into private ownership it was common practice on many land dispositions for the estate to retain sporting and mineral rights.

You're usually relatively safe to donate "game meat" in my experience, selling it of course is usually taboo. Just thought it may be a good little sideline for favours around the area, a shining example of this is I have a guy drop a trailerload of split firewood off on a monthly basis in return for seafood, ducks, and wild pork.

Neither of us is doing anything "illegal" because no money is changing hands.

 

[Jungle Bill]

Bit of an aside, is there a market for wild venison in the UK?
A few with deer 'problems' down here have simply built traps with deer fencing and sell the wild deer alongside their own deer, all very quietly of course.

Same with wild cattle, and likely wild horses too.

If they're a nuisance to that extent, I'd get a firearms ticket, butcher the carcasses and donate the meat to the needy/friends/salvation army

This local company https://www.highlandgame.com/about/the-story-of-highland-game has built a multi million turnover business collecting deer carcasses from the ‘sporting estates’, processing and packing it and selling to restaurants and supermarkets.

 

[Guleesh]

Would a crow banger work to scare them away?

Yes, and I know a few people that use them and I don't think it's worth the aggro, the only ones that are getting away with it are far enough away from houses, it's a surefire way to upset all your neighbours, especially if you don't live there yourself.

 

[Farmer Roy]

https://www.facebook.com/120462627634/posts/10157452267887635

 

[Guleesh]

https://www.facebook.com/120462627634/posts/10157452267887635

I always knew the Isle of Skye wasn't such a bad place, Easy to look at places that don't have your problems and feel hard done by but good to be reminded of problems you don't have.
(Doesn't apply to NZ, I don't think they have problems there, it's obviously a farmers paradise)

 

[n.w]

I was just going to ask the question, I wonder if geese eat the snail hosts of liver fluke? Wouldn’t surprise me if they did, which would be a slight bonus, but you don’t see them grazing the wet spots, just the good bits!

The geese are a menace, and I don’t think much of their ‘fertiliser’ inputs, the grass getting a chance to grow would be much more appreciated. Their constant mowing of young leaf must really be stunting the growth potential for the season/year.

I have to disagree with @Kiwi Pete here, he will not be ‘gaining heaps’ from the geese.
I agree with so much of the holistic outlook and approach to farming, but with all good things there is a risk of blind idealism.

There needs to be a degree of pragmatism retained.

Shooting them is most likely the most effective way of getting rid of them. You could maybe also trap a couple of mink and take them a short boat trip out to the uninhabited islands where the geese are nesting and increase the biodiversity there.

I hope that was tongue in cheek, mink must be killed on sight. I was employed for several years here in the Outer Hebrides to eradicate mink. the programme cost Defra, SNH. EU and RSPB millions of pound's. We have a Goose scheme here and those of us that belong to it are encouraged to shoot Greylags up to the end of April [discontinued this year due to covid 19] As said a warning shot, bangers, dogs loose will all unsettle geese, They are hitting your early season grass as it is probably the most desirable in the area. simply move them on, until new growth is available elsewhere.

 

[Guleesh]

I hope that was tongue in cheek, mink must be killed on sight. I was employed for several years here in the Outer Hebrides to eradicate mink. the programme cost Defra, SNH. EU and RSPB millions of pound's. We have a Goose scheme here and those of us that belong to it are encouraged to shoot Greylags up to the end of April [discontinued this year due to covid 19] As said a warning shot, bangers, dogs loose will all unsettle geese, They are hitting your early season grass as it is probably the most desirable in the area. simply move them on, until new growth is available elsewhere.

Are the mink eradicated on the Outer Hebrides?

 

[n.w]

Are the mink eradicated on the Outer Hebrides?

We think/hope so ! Its a big place, some are still employed trying to find any remnants. I started on the the first scheme about 20 yrs ago

 

[Macsky]

I hope that was tongue in cheek, mink must be killed on sight. I was employed for several years here in the Outer Hebrides to eradicate mink. the programme cost Defra, SNH. EU and RSPB millions of pound's. We have a Goose scheme here and those of us that belong to it are encouraged to shoot Greylags up to the end of April [discontinued this year due to covid 19] As said a warning shot, bangers, dogs loose will all unsettle geese, They are hitting your early season grass as it is probably the most desirable in the area. simply move them on, until new growth is available elsewhere.

Plenty of them about and no one is doing anything about them here, might as well put them to good use ?