Scholsey
Member
- Location
- Herefordshire
I guess your on Gamma testing now for a while but you will probably get massive avian lumps on a skin test after bird contact like that. One year nearly every cow had a top lump the size of a golf ball!
Infested ... and helpless. Ideas?
- Thread starter Bald Rick
- Start date
Little squeak
Member
- Location
- Lancashire
do you know any locally with a live hawk? they really are effective and would clear your shed for a short time whie you put in more perminent measures
spin cycle
Member
- Location
- north norfolk
buy a small aviary and a hawk and move it about?
awkward
Member
- Location
- kerry ireland
Was told a layer of grease on the bars works .have similar problem here but having tried it yet because bars are too high.
A1an
Member
Have you tried a Hawk Kite?
The salmon factories around here use them to great effect.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hawk-Kite-Scarer-5mTelescopic-Flag/dp/B00GMLLUL4
The salmon factories around here use them to great effect.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hawk-Kite-Scarer-5mTelescopic-Flag/dp/B00GMLLUL4
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Stop feeding meal at the feed rail. I assume you have feeders in the new parlour?
Not ideal for high yields
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
Yes, it would and I nearly suggested it, but hawks are expensive and their owners get quite fond on them. I wouldn't have wanted to risk one of mine catching a starling and dropping down amongst all those hooves!
I am pretty much out of touch but I think falconers have to get a licence to catch specific quarry. For catching blackbirds with a sparrowhawk, the bag limit was something like 20 birds! Much the same for larks flown by a merlin. But the effect would be the same even if the hawk caught none.
Apparently, the Crystal Palace became infested with sparrows before it was burnt down. When asked what could be done about it, one of Queen Victoria's retinue apparently replied, "Sparrowhawks, ma'am, sparrowhawks!"
Adam@Rumen
Member
- Location
- Nantwich/Rishton
You can get granted a license to shoot them if you prove you've tried alternatives. From experience though, be prepared to use a lot of cartridges...
I've studied them a bit, they always seem to land on trees around the yard before coming into the sheds. Getting rid of those trees can help - they don't like coming straight in from what I've seen.
I've studied them a bit, they always seem to land on trees around the yard before coming into the sheds. Getting rid of those trees can help - they don't like coming straight in from what I've seen.
We have no trees and they cruise on in. Horrible birds and so persistent. We have tried avianex, bird distress scarers, hawk kites and nothing works to keep them out.
Selectamatic
Member
- Location
- North Wales
SilliamWhale
Member
I think their are migratory and non migratory types.
- Location
- somerset
came across an article last year, each starling will eat 70gms a day. you can assume that they don't eat silage. estimate how many birds are coming in, but sit down before pressing the = button. we do a mixture of crow bangers, the real ones, and constantly walking around the feeders as soon as they start to come in, with quite good results. but having done the sums, re 70 gms/day, on a large dairy unit, it is probably the cheapest way is to pay someone to continually walk around moving them on. continual disturbance for a week usually moves them on.
Homesy
Member
- Location
- North West Devon
I had the same problem. bird scarers all work to a degree for a while but they get used to them eventually. They even started perching and crapping on the speaker of my electronic scarer. Momensin was fatally effective but that's been banned now. The only long term solution is to fence them out with netting or mesh. Can be quite a big job but it stopped my problem. They still go in when I have the doors open but once I have driven them out that's it for the day
- Location
- East meath/dublin
I read on canadian forum where the used to mix meal with spot on insectide to control pigeons around the yards ,apparently very effective . You didnt hear this from me......
DeeGee
Member
- Location
- North East Wales
I would love to help old boy, but unfortunately all my Masseys are out on hire at the moment tow starting David Browns, and judging by previous years are likely to be so throughout the winter.
DeeGee
Member
- Location
- North East Wales
Many years ago in Rhyl there was apparently a recreational phase of concealing crushed Alka Seltzer tablets in remnants of junk food, for the specific attraction and delectation of seagulls, whom having partaken of such bounteous repast and then taken off in search of further and similar epicurean delight would invariably blow up in mid air.
And we wonder why tourism has waned in Rhyl?
It’s been downhill all the way since the town council banned the practice.
awkward
Member
- Location
- kerry ireland
Funny thing. came across YouTube video lately of young lads feeding seagulls a laxative at a seafront some where and when they took off deposited their contents on top of everyone around.
Kingofgrass
Member
The best I’ve heard for keeping them of the maize face in a clamp is an ibc full of water fix a battery and a water sprinkler on it,and if you want to get really technical wire up a motion sensor on it so when they land they get blasted,as for in the shed god know there a pain in the arse
Kingofgrass
Member
@Bald Rick have you tried a laser level set at the heigh of the cubicles ?