Starling

[scholland]

The flying vermin are creating quite a problem here just now. We are the only farm with fattening cattle in just now so are the only target for them. There are none in the sheds at night just eating and shitting all day!
Do any of the deterrent things work? We tried an ultrasonic one years ago but it was a waste of time.
Its not easy to bird proof sheds as they have to be open to help ventilation especially at this time of year.
Think I may give the beasts no grain for a day to so to see if I can break their habit.
Any other tips?
Thanks

 

[llamedos]

Anyone with a bird of prey close by?

@Dry Rot may know or have some contacts.

 

[The Son]

Use the birdgard http://www.birdgard.com/ when we get starlings it works pretty well, but does your head in if your are working in the yard all day.

 

[Dry Rot]

Anyone with a bird of prey close by?

@Dry Rot may know or have some contacts.

I'm afraid I am totally out of touch these days, but birds will get used to most things so model hawks and owls are a waste of time. Distress calls are said to work.

Maybe a silhouette of a falcon suspended from a kite or balloon high above the shed? Didn't someone suggest lasers?

It's difficult to think of things that might scare the birds but not the cattle. A falconer would be frightened his bird would take it's kill amongst the cattle and be difficult to retrieve or even get killed. But then to be effective, the hawk does not need to kill, just make the starlings feel threatened when they come in to roost.

Google came up with this and there will be others....

http://www.falconryservices.co.uk/about_us.htm

 

[scholland]

Thanks. I don't think there is anyone up here with birds of prey and getting someone up would cost a fortune.
The lasers do look interesting.
I have given the cattle no barley this morning to try to break the birds routine and put them off a bit.

 

[Dry Rot]

Had my coffee and the brain is now in gear!

I have suspended old CD discs in my barn at critical points and it did work for a while. Just burn a small hole with a hot wire, then suspend using a small fishing swivel. They spin and flash...and it's cheap!

There is the International Falconry Forum (http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/) inhabited mostly by plonkers but you don't need someone with a hawk that actually catches things. Ideally, you'd need two people so they could call the bird back and forth through the shed for a reward, as they do at "falconry" demonstrations, just when the starlings are coming in to roost/feed.

Another thing, I have completely eliminated rats here which had become a problem by feeding my free range poultry by hand first thing in the morning as much as they can clear up. Vermin thrives on waste. Unfortunately, they come back in the spring when the hens start laying again (they are meat birds) and I still need to work that one out. As you already know, the starlings are coming for feed, so remove that and they'll go elsewhere.

 

[multi power]

Big problem here, bird of pray has worked better than anything else, there is one of them bird guard things but it's about as much use as tits on a boar. Bangers are little better, they just go and sit in tree for five minutes and then come back. I think a mixture of different things is the best, so they don't get used to any one thing. Trees where they can sit near buildings don't help
I know of somebody who feeds just grass silage during daylight and only proper mixed ration at night
I have also heard of leaving a dead calf in yard to attract buzzards

 

[scholland]

Big problem here, bird of pray has worked better than anything else, there is one of them bird guard things but it's about as much use as tits on a boar. Bangers are little better, they just go and sit in tree for five minutes and then come back. I think a mixture of different things is the best, so they don't get used to any one thing. Trees where they can sit near buildings don't help
I know of somebody who feeds just grass silage during daylight and only proper mixed ration at night
I have also heard of leaving a dead calf in yard to attract buzzards

The only feeding grain at night be a help in that short term to break the cycle. The laser things look interesting and work well with geese etc but would be pretty labour intensive.

 

[multi power]

The only feeding grain at night be a help in that short term to break the cycle. The laser things look interesting and work well with geese etc but would be pretty labour intensive.

I have been told it only takes a few days to break the cycle so even if it makes life a bit awkward for a few days it should be worth it

 

[Mouser]

Bird guard works for us but not for neighbours place 2 mile away. Think he waited too long so habit was harder to break. Think they have a satisfaction guarantee so worth a try

 

[scholland]

Bird guard works for us but not for neighbours place 2 mile away. Think he waited too long so habit was harder to break. Think they have a satisfaction guarantee so worth a try

We are pretty near a few houses so not sure i want to try a bird gard type scarer.
Will break the feeding habit of them then try to deter what comes back.

 

[Adam@Rumen]

12 bore, just don't get caught.

 

[scholland]

12 bore, just don't get caught.

Think you can apply for a licence so i may do that too.

 

[Mouser]

We are pretty near a few houses so not sure i want to try a bird gard type scarer.
Will break the feeding habit of them then try to deter what comes back.

If it's in the sheds the noise don't go too far. Also would neighbours not be glad to be rid of the shite meisters even if it did get annoying for a couple of weeks?

 

[multi power]

I have often wondered if it would be possible to obtain a bird of pray? My idea if you got one and keep it well fed it wouldn't go far ?

 

[scholland]

I have often wondered if it would be possible to obtain a bird of pray? My idea if you got one and keep it well fed it wouldn't go far ?

Had a sparrow hawk resided here for about a fortnight few years ago, stayed in the straw shed mostly but there were very few flying rodents about any of the sheds during his stay. Probably should have fed him and made friends!

 

[Dry Rot]

I have often wondered if it would be possible to obtain a bird of pray? My idea if you got one and keep it well fed it wouldn't go far ?

Some do that with falcons. They get captive bred immature birds and habituate them to being fed at a certain time and place each day. But I think they would go wild eventually.

http://www.angelfire.com/wi/laird/hacking_and_imprinting.htm

http://www.birdtrader.co.uk/birds-of-prey-for-sale?ads_dist=5

 

[Pan mixer]

Owl box in the shed - we had barn owls moved in less than a month after fitting one.

We went to grass finished beef - that stopped the beggars. They still get in the pig sheds now and again though

I can't understand how all our eco-friends think that Starlings are endangered, we have hundreds and hundreds grazing the meadows at the moment.

 

[Old Boar]

Find an old music tape - yes, you have one somewhere...
Break the tape near one end and tie it round a beam or something in the barn, as high as to be out of the way. Unwind and tie the other end somewhere, making sure the tape is not too tight or slack. It quivers and gives out a humming noise (which has nothing to do with the music on the tape), and in a breeze, the hum increases to a whistle. It also glitters like the hanging CDs, and most birds do not like it.
If anyone asks, just say you are recording the sound in the shed.

 

[linga]

We used to have a Birdguard type of thing.
Worked well for a while but they get used to it.
When you forget its there and it goes off just as you are walking past it wakes you up !