Discouraging crows?

I found it was a lot worse for having the crows / rooks riffling through the poo and spreading it when one of my horses was fed oats.
 
Has anyone on here witnessed corvids attacking live lambs? I’ve seen it reported on Facebook a lot this year.
My uncle was a sheep farmer, he had thousands of lambs over 70 years of farming, he hated guns, refused to have them on his place and never had lambs attacked.
There are plenty of magpies, corvids, raptors and the occasional Jay here and songbirds also flourish.
 
Gift Horse said:
Has anyone on here witnessed corvids attacking live lambs? I’ve seen it reported on Facebook a lot this year.
My uncle was a sheep farmer, he had thousands of lambs over 70 years of farming, he hated guns, refused to have them on his place and never had lambs attacked.
There are plenty of magpies, corvids, raptors and the occasional Jay here and songbirds also flourish.
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I've seen them attacking a cowped ewe with lambs at foot, I chased them from her and called the Kirk. Even Countryfile ran a segment on ravens stalking lambs in the Highlands. I saw the calf I spoke of although not until it was bought in. Corvids take lambs, as do badgers (who will also take cowped ewes, as do sea eagles, as do foxes. Most farmers I know are pretty pragmatic about it, they each have their reasons for lambing in or out and I've no reason to doubt what they say-we have a large number of ravens and its quite easy to work out if it was a fox/corvid/badger/dog that attacked a lamb. I am not anti any of the predators but it doesn't do any good to deny what they do (i.e. the RSPB and sea eagles).
 
MotherOfChickens said:
I've seen them attacking a cowped ewe with lambs at foot, I chased them from her and called the Kirk. Even Countryfile ran a segment on ravens stalking lambs in the Highlands. I saw the calf I spoke of although not until it was bought in. Corvids take lambs, as do badgers (who will also take cowped ewes, as do sea eagles, as do foxes. Most farmers I know are pretty pragmatic about it, they each have their reasons for lambing in or out and I've no reason to doubt what they say-we have a large number of ravens and its quite easy to work out if it was a fox/corvid/badger/dog that attacked a lamb. I am not anti any of the predators but it doesn't do any good to deny what they do (i.e. the RSPB and sea eagles).
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Thanks for the reply - I’m just interested.
I always right sheep if I see one stuck, I’ve been lucky enough not come across one that had been attacked alive by birds.
 
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Gift Horse said:
Has anyone on here witnessed corvids attacking live lambs? I’ve seen it reported on Facebook a lot this year.
My uncle was a sheep farmer, he had thousands of lambs over 70 years of farming, he hated guns, refused to have them on his place and never had lambs attacked.
There are plenty of magpies, corvids, raptors and the occasional Jay here and songbirds also flourish.
Click to expand...
Yes, we get them attacking newborn lambs. Usually only a problem with inexperienced ewes or weak lambs and it seems to be individual crows and their offspring that give us problems which may explain the lack of attacks on your uncle's farm. If there are easier food sources for them they won't bother the sheep
 
Brownmare said:
Yes, we get them attacking newborn lambs. Usually only a problem with inexperienced ewes or weak lambs and it seems to be individual crows and their offspring that give us problems which may explain the lack of attacks on your uncle's farm. If there are easier food sources for them they won't bother the sheep
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That makes sense - my uncles place is in an area of mixed farming, not upland lots of grass farming and dairy there is probably plenty for the crows to eat without attacking sheep.
 
poiuytrewq said:
Any ideas? My field is black with them every morning recently, it’s like that old horror film 😳
My usual 15 minute before work poo pick is taking forever as they are just scattering poo everywhere. It’s also impossible to get it all and giving me a bad back bent over scraping so much!
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Never quite understand why so many horse owners have issues with these guys? They are doing a very valuable job
poiuytrewq said:
Any ideas? My field is black with them every morning recently, it’s like that old horror film 😳
My usual 15 minute before work poo pick is taking forever as they are just scattering poo everywhere. It’s also impossible to get it all and giving me a bad back bent over scraping so much!
Click to expand...
 
When mine were getting a certain grain...cant remember which now, the birds would break up their poop to get them.

sometimes theyre after the seeds from the heads of hay too...

Im beginning to think poop picking isnt as necessary as we thought. A recent study on worming analysis showed a reduction in the use of wormers when fecal egg count methods were used. This applied to 3 farms who didnt poop pick and 2 farms that did. Results were the same.
The one farm that had higher counts was the only one that had a high turnover of new horses coming to and from the yeard.

So the crows are spreading the muck for you and saving you having to do it!
 
PurBee said:
When mine were getting a certain grain...cant remember which now, the birds would break up their poop to get them.

sometimes theyre after the seeds from the heads of hay too...

Im beginning to think poop picking isnt as necessary as we thought. A recent study on worming analysis showed a reduction in the use of wormers when fecal egg count methods were used. This applied to 3 farms who didnt poop pick and 2 farms that did. Results were the same.
The one farm that had higher counts was the only one that had a high turnover of new horses coming to and from the yeard.

So the crows are spreading the muck for you and saving you having to do it!
Click to expand...
depends on the amount of grazing you have. if I don't poo pick my <2 acre fields then there would be nothing to eat in there.
 
milliepops said:
depends on the amount of grazing you have. if I don't poo pick my <2 acre fields then there would be nothing to eat in there.
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Same. It would be a sea of shit. The grass would be sour and it would look horrible!
I did half wonder about stopping tonight though when my barrow was firmly stuck in the gateway ?
 
milliepops said:
depends on the amount of grazing you have. if I don't poo pick my <2 acre fields then there would be nothing to eat in there.
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This. I poo pick the closely grazed summer equicentral track year round, but once I start opening the strip grazing into the foggage I leave the droppings on that part, and harrow them vigorously in the spring. Partly this is to help my knackered back, as poo picking on longer grass is harder.

The equicentral grass needs to stay muck free to provide good summer grazing, and that also helps to keep the flies at bay.
 
PurBee said:
When mine were getting a certain grain...cant remember which now, the birds would break up their poop to get them.

sometimes theyre after the seeds from the heads of hay too...

Im beginning to think poop picking isnt as necessary as we thought. A recent study on worming analysis showed a reduction in the use of wormers when fecal egg count methods were used. This applied to 3 farms who didnt poop pick and 2 farms that did. Results were the same.
The one farm that had higher counts was the only one that had a high turnover of new horses coming to and from the yeard.

So the crows are spreading the muck for you and saving you having to do it!
Click to expand...
I always think of what farmers do. They know how to manage land and they do not poo pick!
 
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