Supertrooper
Well-Known Member
Just wondering really as although horse isn't fussed by them, I HATE them!
When do bird scarers get switched off?
- Thread starter Supertrooper
- Start date
jendie
Well-Known Member
They usually turn them off when the crops are established. Shouldn't be on at this time of year, usually appear around April - August. I hate them too and we are surrounded by them.
ISHmad
Well-Known Member
Well they are certainly on around here, there's loads of them and they've been going off since early December. I suppose it depends on what crops are being grown. They are necessary for the farmers I know but I dont like them either.
OWLIE185
Well-Known Member
Around us in North Hertfordshire they are on from October to June.
I know of a number of serious accidents that have ben caused to horse riders by gas gun bird scarers as a result of them suddenly exploding as a horse has passed them.
I believe they are very dangerous especially when riders don't know they are there and they suddenly explode next to them. i.e. If they are hiden from view on the other side of a hedge. They could cause a rider to be thrown, a horse to bolt and subsequently colide with walkers, cyclists or cars.
Some manufactures used to have a horn that sounded 30 seconds before the bird scarer exploded so as to warn people that they would go off, however this type has not been manufactured for a while. Many gas gun bird scarers may explode 5 times in quick succesion causing additional fear to the horse.
There is no doubt in my mind that Gas Gun Bird Scarers should not be placed anywhere near a public highways or 'Rights of Way'.
There is a NFU leaflet on bird scarers which provides advice to farmners and landowners however my opinion it is deficient on a number of points.
If anyone has had an accident caused by a Gas Gun Bird Scarer I would be interested to hear from you. My Email address is peter.natt@btinternet.com
I know of a number of serious accidents that have ben caused to horse riders by gas gun bird scarers as a result of them suddenly exploding as a horse has passed them.
I believe they are very dangerous especially when riders don't know they are there and they suddenly explode next to them. i.e. If they are hiden from view on the other side of a hedge. They could cause a rider to be thrown, a horse to bolt and subsequently colide with walkers, cyclists or cars.
Some manufactures used to have a horn that sounded 30 seconds before the bird scarer exploded so as to warn people that they would go off, however this type has not been manufactured for a while. Many gas gun bird scarers may explode 5 times in quick succesion causing additional fear to the horse.
There is no doubt in my mind that Gas Gun Bird Scarers should not be placed anywhere near a public highways or 'Rights of Way'.
There is a NFU leaflet on bird scarers which provides advice to farmners and landowners however my opinion it is deficient on a number of points.
If anyone has had an accident caused by a Gas Gun Bird Scarer I would be interested to hear from you. My Email address is peter.natt@btinternet.com
L&M
Well-Known Member
The ones local to us tend to be on early summer until autumn, but I suppose it depends on what crops are being grown. The horses are so used to them they don't cause an issue, but having a very gun shy dog, they cause me massive problems.
The irony is the ones round here don't seem to stop the crows.........!
The irony is the ones round here don't seem to stop the crows.........!
attheponies
Well-Known Member
My friend and I had a bad fall last May due to the cartridge type of bird scarer (cartridges hanging from a slow burning fuse on a white plastic fencepole, virtually impossible to spot) on a permissive bridleway. We were trotting along the margin when it went off without warning, both ponies spun, my friend went head first into a deep drainage ditch and I fell off on my head on the margin while the ponies bolted back down the margin, down a lane and across a road. This was on a margin where the landowner is recieving a large sum of taxpayers money to encourage public access! Owlie185 - will email you.
PeterNatt
Well-Known Member
I would ask you to read the letter on page 12 of todays (27 January 2011) Horse and Hounds.
'A Warning on Bird Scarers'
Last week a bird scarer frightened a horse not half a mile away from where I live. The horse decanted it's rider and galloped into the path of a car on to the local A road.
Sadly it had terrible injuries and died almost instantly. It was a mercy that neither rider nor driver were injured but both of course were terribly shocked.
Would it be an idea for farmers to be asked by the NFU to place a notice at each end of a a bridleway especially near a main road, to the effect that there is a bird scarer giving off two or three blasts every 10 minutes?
That way one might be able to time one's path past it safely.'
Elizabeth Wood Hitchin Herts
'A Warning on Bird Scarers'
Last week a bird scarer frightened a horse not half a mile away from where I live. The horse decanted it's rider and galloped into the path of a car on to the local A road.
Sadly it had terrible injuries and died almost instantly. It was a mercy that neither rider nor driver were injured but both of course were terribly shocked.
Would it be an idea for farmers to be asked by the NFU to place a notice at each end of a a bridleway especially near a main road, to the effect that there is a bird scarer giving off two or three blasts every 10 minutes?
That way one might be able to time one's path past it safely.'
Elizabeth Wood Hitchin Herts
Vickijay
Well-Known Member
We have a gas one at the farm at the moment, right across the fields. I have been riding right by it, like under 10m from it on 2 occasions when its gone off (3 bangs per time) My baby ex racehorse is very very good about it as shes super brave but you can see why it really could cause some serious accidents. Not many on my yard would handle it.
Poor rider and horse from the h&h article
Poor rider and horse from the h&h article
PeterNatt
Well-Known Member
Quite an unecessary accident but one that will have a long term traumatic effect on both the horse owner/rider and the car driver.
corrie153
Well-Known Member
There will be bird scarers on at the moment for the winter barley that is growing. Once there is enough growth they will be turned off but unfortunatly come sewing time comes around in march -april time, they will be back 
On my farm they have been on all summer to stop the crows pecking at the haylage and silage bales
But ours work on solar pannels so depending on when sunrise is depends when they go off. I have to muck out before I ride now so I can listen out for them and note what time they go off. 2day they went of at quarter past every hour so we worked our route/schooling around the bird scarer - very annoying
On my farm they have been on all summer to stop the crows pecking at the haylage and silage bales
But ours work on solar pannels so depending on when sunrise is depends when they go off. I have to muck out before I ride now so I can listen out for them and note what time they go off. 2day they went of at quarter past every hour so we worked our route/schooling around the bird scarer - very annoying
Wagtail
Horse servant
I hate them! We are surrounded by fields and they go off several times a minute as there are so many of them. The horses aren't bothered but last year one kept going off all through the night really loud. I hadto go trudging through dark muddy fields looking for the offending one to turn it off. It only went off once every 20 minutes which made it impossible to sleep and then also impossible to find quickly! Turned it off, only to have the estate staff turn it back on a week later. Argghhh!