The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Rosemary on May 27, 2009, 08:00:11 pm

Title: Egg eating
Post by: Rosemary on May 27, 2009, 08:00:11 pm

For about a fortnight now, we've been getting the odd eaten egg - well, not eaten in most cases, just some of the shell pecked away. We've dithered a bit but decided we had to catch and "reform" the culprit. So Dan set up the camera on time lapse today, in the hen house. What's in the hen house? A magpie.

Is it legal to shoot magpies or is there some other way to discourage this?

Title: Re: Egg eating
Post by: gillandtom on May 27, 2009, 08:18:01 pm

I used to shoot them with my dad from my the bedroom window in our house in Stirling but that was about 20 years ago.  Has the law changed?  I thought they were just crows? 

I heard they are partly to blame for the decrease in our songbirds as they are eating their eggs as well.

Get Dan out with the air gun!

Title: Re: Egg eating
Post by: doganjo on May 27, 2009, 09:28:20 pm

Want to borrow Candy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0swvP5CS1Ug
Apologies for background noise - TV was on when I spotted her. ;D

Title: Re: Egg eating
Post by: exmoorlady on May 28, 2009, 10:22:23 am

When we lived in gloucestershire we had aterrible problem with crows stealing our chicken eggs. We couldn't understand why they were not laying and then one day saw the culpritt flying out of the coop with an egg in his mouth. Our friend shot a crow and we left it on the roof of the house and had no more trouble.
It is legal to shoot magpies.

Title: Re: Egg eating
Post by: Farmer on May 29, 2009, 01:39:48 pm

Hi,
It's fair game as long as it's on YOUR land (Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981).

All birds and animals are protected by law. Certain species are classified as pests or vermin, and only these species can be legitimately shot. This can only be done by authorised persons. An authorised person is someone who has the proper permission from the land owner to control pests on that land.

Air Gun Prey.
The following pests are considered suitable for controlling using an air weapon.The UK law is 12ftlb for a rifle and 6ftlb for a pistol.

Brown Rat, Grey squirrel, Rabbit, Crow, Rook, Magpie, Jay, Wood pigeon, Collared dove, Feral pigeon, House mouse, Mink.

Not sure if the same rule applies to other vermin (MP's, Hawkers, Call Centre Workers, Tele-Sales, etc) they're probably protected by some daft EEC regulation (pity though).

Regards, Farmer

Title: Re: Egg eating
Post by: The Relic on May 29, 2009, 05:02:47 pm

is nowhere sacred from the probing eye of big brother lol CCTV Nation alright.

had the same problem so i started letting the chickens out later (9am) and usually they have all layed by then so when mr magpie comes a knockin he gets a nothin. love to watch them land in the coop and i swear when they come out you can see the disappointment on their faces.