The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Wildlife => Topic started by: Womble on June 03, 2016, 09:57:37 am
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Rooks! I've never seen so many! Perhaps 25 this morning around our creep feeder, and three times that number around our neighbour's.
I thought for a while they were eating duck eggs, but that turned out to be one of the hens. So, apart from eating expensive creep, are they actually going to do me any harm? If so, is there anything I can do to deter them?
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They won't eat your eggs, kill your chicks or peck your lamb's eyes out, but they will eat your hen food, sown seeds, leatherjackets, wireworm etc.
You can even eat the half-grown chicks if you feel so inclined!
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Rooks! I've never seen so many! Perhaps 25 this morning around our creep feeder, and three times that number around our neighbour's.
I thought for a while they were eating duck eggs, but that turned out to be one of the hens. So, apart from eating expensive creep, are they actually going to do me any harm? If so, is there anything I can do to deter them?
I had one stealing my hens eggs not long ago, I think an air rifle is in mind? They do need to be kept under control, shooting some of them may deter the others.
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Rooks! I've never seen so many! Perhaps 25 this morning around our creep feeder, and three times that number around our neighbour's.
I thought for a while they were eating duck eggs, but that turned out to be one of the hens. So, apart from eating expensive creep, are they actually going to do me any harm? If so, is there anything I can do to deter them?
I had one stealing my hens eggs not long ago, I think an air rifle is in mind? They do need to be kept under control, shooting some of them may deter the others.
a rook? not a crow?
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yup. I watched it go into the house snatch an egg in its foot, fly into the next field and then a few mins later was back again; It really makes my blood boil! I took steps to deter it though and since then no egg snatching. :)
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My dad's explanation of the difference between crows and rooks. " If you see a flock of crows they're rooks, if you see a rook on it's own it's a crow. "
You rarely see a rook around habitation, they are birds of the fields.
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We have a rookery in next doors garden. Recently my son was reported for shooting rooks in the rookery and the Wildlife Officer came round. In actual fact my son was shooting on our land and our neighbour must have seen the rooks take off so made 5 from 2 and 2. The Officer was quite happy when I explained it was on our land and that they were a pest.
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rooks have large white beaks, they don't seem to be bothered by us. A crow was hanging around too, but eating the food. I saw them both at different times steal eggs, those long beaks give me the shudders. I put hens in their runs closing off all exits and move them around now so no egg stealing now. I am curious why you're creep feeding now though [member=2128]Womble[/member] ???
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Rooks will happily peck out newborn lambs' eyes, tongue, anus and umbilicus. They will steal the eggs from wild birds nests and kill chicks and ducklings. Ditto ravens, magpies, jackdaws and crows.
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Are you sure that's also true of Rooks, Marches Farmer? I have to say I haven't seen any of them bothering the lambs yet, just stealing their food.
I could shoot them if I wanted to, and whilst that might stop them from visiting our fields, I doubt I would be able to make any real dent in their numbers (need a ladder trap for that I think). That's the reason for the question really - if they're not doing any harm, I'll let them be.
As for the food question [member=42855]waterbuffalofarmer[/member] , we have several pet lambs in a field on their own, so we have been giving them a bit of creep just because really! I read you get more yield by kg by creep feeding when young, rather than old, but as with all things smallholding, I'm happy to be corrected!
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Are you sure that's also true of Rooks, Marches Farmer? I have to say I haven't seen any of them bothering the lambs yet, just stealing their food.
I could shoot them if I wanted to, and whilst that might stop them from visiting our fields, I doubt I would be able to make any real dent in their numbers (need a ladder trap for that I think). That's the reason for the question really - if they're not doing any harm, I'll let them be.
As for the food question [member=42855]waterbuffalofarmer[/member] , we have several pet lambs in a field on their own, so we have been giving them a bit of creep just because really! I read you get more yield by kg by creep feeding when young, rather than old, but as with all things smallholding, I'm happy to be corrected!
No you're right there, the creep helps them to grow faster and it is better when young because they're growing fast and it pushes them more and adds proteins which their bodies need, especially pet lambs. As they get older they are growing slower. I think its about a year and a half when they are slowly growing? I could be wrong ???
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I would always feed bottle-reared lambs some creep, to give them the protein they don't get from the milk when we wean them - usually much earlier than their own mother would do.
We don't see rooks taking eggs nor bothering lambs here, either. Magpies are our worst egg thieves, and the lamb eye peckers are always crows.
Loads of crows in our sort of country, though - maybe rooks get more cheeky if there aren't many resident crows?
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Ah need tae git the bird ID book oot and learn tae tell the difference between a' thae big black burds ::)
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Rook has big white bit on top of beak.
Jackdaw is smaller, and has grey collar at back of neck.
Rooks and jackdaws live in groups - often both rooks and jackdaws together. Crows do not flock.
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[member=13]Rosemary[/member] , Try here! :-) (http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/schoolswatch/schoolbirds/tellingbirdsapart/crows.aspx)
I've never actually seen a crow on our land. Maybe they go somewhere else to get away from all the rooks!
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Only problem with the rooks is in newly sown grass and in cereals when ripe
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Well..... I shot one yesterday morning and none have been back since.
This may well be because they have been replaced by a giant flock of creep eating starlings! :roflanim:
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awwwww poor [member=2128]Womble[/member] no sooner one pest goes away another takes its place, the only answer may be shooting am afraid. Problem comes when you have a rare bird species targeting the food :innocent: