The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: lord flynn on May 28, 2017, 03:11:43 pm
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I have ravens stealing eggs from my hen house and raiding nests of broody ducks and my goose. The goose house is now netted-the goslings are due any day.
The ducks currently live in a large chicken coop-its not in an area conducive to penning. Its an old fashioned type coop with a pophole-so far I have put dog cages across it and covered them-made no difference and then I put a 3m cloche ( 45cm high and arranged it in an S shape) in front of it and thats made no difference either. The house is blacked out and no food is currently left outside-all the feeders are in the respective houses.
what with a badger ripping off the door to a hutch ( a really solid one) and killing my favourite duck and a nest of 20, 3 week incubated eggs I am pretty peed off. I am going to move some of the ducks to a pen out back.Anyone got any bright ideas please?
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Have you any old CDs you can hang up in nearby tree branches? They will flash in the slightest breeze and may deter them. We also had some success tying a metal coathanger to the top of a broomstick and arranging old waterproofs, with the hood up over the top of the broomstick, so that it looked like someone leaning on the gate. Whenever I went past, which was several times a day, I'd rearrange the sleeves or move the whole thing, so that they didn't become accustomed to it.
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I have used the below at my old house as magpies + crows would attack my call ducks,eat eggs etc
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/garden-supplies/grow-your-own/bird-scare-humming-line/t75891TM?source=google-prodex&gclid=CK6ekdrslNQCFQu4GwodHGwN3Q (http://www.thompson-morgan.com/garden-supplies/grow-your-own/bird-scare-humming-line/t75891TM?source=google-prodex&gclid=CK6ekdrslNQCFQu4GwodHGwN3Q)
http://www.outdoorsmansupplies.co.uk/bird-scarers.html (http://www.outdoorsmansupplies.co.uk/bird-scarers.html)
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What a horrible situation. Your ravens fly over here but so far haven't landed on our ground. Now they know you have eggs and young birds they won't be easily deterred. Ravens are so intelligent, and communicate the whereabouts of prey to each other. Watch the goslings as they're tiny when they hatch, and would make a quick meal for a raven. The parents are feisty but I don't know how they would do against a raven, or worse, two ravens.
Our Jack Russel hates big black birds and will chase any that land - but it doesn't stop them coming back. I'm sorry I can't think of any cheap solution, except the illegal one.
Good luck with the goslings. It looks as if only 2 of our 9 are female ::)
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Best thing are larson traps, we bait with eggs and that gets the egg eaters.
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Have you any old CDs you can hang up in nearby tree branches? They will flash in the slightest breeze and may deter them. We also had some success tying a metal coathanger to the top of a broomstick and arranging old waterproofs, with the hood up over the top of the broomstick, so that it looked like someone leaning on the gate. Whenever I went past, which was several times a day, I'd rearrange the sleeves or move the whole thing, so that they didn't become accustomed to it.
I have tried the Ads but to no avail, I can try the coat hanger trick though!
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I have used the below at my old house as magpies + crows would attack my call ducks,eat eggs etc
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/garden-supplies/grow-your-own/bird-scare-humming-line/t75891TM?source=google-prodex&gclid=CK6ekdrslNQCFQu4GwodHGwN3Q (http://www.thompson-morgan.com/garden-supplies/grow-your-own/bird-scare-humming-line/t75891TM?source=google-prodex&gclid=CK6ekdrslNQCFQu4GwodHGwN3Q)
http://www.outdoorsmansupplies.co.uk/bird-scarers.html (http://www.outdoorsmansupplies.co.uk/bird-scarers.html)
have ordered, thank you
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What a horrible situation. Your ravens fly over here but so far haven't landed on our ground. Now they know you have eggs and young birds they won't be easily deterred. Ravens are so intelligent, and communicate the whereabouts of prey to each other. Watch the goslings as they're tiny when they hatch, and would make a quick meal for a raven. The parents are feisty but I don't know how they would do against a raven, or worse, two ravens.
Our Jack Russel hates big black birds and will chase any that land - but it doesn't stop them coming back. I'm sorry I can't think of any cheap solution, except the illegal one.
Good luck with the goslings. It looks as if only 2 of our 9 are female ::)
yep, there's a big ravenry up at Tinto End. local farmers have been complaining about them for the last three years or so as numbers are very high. They lose lambs and one of my friends lost a calf to them.
Poor goose only has 4 eggs left :( you are right, despite their best intentions I don't think they are a match for pairs of ravens. They are now netted. Trouble with my place is there are only one or two places I can reliably net without it ending up on the Pentlands although I do routinely net ducklings and chicks-I generally move them when they are hatched.
Shame about your hatch-will keep you posted on mine.
there was a segment on ravens taking lambs up north on Landward last week.
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Best thing are larson traps, we bait with eggs and that gets the egg eaters.
my understanding is that ravens are protected.
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Best thing are larson traps, we bait with eggs and that gets the egg eaters.
my understanding is that ravens are protected.
Hmmm, not mentioned on the schedule 1 or 2 listings, i haven't seen any here (don't want to now), so haven't asked the gamekeeper. He has mentioned them, but not said they are protected. He deals with our crows etc.
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http://www.snh.gov.uk/protecting-scotlands-nature/species-licensing/bird-licensing/preventing-damage/ravens/ (http://www.snh.gov.uk/protecting-scotlands-nature/species-licensing/bird-licensing/preventing-damage/ravens/)
you need to apply for a licence. the farm in Landward were long many lambs and they were granted a licence between 5 farms to cull just 50 birds. I am not a farmer-not even a smallholder really, I just breed some birds.
don't get me wrong, they are amazing birds and I used to love to see them-they're impressive to look at and very acrobatic.
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well various tapes and hanging up some overalls seems to be working for now although in the main they seem to have moved on anyway. the ducks I want to breed from are round the back penned and the geese have three goslings (two girls and a boy I think Fleecewife). there's another egg and she does seem to still be sitting so maybe one more.
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If they do come back I wonder if the old idea of hanging a dead crow would deter them?
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well various tapes and hanging up some overalls seems to be working for now although in the main they seem to have moved on anyway. the ducks I want to breed from are round the back penned and the geese have three goslings (two girls and a goy I think Fleecewife). there's another egg and she does seem to still be sitting so maybe one more.
That's lovely. They do hatch over several days so maybe your last one will still hatch. We had two duff eggs from 11 total. The goslings eat masses and grow really rapidly. We will have to eat at least some of ours ( [member=23029]lintmill[/member] has the proper equipment and has volunteered :thumbsup: to do the deed :relief: We didn't intend to eat any but with so many males we will have to. Unless they all fly away :roflanim:
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be good to pair up what we can thoughI have a great home for a pair lined up at least-not sure I have enough room for another pair but might be persuaded (they do give my ducks a hard time and have to separate them in spring). will keep you posted on the last egg-she's sitting quite tight so fingers crossed.
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If they do come back I wonder if the old idea of hanging a dead crow would deter them?
I have tried this-one year it worked, last year and this year it didn't make any difference. they are around again this morning -not loads of them.
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In case it helps anyone - we have been struggling with Magpies pinching eggs. The latest deterent is a line of black dog poo bags with a weight in the bottom one hanging in the enclosed area of the hen run. It hangs about 12 inches off the ground and is about 6 feet long. It flaps enthusiastically on very little breeze and to date it is working. (Scares the life out of me regularly in the half light !!)
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I have had magpies and crows eat eggs in the nest boxes of the hen shed and even fly away with an egg in the beak.
When they hang around to try to do this I blow out an egg then fill the shell with hot chilli sauce or mustard and leave it in the nest box. When the culprit gets to eat the egg and gets very hot chilli or mustard it usually stops the egg thefts for a long time.
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I was watching a David Attenborough programme recently and it showed an Australian marsupial carnivore called a quoll, which is being wiped out because it's poisoned by cane toads (an introduction to control insect pests in crops - they never learn, eh). Bear with me on this one ..... They're now training the quolls not to eat the toads by capturing them, feeding them toad sausages laced with emetic then releasing them back into the wild. They're now seeing evidence the parents are teaching young quolls (quollettes?) not to eat toads. I was thinking of doing the same when the corvids have young in the nest next Spring - injecting a few sacrificial eggs with hot chilli paste and leaving them around the farmyard.
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I have often heard of the idea of filling eggs with mustard or chilli to dissuade egg-eaters, but I've also heard that birds can't taste the heat of chilli.
Maybe mustard is different.
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Shall we run an experiment - I'll try chilli and someone else could do mustard and we'll see what happens a couple of generations down the line ....?
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Shall we run an experiment - I'll try chilli and someone else could do mustard and we'll see what happens a couple of generations down the line ....?
To do a true test it would need a few doing each, the rest of us will be the 'contol' (have I got that Right? ) ?
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well in desperation I let the geese back in with the ducks-I had separated them in the spring due to the geese giving the ducks a bit of a hard time. they do chase everything out of the paddock and the ducks have learned to steer clear (there is loads of space, water and shelter etc). still waiting on ducklings but they won't be going out front anyway.
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Shall we run an experiment - I'll try chilli and someone else could do mustard and we'll see what happens a couple of generations down the line ....?
To do a true test it would need a few doing each, the rest of us will be the 'contol' (have I got that Right? ) ?
Do we need a Control? We all know the *****s pinch eggs and chicks. I wonder how long the corvids normally live? If two did chilli and two mustard for, say, two nesting seasons in a row there might be a perceptible difference in Year 3.
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Shall we run an experiment - I'll try chilli and someone else could do mustard and we'll see what happens a couple of generations down the line ....?
To do a true test it would need a few doing each, the rest of us will be the 'contol' (have I got that Right? ) ?
Do we need a Control? We all know the *****s pinch eggs and chicks. I wonder how long the corvids normally live? If two did chilli and two mustard for, say, two nesting seasons in a row there might be a perceptible difference in Year 3.
I was joking, but for some reason my smiley changed to ?
:-).
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Ah, I often feel like that too. Well, I shall try the chilli eggs next Spring and let you know how I get on.
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I have often heard of the idea of filling eggs with mustard or chilli to dissuade egg-eaters, but I've also heard that birds can't taste the heat of chilli.
It's true - they can't. I regularly give my peafowl their feed heavily laced with chilli powder as it's meant to be a remedy/preventative against blackhead. Not only do the peafowl eat it with relish :yum: but my hens and wild birds do also.
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I wonder how long the corvids normally live?
Ravens probably 20+ years in the wild. 40-70 in captivity
Crows, maybe less, at a guess
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Interesting article:
http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/ravens-are-able-to-plan-for-the-future-just-like-apes/all/ (http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/ravens-are-able-to-plan-for-the-future-just-like-apes/all/)
Could explain why some of the measures used below don't always continue to work.
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Had a pair of ravens nesting always in a tall tree and never had any problems from them. I might be wrong but I thought is was only crows and jackdaws that formed large groups in the breeding season?
A ravens call sound more like a croaky duck, and seems slower than the higher 'caw-caw' or rooks or crows.
Also chill, pepper, spiced eggs of any sort do not work as the birds do not have the correct taste receptors. But washing up liquid in a blow egg can put them off.