[dizzykizzy]

We have 5 acres and my friend has been grazing her two horses on it over the summer. Since she took them away the crows are attacking the heavily grazed areas and literally ripping up and killing the grass. Does anyone have any idea why or what we can do to stop them please?

[Louise Gaunt]

I have sen gras torn up earlier in the year with birds getting at grubs under the surface, but I would have thought it a bit late in the season, although it might be worth turning over the top turf to look for leather jacket grubs.

[dizzykizzy]

Thank you Louise, what can we do if there are grubs?

[Fleecewife]

Thank you Louise, what can we do if there are grubs?

Let the birds get them    They won't wreck the grass and they are doing you a service, raking as well as grub removal.  There are maybe still daddylonglegs hatching from the leatherjackets so they could be eating those.  Roll it later to settle the ground back and all will be well.

[bloomer]

they are also really efficient at poo spreading anything as they are looking for any bugs feeding on the poo!!!

[dizzykizzy]

thanks for answering but they most definitely are destroying the grass, huge amounts of it
I will try and get some photos

[pgkevet]

Are you sure it's crows 'cos this time of year I get large circular areas of conjoined divots overnight from badgers hunting for grubs - and over 2-3 nights they can easily dig up a couple of acres.

For the lawn i run the mulching deck over it to break it down to fine tilth - the meadows sort themselves out over a wet winter anyway

[Stereo]

I doubt they are. They are eating bad stuff for you and adding a lot of nitrogen. Wait and see what comes back next year. Horses will do far more damage to pasture than any other creature on earth.

[Buttermilk]

Horses will do far more damage to pasture than any other creature on earth.

Having outwintered both cattle and horses on heavy clay land we found the cattle poached far more than the horses did.  I reckon it is because a cows hoof has more cutting edges than a horses, they also spent more time hanging around gateways and feeders while the horses spread around the fields nibbling grass.

Mind you our management helped the horses as they got bales of hay dropped in different areas each day and the cattle had ring feeders for haylage that were a pain to move.

[Fleecewife]

Photos would help - it's always difficult to give an accurate opinion until you see what's being discussed.

[dizzykizzy]

Been out today and not had time to take photos but I will. Definitely crows, I can see them out of the window, more than 100 at a time
We did have badgers before but the field is pretty much 100% dog proofed so I don't think they can get in now.
Ok got some photos and also had a dig, pretty sure they are Chafer grubs we have

[dizzykizzy]

disgusting creatures

[suziequeue]

So chafer grubs themselves will damage grass root systems and then when other wildlife discover a ready supply of grubs then they'll be doing just what you describe. I expect caw has gone out to every murder and parliament in the district.


Well described in this website: http://www.lawnsmith.co.uk/novice/pests-diseases-of-lawns/chafer-grub


Nemasys do a water-on chafer grub nematode but the quantity required to do a whole field my be expensive. You could try just treating the affected patches.

[shygirl]

wow, pretty amazing really

[pgkevet]

The individual clods we get ripped out (assuming badgers) are much bigger than yours with total circle sizes from yours to twice/three times the size. And they happen overnight. I'll prove it when my trail camera arrives.

But the mess they cauae here does correct itself over winter.