kennett Posted August 10, 2016 Report Share Posted August 10, 2016 Any (legal) top tips on stopping tawnies killing poults? It's a big woodland pen so can't be netted unfortunately Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted August 10, 2016 Report Share Posted August 10, 2016 Do you think that the Tawnies would take dead poults left out for them in obvious positions or don't they eat carrion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted August 10, 2016 Report Share Posted August 10, 2016 I would doubt they take dead poults, in the past when they have bothered me just take the heads of the birds and don't even attempt to eat any off them. Must admit don't think i've ever seen a tawny killl where its actually ate some of the bird We were losing birds in Mid sept to tawnies so fully grown, just taking them off the roosting trees and find them headless at the bottom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted August 10, 2016 Report Share Posted August 10, 2016 (edited) Sometimes you just have to factor in losses to raptors, put your hand in your pocket and buy a few more poults to start with. I have a radio on all night and a series of solar night lights around the pen. Do not know how much it helps but we only see one or two dead poults lost obviously to Tawny owls most years, and like most woods, ours seems full of them wheh it gets dark. If they happen at all we generaly get the kills in the first day or two and after that nothing. Edited August 10, 2016 by scolopax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted August 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 Generally put up with a few but for some reason this year is worse than ever! Hopefully when they wise up a bit we will loose less Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanD Posted August 16, 2016 Report Share Posted August 16, 2016 We always lose a few to tawny owls and buzzards, owls never eat the poult just the head missing,, buzzards just kill them, suspect young raptors learning their trade. I've strung loads of old CDs from tress in the pen and the loses to both have stopped, don't know if the CDs have worked or just coincidence but not much you can do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted August 16, 2016 Report Share Posted August 16, 2016 Get a couple of flashing strobe road works lights. (legally)! Hang them over the pen on a long swinging cord. Wind keeps the light moving around in an unpredictable fashion. Poults are not worried by it. Disorientates the owls. Worked for us as and we have many tawnies in the area - I am glad to say. We now have them hung over each pen and some others over the surrounding area. Good luck. The young owls seem to practice their hunting skills on the poults. Kill them but rarely eat them. Just the heads sometimes removed - until the crows get there the next morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted August 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2016 Thanks for all the ideas everybody. In the end I went for a few flashing roadwork lights and strip lights connected up to the electric fence that flash on and off. No kills for the last 5 nights so hopefully all sorted. Just the million other chances for them to kill themselves now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted August 17, 2016 Report Share Posted August 17, 2016 PS - Move the flashing lights around now and again. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Kelly Posted August 17, 2016 Report Share Posted August 17, 2016 Someone will call the police thinking there's a silent rave going on with all those flashing lights! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted August 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2016 Will do grandalf. Haha even confused myself the first night we went out foxing, thought someone was nicking my poults! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guzzicat Posted August 19, 2016 Report Share Posted August 19, 2016 I bought red cycle strobe lights ( from China via E/Bay) for 99p each post free ,I use them to keep Geese off stubble coupled with a 30"balloon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted August 19, 2016 Report Share Posted August 19, 2016 Most of us would like to get the geese on the stubble... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted August 20, 2016 Report Share Posted August 20, 2016 I find it difficult to understand at times that some shooters actually moan when they put into the wild, fresh food supplies for BOP, then find it a pain when they loose a few. Just accept that a few will be lost through "natural predation" Put more down if you're loosing the amount that will not give you the expected bird days. Of course you could always try and change the habit of BOP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted August 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2016 Why would I not moan? Throwing away a bag of £3.30s, minus their heads when I have worked hard to get everything right for them in depressing. We are only a small farm shoot and it is already expensive enough to run, without feeding every bop withing 10 miles, they survive all year without them so I will try all the legal ways you deter them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 Kennetc your frustration is understandable but it's part of the course of what you do. Put a plentiful supply of food into the larder and it will be taken. You can never stop it from happening though unless we as countryman alter our ethics of Gamekeepering. Placing bunting, lights, or anything else to deter is all that can be done if you are unable to net it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guzzicat Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 Hi I wanted to convince them to come to one field of stubble, put strobes & balloons in the the other fields. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 Hi I wanted to convince them to come to one field of stubble, put strobes & balloons in the the other fields. Ah.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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