Knowledge is power

[Tommyfecky]

Is there any solid information on what kind of damage pigeons actually inflict on crops (laid barley/wheat)

e.g.unchecked per day per one hundred birds A farmer asked me recently and I was was really only speculating.... I'd love to have been more in tune.

[High velocity]

Is there any solid information on what kind of damage pigeons actually inflict on crops (laid barley/wheat)

e.g.unchecked per day per one hundred birds A farmer asked me recently and I was was really only speculating.... I'd love to have been more in tune.

Morning Tommy,

 

There was a field accross the road from my mums last year that had been sown with Rape, about 20 acres, it was stripped virtually bare by pigeons. looking over from an upstairs window all you could see was a mass of grey. The farmer didnt even bother to harvest, he just ploughed it in, to say there were hundreds i think was a bit of an understatement. This year there are spuds in it. Shame could have had a bit more shooting.

I did read somewere some time ago about the estimated loss to farmers due to pests such as pigeons and rabbits but cant remember were i read it.

It runs into millions of pounds.

I am sure if i remember correctly that a single pigeon can hold in its crop about 4oz of grain, x that by a few hundred and it mounts up to a fair few sacks of profit. and thats only 1 day.

[badsworth]

Cannot tell you about pigeons - but for rabbits it is 140 million per year to agriculture alone. If you can find a combined figure then subtract the 140M then 'Robert is your Aunt's brother'.....as they say!

 

Badsworth

[pigeon master]

Archie Coats books states a 100 bird flock will eat about 500/600 pounds of grain a month, not sure if its true but I'm sure he sat there a few times thinking about it.

 

The PM

[lurcherboy]

Check out the NFU site for the information.

 

Good luck.

 

 

LB

[Ears]

Archie Coates book tells you the approx amount of weight of grain a pigeon will eat in a day, but i cannot remember what it is, I will have to look at the book ( I think it is 80 grams per bird, but I still need to check unless one of or fellow members knows.)

[rjimmer]

A rape crop is not damaged by pigeons, so they say, before the end of January. After that they need to be kept away. Before that they might even benefit the crop, just like a flock of sheep on winter wheat!

[webber]

Im reasonably sure that the amount of food that a wood pigeon consumes is 5 0z per day.

 

webber

[scolopax]

A bit of quick arithmetic, how much is wheat a ton? I would guess £60 max.

 

That works out at 2.7 p per pound.

 

At 5 oz per bird per day that's less than a penny a bird.

 

So you could feed a flock of 100 woodies for a month on about the cost of a case of cartridges.

[badsworth]

And why should a farmer feed a flock of woodies?

[ProteuS]

6 rabbits graze the same as 1 sheep according to an article i read.

 

unfortunatley i dont know figures for pigeons

[Fisherman Mike]

Ive seen 3000 plus woodies level a 10 acre pea field in a week back in the mid 70,s Like bloody locusts they were. Some we shot had difficulty getting into the air after gorging. Mind you it was bloody cold, even the field fares could be picked off the ground early morning and we had no less than 13 Blue tits taking refuge in a letter box at the end of our road.

 

On my best rough shoot the rabbits do more harm by burrowing the pasture and into the root complex of some of the large beech trees on the escarpment, thus weekening their hold on the thin limestone soil and bringing them down in the high winds.

 

One of my friends lost a very good mare whose hoove was caught in a burrow and badly broke the leg.

 

FM.

[Yorkshire Pudding]

A rape crop is not damaged by pigeons, so they say, before the end of January. After that they need to be kept away. Before that they might even benefit the crop, just like a flock of sheep on winter wheat!

 

Spot on rjimmer

Although i may question your timing

 

This is going to come as a shock to a lot of folks . BUT PIGEONS ON RAPE DO A LOT OF GOOD . They thin the crop out . Which inturn makes whats remaining more productive . Next time you folks are out and about (you'll have to be quick with this ) Look at one of the farmers rapes plants in his field , then find one on the road side .

 

 

all the best yis yp

Edited July 16, 2005 by Yorkshire Pudding

[Gemini]

I think that any member of this government who read this post may well be of the opinion that pigeon shooting was totally unnecessary, and therefore could be done away with.

G.M.

[Cranfield]

The fact they do no great harm to early rape, is well known.

However, they can ruin a field ,if they hit it mid growth.

 

Pigeons cause extensive damage to most agricultural crops, at some time in the year

 

It is not feasible and would not be an efficient means of control, to only shoot pigeons when and where, they are causing damage.

The opportunity has to be taken when it presents itself.

Which is why we shoot them in "no damage" circumstances, like stubbles, clover and roost shooting.

 

Its called vermin control.

 

The lobby for a Season for pigeon shooting, is what will put our shooting at risk.

[Country Boy]

"pigeons do alot of good to oilseed rape crops"

Unfortunately, for Mr.Farmer, pigeons do not eat this crop uniformly and, fortunately for us, they usually over indulge.

 

At the present they are gorging on bilberries here in Yorkshire.

Anyone visiting Ilkley Moor (b'aht 'at) this next few days can witness, just a mere 500yds inland from the 'Cow and Calf' rocks, literally, thousands of woodpigeons on the bilberries

and there are no arable fields for 35miles or more!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't think you can shoot there though, check with Stirky.

Edited July 17, 2005 by Country Boy