Stop the pigeon...stop the pigeon.....

[Mrs Ava]

Chewing the fat with old Jack on the plottie this morning, he was moaning about the pigeons munching his greens.  The funny thing is, his whole plot is covered in netting, almost like a gigantic fruit cage, but the pigeons, who must really be hungry, desperate or cabbage lovers, have discovered that if they sit their big fat bums on the netting, it sinks down and they can graze at the lovely young tips.  Oh Jack isn't a happy bunny.  Air rifles at dawn I fear! ;)

[Mrs Ava]

[Palustris]

Pheasants are just as good at that as pigeons. And big fat White Sussex hens are even better!

[Beer_Belly]

I had exactly the same problem with my broccoli - the pigeons would sit together on the nets until they sagged and they could reach through to the seedlings. What I've done this time is add a large (6 foot) pole in the middle to create a big-top tent type effect - takes more netting but has been effective so far.

[teresa]

I get away with vidio tape strung from 3ft canes across my lottie find if I twist tape it hums and shimmers in the breeze and pidgeons dont like this.
Still have to find a way for the catterpillers which have found the cabbages. Gardening is such fun
Eric you have White Sussex hens I am sooo green with envy they are beautiful what are their eggs like?
Teresa

[Mrs Ava]

...video tape huh....do old cd's work as well?  I am using them to keep the birds from yanking out my onions and so far so good. Also, they make good labels - I used a bamboo to mark my row, then tie a cd onto the top of the pole and write on it in permanent marker.   ;D

[Palustris]

Teresa, we now have only the one White Sussex hen, her friend and sister gave up the struggle about a week ago. The eggs are large and pale brown shelled. We also have Dark Sussex bantams. Rocky the thingyerel(sic) and wife, surviver of  4 originals. The eggs are small, but perfectly formed.
I stood and watched a pair of pigeons attacking a cabbage earlier on today. They did not even look up until I threw lumps of soil at them.
Caterpilllers are definitly not scared off by video tape and you need to be a very good shot to hit the butterflies.

[teresa]

Hi Eric
Sorry to hear of the loss of two of your Sussex hens saw a pic on the net, as I am hunting for hens, they are beautiful. What is the colour of the yoke?
Hubby and Dad are fed up with shop bought eggs, so we go to farmers markets on sundays well not much better, so next step get my own hens.
So I need a good colour yoke and a pretty hen if that is possible. Have a good size garden now to keep them at home, no one down lottie keeps hens all townies gardening me still a country girl at heart.
Have you heard of the one if you sprinkle flour onto cabbages the catterpillers eat it and burst open.
Marvelous what you find out on the net must find that page again.
Teresa

[teresa]

Hi Emma Jane
yep CD's are good suppended on string so they can twist and turn had them on the runners this year will keep all birds away they dont like it because they shimmer in the sun light birds cannot work it out.
Also on three foot canes use 2ltr pop bottles stops you haveing your eyes out and when the breeze picks up they rattle small bottles dont rattle.
Teresa

[Palustris]

Hi Teresa, the colour of egg yolk depends to a large extent on the diet of the hens, the more green stuff they eat the yellower the yolk. The best place to find out about egg size, colour and such like is the Poultry Club page and the links from there.

[Doris_Pinks]

Teresa stocking up on flour!!!  I have this vision of exploding caterpillars on my lottie now.which isn't a pretty sight!!  :) Actually the damage they did to my brassicas this year, it is a great sight!! Dotty P.

[teresa]

Oh Doris can you imagine me sive in one hand and a packet of self raising flour in the other sprinkling it all over the cabbages.
The others down the lottie think I am crazy with vidio tape and CD's never mind dusting the cabbages.
I can see the little black van and men in white coats comming heeeeeeeeeee
Teresa

[campanula]

aha....i wondered why other lottie owners have pop bottles on their canes - no-one about to ask (and didn't want to seem totally dim)

[rdak]

has anyone thought of trying out Monty Don's "potato hawk"....a potato with feathers stuck in, suspended from string to look like a bird of prey!!

[teresa]

Hi RADK
Tried the hawk on out in Milton Keynes a few years ago thought it looked good untill a pidgon hurt itself in the power lines landed on my lottie. Poor little thing could not move so ended up taking her to this house like a bird rescue place it was and giving a couple of pounds to help towards the food.
Oh well swings and roundabouts thats what gardening is all about.