Topic: do birds eat brussels sprouts leaves?

[jemmachan]

I put in Brussels sprouts plants at  the weekend. Yesterday they had been mostly eaten by something. The lady who gave them to me said birds like Brussels sprouts. I had assumed she meant the actual sprouty bit, not the whole plant. I was planning to net them once they started sprouting. Should I have netted them from the word go?

Jemma

[quizzical1]

Probably the accursed "sky rats" aka pigeons, and yes it would have been a good idea to net them as soon as planted.
Pigeons will attack any young brassicas, so if you have them (quite likely) in your area, then I would always advise netting. Not sure whether it's just pigeons though, but I think they are probably the main culprit.

[saddad]

yes as Quizz says sky rats...

[Jeannine]

Jemma, the rotten little devils sit on our bean fence watching us put them in, they are hoping we won't net...wrong,the first year we didn't and they were just skeletons the next morning.XX Jeannine

[saddad]

This year the B******s have even been pulling the tops out of my peas!
 >:(

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

i'm not convinced they actually Eat them, they just pull bits off in some kind of courtship ritual, the filthy beasts

[asbean]

Yes, definitely pigeons.  We have the same problem, I've just had my nine bravehearts reduced to skeletons.  They love peas too  >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

[kitten]

Oh god, i didn't cover the cabbages my sis & I put out on Sunday, i'm guessing by the time we get back there (probably the weekend) they'll be the skeletons formerly known as cabbages  ::)

Oh well, netting it is then, wilko's here i come  ;D

[Uncle Joshua]

As everyone else said it will be sky rats who indeed do eat them, I now net most of my plot.

I read on here about it being sad to net an allotment (sorry forgot the chaps name) and it is but I'd sooner have netting and crops than spending all that time working to have no end product, where I am we also have to fence the whole plot  because of rabbits, it doesn't look good but its part of life when your an allotmenter.

[jemmachan]

I read on here about it being sad to net an allotment (sorry forgot the chaps name) and it is

Why is it sad to net an allotment? Am I missing out on an important yet subtle piece of allotment etiquette? It just seemed sensible to me. I've netted my spinach and carrot babies. Do I need to rush there now and take down the nets before I'm ostracised from my allotment group and run out of town?  ;)

Grrrr those pigeons. It's bad enough that they wake me up every blinking morning at 5.10am. Now they're eating up my Brussels sprouts. I feel like they're ganging up on me. Are they out to get me? Is it a big pigeon conspiracy?

[Susiebelle]

they did mine and I even had them netted. >:( The little darlin's decided that my raised beds were just right for landing on and reaching right into the bed for an easy meal, I had to re-gig the whole lot  :'(

[gruesome]

They certainly do eat them, have shot many pigeon over the years their crops are full of them.