Topic: Do Wood Pigeons eat spinach, beetroot or swiss chard?

[George the Pigman]

On our allotment we have fought a long battle against wood pigeons. Our brassicas have to be netted all the year round otherwise they get eaten by them. However I get the impression that they do not like spinach, beetroot or swiss chard.
Has anyone any experience of them eating this sort of veg?
It's important as I am about to put some of these plants out that I have grown from seed!

[non-stick]

Never had a problem with spinach but they have had a go at my beets this year. Mind you only seems to be a trouble with the young stuff.

For the first year I've been having trouble with some of the lettuce too - they normally leave that alone

[RenishawPhil]

Our beetroot seem safe.we have to cover our brassicas to

[George the Pigman]

I never heard of them having a go at lettuce but they eat the tendrils off my peas - but strangely not the pods?
The (admittedly old) text book says they only eat brassicas etc in the winter when there are no other food sources but of course since they can't read they haven't read the text book!! :D

[zigzig]

Mostly they like cauli cabbage and will eat kale.

However, they are adaptable creatures and if what they like best is not there. Then they will resort to plan 'B'

COVER WHAT YOU CAN AGAINST NATURE............yOU WONT WIN

[InfraDig]

I'm not sure about wood pigeons, but sparrows certainly do!

[Urlybird]

Wood pigeon taste nice casseroled in a red wine sauce

hth

 ;)

[Russell]

I have always thought that the right place for a wood pigeon is under a pie crust but old fogies must be ready to try new ideas: I will give red wine sauce a go.

[green lily]

Sparrows eat the young beet tops once the covering crop of radish are removed. My friendly local pigeons definitely strip spinach beet/chard last winter but I've large crisp lettuce uncovered+untouched. They stripped the leaves and flowers from the peas until I covered them.
The only place for pigeons and rabbits is in the pot.My grandson is stopping over for a week + air rifle..... :-X

[PeterVV]

Sparrows etc eat my beetroot, peas earlier this year, now that there is more food about, they seem to be behaving better...time to re-plant...

[Ellen K]

This year I've seen the woodpigeons eating beetroot and chard leaves on our site.  Plus lettuce and swede tops.  Everyone has had to net loads more stuff but they just sit on the netting and peck though.  Your whole plot needs to be under a cage this year.

[.]

    pigeon

[shirlton]

The only things uncovered on our plot are parsnips beetroot. potatoes. turnips,squashand mixed lettuce. Everything else has to be protected from Foxes, pigeons, magpies and squirells. It would be lovely to see it all growing without all  the barbed wire ;D

[torquil]

wood pigeons on our site have eaten dwarf french beans spinach beetroot peas etc.we have a theory there is nothing in the fields for them  to eat with all this lack of rainso guess were they go. >:( >:(

[Melbourne12]

We have a lot of problems with pigeons, and we net brassicas and peas and of course fruit.  They'll take almost any young tender seedlings, but once established we find that spinach and root veg are left alone.  We don't grow chard, but I observe that neighbouring plotholders who do grow it haven't netted it.

So I think that you'll be OK.  Don't forget the slug pellets, though.