our garden is always full of birds (OH is a twitcher) we have several feeders up. I havent needed to net anything on my veggie plot. My theory is that we supply enough food for the pigeons that they havent touched my broccoli and cauli and cabbage YET :o (they've only been growing for about 6wks) we have a resident pair of pigeons and collared doves!
My allotment neighbour told me, if pigeons never come to your plot, they won't start just because of the brassicas, but if you suffer with pigeon damage, you always will! Touching wood and tempting fate, even though I net things, I do so only loosely, and I have more problems with caterpillars and slugs than pigeons. Maybe you are lucky.
I unwittingly made a lovely perch for doves and pigeons on my plot when I built a leaf mould bin. Now they sit there in serried ranks waiting for me to plant sommat ;D
Pidgons and Magpies down lottie wait in the hawthone trees and wait untill I have gone to see what they can have.
So most things are grown at home.
They have dust baths I dont mind they have to get rid of lice somehow. but they find the seed and eat it.
When I plant out plants they dont bother so swings and roundabouts.