Grass seed and birds

[sussexbaker]

Hi all

Having finally reclaimed a chunk of my garden I'm intending to seed it, but my worry is keeping the birds off. The field over the road has just been sown and it's currently covered in pigeons and my neighbour's chickens, and I don't want the same thing happening to my grass seed. I've planted ~20 children's windmills in the area but there's been plenty of birds coming to visit it anyway, so does anyone have suggestions for what to use? I was thinking about one of those spinning fake hawks.

Thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

How big is the chunk? Can you not net it? You could even prop the net up on those windmills

 

[sussexbaker]

How big is the chunk? Can you not net it? You could even prop the net up on those windmills

It's an awkward shape, my garden has a double dog leg on the left hand side. The patch starts in the bottom right corner, curves around the bottom and then up the right hand side, and then expands out to occupy about a third of the 'bottom' section of garden and the whole width of the 'top' section of garden. I have just ordered 10mx5m of netting for my goosebury and black current bushes, but I'd need a lot lot more to cover the area that's going to get grass seed on it.

 

[pargyle]

It's an awkward shape, my garden has a double dog leg on the left hand side. The patch starts in the bottom right corner, curves around the bottom and then up the right hand side, and then expands out to occupy about a third of the 'bottom' section of garden and the whole width of the 'top' section of garden. I have just ordered 10mx5m of netting for my goosebury and black current bushes, but I'd need a lot lot more to cover the area that's going to get grass seed on it.

The traditional way was pegs and cotton ... set on squares of about 9" centres - it won't stop the little birds (but they are not the main culprits) but it will stop the pigeons and crows which will decimate the seed. They try and land and then feel the cotton on their wings and away they go. You can also hang bits of silver foil over the cotton as that tends to distract the smaller birds.

 

[sussexbaker]

The traditional way was pegs and cotton ... set on squares of about 9" centres - it won't stop the little birds (but they are not the main culprits) but it will stop the pigeons and crows which will decimate the seed. They try and land and then feel the cotton on their wings and away they go. You can also hang bits of silver foil over the cotton as that tends to distract the smaller birds.

Ah that's interesting idea. I'll give that a go. My wife has just got into sowing so I'll get her to get me a load of cotton.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hi all

Having finally reclaimed a chunk of my garden I'm intending to seed it, but my worry is keeping the birds off. The field over the road has just been sown and it's currently covered in pigeons and my neighbour's chickens, and I don't want the same thing happening to my grass seed. I've planted ~20 children's windmills in the area but there's been plenty of birds coming to visit it anyway, so does anyone have suggestions for what to use? I was thinking about one of those spinning fake hawks.

Thanks

Get hold of some commercial seed which is treated with a product that makes birds thirsty so they clear off elsewhere to find a drink. Farmers and groundsmen don't have the luxury of excluding birds on multi acre sites.

 

[sussexbaker]

Get hold of some commercial seed which is treated with a product that makes birds thirsty so they clear off elsewhere to find a drink. Farmers and groundsmen don't have the luxury of excluding birds on multi acre sites.

Interestingly enough the field opposite me is a carpet of pigeons, I believe it's Spring Barley that's just been sown. I've already got the seed, no mention of it being repellent to birds though.

 

[Edwardking]

In the USA seed is covered in a gel and sprayed on the area using a hose - a much more efficient way of seeding - it's almost impossible to buy rolled turf like in the UK. The gel contains nutrients and a water store that absorbs more water as you water it. It's only a matter of time before it becomes available in the UK, and then it'll quickly become the norm. Sorry, but I can't help you with today's problem.

 

[dexter's shed]

do you get over essex way all all ?
Im a pest controller, sure I could sort you out some pigeon netting, it's all big offcuts 20x20 nets, but easy to join