Bird Problem

[Dega Moo]

I got a problem with birds. I have a truck load of DDG on the floor of an open air barn and many many thousands of starlings. The DDG pile is covered with one of those blue, woven plastic tarps, only the tarp now looks like a lace doilie from the birds picking at it. I have a barn of horse hay and the hay is covered in bird droppings. The barn floors are now covered with one to three inches of bird droppings. My cowboy tells me the birds are now eating more of the DDG than the cows. I've had folks suggest a propane cannon, cats - lots of cats, and shotguns.

Has anyone else had this kind of problem and found a solution?

Thanks,
DM

 

[Backbone Ranch]

I have not encountered this, but a 40 years ago we had a pigeon problem. They were roosting in our hay barn. Shotguns apparently cleaned them out pretty fast.

 

[Bigfoot]

I am experiencing the same thing. My bulk feed is in a gravity wagon, and covered, but they are doing everything they can to get to it. Poop all over my horse hay as well. I assume when the ice and snow melts they move along.

 

[plumber_greg]

Just yesterday I got via UPS a $229 starling distress call that's gauaranteed to get rid of them or my money back. Any warranty is only as good as the company. Set it up last night, scared the heck out of my dog snoop.
I told my wife I would pay $5,000 for something that worked. I'll let you know what happens. The trouble with them is they won't necessarily leave after the snow and ice is gone if there's still food available and water close by. Never seen such a mess, I hate those birds. I'm gonna' have to power wash my barn and chicken house when they leave. I raise quail and phesants laso, afraid of what disease they may have brought.
My closest neighbor is Sara, 1'/2 mile away, hope she gets them when they leave my place. Supposed to take a couple of days for them to leave, I'll let you know if it works. Have several customers that have them year around, they are watching to see if it works also. gs

 

[Dega Moo]

Just yesterday I got via UPS a $229 starling distress call that's gauaranteed to get rid of them or my money back. Any warranty is only as good as the company. Set it up last night, scared the heck out of my dog snoop.
I told my wife I would pay $5,000 for something that worked. I'll let you know what happens. The trouble with them is they won't necessarily leave after the snow and ice is gone if there's still food available and water close by. Never seen such a mess, I hate those birds. I'm gonna' have to power wash my barn and chicken house when they leave. I raise quail and phesants laso, afraid of what disease they may have brought.
My closest neighbor is Sara, 1'/2 mile away, hope she gets them when they leave my place. Supposed to take a couple of days for them to leave, I'll let you know if it works. Have several customers that have them year around, they are watching to see if it works also. gs

:lol: Thanks for the laugh first thing in the morning! I really hope it works.

 

[Jake]

If you catch them roosted up in the trees a couple of guys with shotguns will do a trick if you can get a couple hundred of them killed all in one go.

 

[Lucky_P]

Got the exact same problem here right now. Bird shyte everywhere, holes pecked in the tarp. Haven't come up with a good solution yet.

 

[M.Magis]

I know once they make it here, they stay until some time in June. I haven't found a solution yet either.

 

[Jogeephus]

My chickens will peck through anything if its on top of food. Why not try hanging some shade cloth from the ceiling like a curtain. They won't be able to peck through it this way and it will impede some of their ability to get to the food.

 

[Dega Moo]

Oh wow. I just searched for Starling predators and got to a web page that was going to tell me how to control my bird problem in 10 easy steps. Step one suggested I wrap and cover all fruit and berries and other food sources. Showed a drawing of berries, on a bush, individually wrapped with cloth or paper. Huh? Okay maybe it gets better - next page is an advertisement for the top hemorrhoid treatments. I guess one pain in the butt leads to another. How appropriate.

 

[jerry27150]

you might put out some feeders with rat dope

 

[greybeard]

I have some cats extra--culled from my cat/rat ranch endeavor............

 

[cow pollinater]

Plastic snakes and/or owls are an immediate fix but won't last long unless you go move them around daily.
The quality distress calls are worth it but the cheap ones are a waste of money.
Flash tape works fairly well but starlings tend to get over it fairly quickly.
Trapping can really cut them down for future years. It could help this year if you set traps nearby and then put a bunch of pressure on them at your site to drive them to the traps.

 

[plumber_greg]

This morning, no starlings. Tonight at chore time, no starlings. Don 't even see any flying anywhere. Wonder how long it will last?
CP, I tried a plastic snake, they just knocked it down. No effect at all. However, if anyone has a sparrow problem, they will work. The sparrows are still around, but won't build nests where the snakes are. My wife taught me that, first thing ever.
My vet is gonna' build a 6" x 12' tall plastic pipe with a 1 1'/2 hole 1' from the top and a removable cap on the bottom. The top will be capped. His theory is they will go in there to nest and can't get out. Actually, he told me to build it for him and I ain't done it yet. Then to dump out the dead birds, take the cap off the bottom. gs

 

[highgrit]

I don't know how bad you want to get rid of them. But monofilament gill net's hung up in thethe barn will catch kill and maim birds.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I have heard if you mix amdro with bird seed it will kill birds Black Flag Dead. Problem with that is getting only the targeted problem.
Guy I know was trying to get rid of leaf cutter ants his turkeys ate the baited seed they were hauling back to the mound.
We had a health problem being created by pigeons and several employees contracted a form of meningitis.
Had a contractor come out he put out some kind of baited grain one day and spent the next two weeks picking
up dead birds.

 

[plumber_greg]

Still no starlings. Last night I set it for sparrow and starling. The sparrows will get in my chicken wire and eat the quail feed. Can't wait to see if they are gone this morning. This thing may work. gs

 

[greybeard]

Still no starlings. Last night I set it for sparrow and starling. The sparrows will get in my chicken wire and eat the quail feed. Can't wait to see if they are gone this morning. This thing may work. gs

Heard anything from Sara?

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[millstreaminn]

Still no starlings. Last night I set it for sparrow and starling. The sparrows will get in my chicken wire and eat the quail feed. Can't wait to see if they are gone this morning. This thing may work. gs

Keep us posted. I'd buy one in a heartbeat. I'm loaded with sparrows. Chitin' on all my stuff. I mixed bird seed with rat poison, didn't do a thing.

 

[plumber_greg]

All my sparrows left. Hardly saw any. Took the call down and took it to a customer of mine to see what would happen. Two days later about 50 sparows in the barn. Customer called, he said the afternoon Sara and I took it up there the sparrows were flyin'/ around acting nervous. The next morn there were none. Want to go get it back this weekend, not sure he will let me have it.
BirdXPell is the name of it, sure anyone could google it. gs