Dang Crows

[Anonymous-0]

Just curious about how you fellows with large corn crops keep them durn Crows from pulling up the 3 or 4 inch corn plants and eating the corn seed.Years ago I could buy creasote and soak the seeds in that but can't find it around here anymore.

 

[Anonymous-0]

That must be a learned behavior, never seen that around here, corn is still a big crop in the area too. Crows are one of the most intelligent birds known if I'm not mistaken.

 

[RayP(MI)]

When I was a kid, we used a product called "Crow Tox". Mixed a small amount with a bunch of seed in a large bowl, then mixed that with rest of seed. Was a black liquid, and may have well been related to creasote - sure smelled bad. Seemed to keep the crows at bay. Donno what you could use today.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Had that happen once a while ago.

Next couple years I bought "treated" seed from Agway, they pulled up a couple and spit 'em out.

Ever since I haven't had a problem, even though I've since switched back to non-treated seeds (co-op I usually go to doesn't carry them). Not sure what you can do for this year -- scarecrows, maybe a floating row cover (Remay Cloth) till they get a bit bigger?

But next year might see if you can find that treated seed. If it is learned, maybe that explains why they haven't bothered me since?

 

[IaGary]

All of my seed is treated with Crusier, Poncho or some other insecticide.

Maybe that would take care of your problem.

I have trouble with geese and turkeys here.

Turkeys dig up the seed and geese eat off the seedlings.

 

[Fergienewbee]

About an ounce and an eighth of # 7-1/2 shot or a ".22 lead injection" works great.

Larry in Michigan

 

[Anonymous-0]

They are relentless if they're nesting in nearby water, close to your field. Last year they nipped off the tops of the 3" tall corn in this field, still came in fine, but other birds got 50% of the yield from what was still on the cob by the time the combine got to it anyway, can't win, first the squirrels and things will get the 1st,2nd,3rd outside rows, then if you pick too late the birds will eventually get it right off the cob, if it's dry in late sept and you can pick soon, your ok, but wait til late Oct. into Nov., then they get their cut, the longer it stands, the more they get. It seems like that happens more frequently now than it did in years back, maybe more so on the smaller isolated fields like this one, definitely a challenge to get your harvest at the end.

You can see at the bottom of the photo where the geese have trimmed some oats off, though I've been able to keep em out by being persistent in rattl'n their respective cages, with some early morning warning shots, etc. Then they walk over with the young, so if you do laps around the field, round the fuzzballs up into a bucket, and immediately deport same back into nearby water, the other now agitated adults are sure to follow when they start squawkin, then yer good for maybe a week, more you stress em out the longer they stay away. Now if you want the adults to move faster, like double time, hold a young one up and AWAY from you (so you don't get sh$t on) and broadcast that noise they make, speeds em up a bit, cause they are spiteful too I have seen em nipping the plants even while being shoe'd away on the run, have to speed em up to stop the carnage, this field would have been a mess if not kept out.

 

[IaGary]

I have found that a shotgun keeps them away after about 3 scares also.

But then they try another field.

Gary

 

[Anonymous-0]

I started with .22's, bottle rockets, but when I used the 12 ga., with just regular rounds, they kept out quite a bit longer, though they're still winning the war, keeping 40 acres from being used that is adjacent to the water, due to their grazing. It was a nice hay crop planted in '03, got some nice timothy hay off it for 2 years, but soon after they grazed it off, was left idle, now some giant invasive grass has taken over, that I can't ever recall seeing here, it's spreading to our place now too, the geese can cause some serious problems.

 

[730 virgil]

friend tells of turkeys following corn planter as he was planting corn. he took to carrying shotgun
on tractor when planting fields out of view from road.
they had turkey dinner several times that year.

 

[hay]

ya can't do it on large crops, but in the home garden, i plant and sprinkle blood meal on top and when sprouted, i water with a fish fertilizer solution. i let it sit a few days and really stinks and then water the new plants and it keeps anything away.

 

[keh]

Geese are rats with feathers.

KEH

 

[Anonymous-0]

Rats are friendlier and more beneficial to society.

 

[Rootsy]

The rats w/ wings have been eating the field corn for a few weeks now and the deer have found the garden... Time to go hunting... Break out the block permits...

 

[Anonymous-0]

I remember seeing that seed treatment has the effect of teaching the crows to aaoid a field for a number of years - they learn it's a bad place to eat!