They may be very intelligent birds...but they are an extreme nuisance on the farm! They eat almost anything, but two thirds of their diet comes from vegetables and plants...primarily corn.
Hmmm...do you see the problem?
After the corn harvest, it's common to see huge flocks of crows converging on the cornfields, pecking away at corn that's been left in the field. When manure has been spread, guess who comes to scavenge? And what is the attraction of an ag bag like this? How do the crows know that they're filled with corn silage? They really must be intelligent.
So...we are left with the dilemma of trying to figure out how to keep the crows away from the bag. If they poke holes in the bag...and they will...the silage will spoil. The bag must remain air tight until it's transferred to the silo. And if they get a taste of that corn silage, they will be back for more!
To try to keep the crows away, Jim put up several owls on posts around the ag bag. The owls are hollow inside, and sit on top of metal or wooden posts. When the wind blows, they move a bit, which makes them look more life like...
We also put a couple of old hoses on top of the bag, and fastened them down with ag bag tape. Don't they look a little bit like snakes?
So far this year, we've been lucky. Although we've spotted them nearby, they haven't yet done any damage. I checked out the bag when I took these pictures this morning, and it still looks untouched.
The bag will probably be transferred to the silo soon, and this particular battle will be over. You can bet though...the crows will be hanging around when the transfer happens, looking for any silage that's spilled.
Anything for a free meal!
We don't see many crows around here and I'm not really sure why. I hope your efforts to keep them away from your precious grain are successful!
ReplyDeleteI know exactly how annoying and destructive the crows are. We finally stopped planting corn for that reason and add to that raccoons. We had huge fields of corn and had a big plastic bird of pray floating on a long cord in the air and it wasn't long until they figured out that they was artificial and they would resume damaging the corn by opening every ear of corn and eating on the top and moving to the next causing them to rot.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your technique.
Hugs,
JB
how do you transfer the bag to the silo? do you have a chopper that loads it and blows it? those bags came about after i had left wisconsin so never got to see the process. and they don't use 'em in texas for beefers.
ReplyDeleteI had a great idea for those "scare owls." A clever inventor could rig them up so they spin and have motion detectors. Then outfit them with some kind of stun gun which would shoot at anything that moved nearby. They could discourage pigeons on roofs, robins in cherry trees and crows on silage pits. Problem is--somebody's kid would get hurt and then there would be litigation. Makes me wonder how we still get away with electric fences to keep cows where they belong. Oh well--have a good day.
ReplyDeleteI like your ideas! But you're right...it's a crazy world we live in. If the electric fences go, everyone will just have to put up with cow patties in their front yards, I guess!
DeleteI'm glad your efforts are thwarting the crows this year! :)
ReplyDeleteMy nuisance birds are Curve-billed Thrashers, they eat the garden, the fruit off the trees, the cat food and have been sitting in the rafters of the carport pooping on hubby's truck.
I hope those owls work!
ReplyDeleteReminds me of when dad put up the propane gun to keep the deer and every other animal in the country out of our sweet corn. It would only work for a few days and then they would get used to it. He did have better luck with it keeping the ducks off of the corn piles. Probably because that was around hunting season. Good luck with those darn crows.
ReplyDeleteI really like those owls. Not to mention the hose snake is a good idea too.
ReplyDeleteThe crows can strip a whole pecan tree in no time. We have a few that will come in and roost here but not the whole flocks I see flying over starting in September.
I run around like a crazy woman in the spring when I see them sneaking in to rob nests. I am pretty good with a rock.
I hope they stay far away.
I'm not a fan of crows!!! And they are SMART! What I don't like about them is their huge desire to peck out the eyes of new born animals. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.
ReplyDeleteLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
The owls look great, but I wonder when the crows will work it out. Hopefully not before you move it. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteLove your owls! Amazing how wild animals like the farm for a quick meal.
ReplyDeleteI am JUST NOW getting to this story, on Saturday night... I love learning things like this about your farm!
ReplyDeleteHope this works for you and keeps those darn crows away, we don't have a problem with crows but the deer that get in the end of the bag.
ReplyDelete