The Poultry Keeper

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7322 Location: isle of lewis

ok had a really strange conversation at work with somebody who breeds really love hen and is thinking of giving up keeping hens because of a seagull ,
"she says it comes every 2 days and takes a hen she's lost loads and says she would rather give up than keep them indoor i sugested something drastic and she said they are pretected "
she had been on to the rspb to see if they could do anything to help and they have said they would help with funding a shed
i thought that this sounded a bit much for a seagull .
next she said it'll start on the ducks and geese ,which i found even more puzzling as i couldn't imadgine a seagull escaping with a goose .
it turns out with her accent and my hearing that she was talking about a sea eagle ,so it looks as if she'll have to keep them indoors or more likely give up
suz

mojo · Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 9:12 pm Post subject: hi

hi suz as you know eagles are raptors and need to dive to attack usually stringing nylon cord with some type of flags or strips will break up their dive pattern.....in kenya a fella bought a lot of tiny plastic flags and strung them across the garden to stop the sea eagles taking his kittens .it worked....hope you friend can try this..............mojo

Aussie Chick · Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 9:48 pm Post subject:

Wow, they are truly amazing birds. I would have thought she could get funding for a shed with an outside run, the run would have to have weld mesh or similar on the top, this would still allow her to carry on but not have free range.

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

I agree with Belinda. I hope she can continue with them, it would be such a shame to have to give up.

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7322 Location: isle of lewis

she can get funding but she doesn't want to stop freeranging them and her hen are sortafter so she wouldn't have a problem finding them a home ,at the moment they have 50 acres to freerange in ,if it was me i;d make big pens and cover in mesh mojo i'll tell her your idea it's worth her trying ,the golden eagles have been moved on by the sea eagles Shocked

,
suz

skye girl · Joined: 27 Aug 2005 Posts: 638 Location: Isle of skye

I have netting over my pens as we have Sea Eagle's as well, you can get real big ones and if she can get funding even better, they are from Solway feeders,just a idea

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 3:12 pm Post subject:

Just as well I've got an enclosed run.... Our area of Lewis luckily doesn't have the mink problem - it seems confined to the hillier parts (Harris, Lochs and west side). And here I was worrying about the wild geese on my croft possibly spreading avian flu.... Shocked

mojo · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 10:46 pm Post subject:

clackers .wooden flaps tied together to clap in the wind are said to move on geese.mojo Wink

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 10:58 pm Post subject:

Beats shooting them! Laughing

I'll pass on the tip to my OH

1 Chicken Smuggler · Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Posts: 178

Here in the Southern U.S we have a lot of owls and hawks,that are protected as well.You can either put up an owl pole or do as a lot here do--the 3 S method.

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7322 Location: isle of lewis

what's the 3 s method
suz

Deb_Moderator · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 3661

Shoot, shovel and shut up.

I find this method to be the most effective. Wink

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7322 Location: isle of lewis

you carn't do that to sea eagles they've just be reintroduced ,there are not many about only about 1 breeding pair on the island and it's what a lot of people make a living off the torists come to see them ,i'd rather cover the run ,foxes mink ,crows and seagulls yes wouldn't have a problem but golden eagles and sea eagles became totally extinct .there amazing birds
suz

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 6:14 pm Post subject:

Agreed. Lewis doesn't have an official RSPB sanctuary, but it doesn't need to. The majority of the place here is uninhabitable with lots of lochs - it's a natural sanctuary.

George · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 5661 Location: London