[Tracybutton]

I went down to my plot a couple of days ago and despite slug pellets and bird scarers , a whole row of peas had been nibbled to the ground . Fortunately I had saved my own seed from last year and so had hundreds of them germinated, so despite giving loads away to other plot holders I had enough to replace the row. The pea seed was still in the ground when we pulled the stumps up, so we guessed it wasn't mice .

We went down the next day and same thing ! Same row ! All nibbled to the ground . Then something caught my eye at the top end of the plot and low and behold a blinking pheasant was chewing on the pea plants I had set up just for next years seed ! It was as bold as brass and took some shifting despite shouting and clapping .

Anyway we netted up that one particular row ( can't net all the others) and bought some windmills, but it's been a fingers crossed job this morning and ok at the moment . Anyone else had trouble with pheasants and how did you manage ?

Here is a picture of the blighter.

[rowlandwells]

we have a pheasant strolling past our kitchen widow every morning he's been there all winter on the rape crop he had six lady friends with him one morning but has only one now

lucky we don't have  a pheasant problem down the allotments more like badgers and pigeons 

[greenjay]

never would have thought of it being a pheasant.
worst is there must be about 7 cock pheasants around here at the moment.

[Tracybutton]

we have a pheasant strolling past our kitchen widow every morning he's been there all winter on the rape crop he had six lady friends with him one morning but has only one now

lucky we don't have  a pheasant problem down the allotments more like badgers and pigeons 

Oh goodness ! Never thought about him bringing a harem in with him for a pea feast. 

[Tracybutton]

never would have thought of it being a pheasant.
worst is there must be about 7 cock pheasants around here at the moment.

It would have never entered my head if I hadn't seen it pecking at the plants with my own eyes. Good luck because it sounds like you have a flock ! 

[al78]

Did you consider whacking it over the head with a spade then plucking and roasting it?

[sunshineband]

Meet Mr Silverback, scourge of our site, chopper-offer of garlic leaves, saffron leaves and yes, pea plants if he can get to them. I have installed a sloping wire barrier around our plants to deter him, but he feeds well from the plots of the unwary 

[Tracybutton]

Meet Mr Silverback, scourge of our site, chopper-offer of garlic leaves, saffron leaves and yes, pea plants if he can get to them. I have installed a sloping wire barrier around our plants to deter him, but he feeds well from the plots of the unwary 

  Is this his first year ? They aren't territorial and live for twenty years are they !

[Tracybutton]

Did you consider whacking it over the head with a spade then plucking and roasting it?

Well it crossed my mind when it wouldn't shift I must say. 

[sunshineband]

Meet Mr Silverback, scourge of our site, chopper-offer of garlic leaves, saffron leaves and yes, pea plants if he can get to them. I have installed a sloping wire barrier around our plants to deter him, but he feeds well from the plots of the unwary 

  Is this his first year ? They aren't territorial and live for twenty years are they !

Pheasants can live a long time, around 8 years I seem to recall. We saw him around last year too, and him and his hen successfully raised a brood of chicks. They have a "range" rather than a territory, and more birds share that same range. Not good news for us growers really, but folk here net their crops to prevent the birds grazing on them

[Growster...]

We often get a lot of them wandering around here.

Male and several girlfriends, (lucky bird), they strut around until spoken to with a serious voice then they give me two claws and move a few plots away!

Another problem with them, is that when the soil is very dry, they like a dust-bath, usually on the new shoots of the tiny veg we've been nurturing for ages. The gaps in the rows can't be filled in time, and so the dent
 they make reminds me to net more next year...

[Tracybutton]

We often get a lot of them wandering around here.

Male and several girlfriends, (lucky bird), they strut around until spoken to with a serious voice then they give me two claws and move a few plots away!

Another problem with them, is that when the soil is very dry, they like a dust-bath, usually on the new shoots of the tiny veg we've been nurturing for ages. The gaps in the rows can't be filled in time, and so the dent
 they make reminds me to net more next year...

Oh ! I didn't even think of them taking dust baths. I've always presumed it was a cat. That's it, I'll have to put a marquee over the whole plot. 

[sunshineband]

 

You say that, but one of our plot neighbours along the road has used four of those garden gazebo frames to support bird netting over most of his plot. Keeps pigeons and pheasants away alright, but it does looks a bit odd having additional netting over brassicas etc to keep butterflies off, inside the other netting 

[Tracybutton]

 

You say that, but one of our plot neighbours along the road has used four of those garden gazebo frames to support bird netting over most of his plot. Keeps pigeons and pheasants away alright, but it does looks a bit odd having additional netting over brassicas etc to keep butterflies off, inside the other netting 

Sounds like a plan ...  

[DaveF68]

Our allotments back onto countryside, and pheasants are probably our biggest avian pest. Netting seems to be the only way to keep them off. They ate most of my un-netted swede and kale last winter.

My dog does is best to flush them (He’s an Irish Setter)  but can’t keep him there all the time, and the other plot holders would get upset at him rampaging anyway!

CDs don’t seem to work. Someone suggested a giant plastic hawk