Bird damage to silage pit

dungfly · 23-01-2014 10:09am #1

The crows have done my silage pit some disservice. How to prevent & fix?

I have heard of people using sand. Not sure what this involves? Any other options?

freedominacup · 23-01-2014 10:33am

Old security fences. We use them on wholecrop pit.

bob charles · 23-01-2014 10:36am

I use secure covers here on the pits, will eradicate bird bird damage but I have problems with mice eating them now and again. They are about 5 years old now and would be used 10months of the year so not a bad service http://www.securecovers.co.uk

td5man · 23-01-2014 11:02am

We've a plague of magpies,jackdaws and grey crows here they managed to destroy three covers on a pit of grass this year.
Going to use secure covers this year.

bob charles · 23-01-2014 11:10am

td5man wrote: »

We've a plague of magpies,jackdaws and grey crows here they managed to destroy three covers on a pit of grass this year.
Going to use secure covers this year.

only ever use one cover here and waste is never a problem. loose gravel along the sides are the only seal and dont bother with the gravel bags. A bit of work to remove it but its easier than forking waste. had to open the pit to the prevailing wind in December as I was putting in more feed front thin end of the wedge side. hadnt the top of the sheet secured properly and a tiny bit of wind went down under the cover and fecking up a inch or two. Livid I was when I saw it as up to that I hadnt a fork of waste

td5man · 23-01-2014 11:14am

Priced the zillnet ones locally and they were around €600 to cover a 90'x45' pit.

bob charles · 23-01-2014 11:20am

td5man wrote: »

Priced the zillnet ones locally and they were around €600 to cover a 90'x45' pit.

sounds much cheaper than secure covers

td5man · 23-01-2014 11:28am

bob charles wrote: »

sounds much cheaper than secure covers

Wonder are they as heavy as the securecovers.
Do you use one big cover or strips crossways?
www.zillnet.de/silage_covers

bob charles · 23-01-2014 11:46am

td5man wrote: »

Wonder are they as heavy as the securecovers.
Do you use one big cover or strips crossways?
www.zillnet.de/silage_covers

I use other zill products so I would expect them to be of high quality, They are more a wovem material whereas the secure covers are a plastic woven material. get suppliers to send you on sample and make your mind up. Most damage on my covers happened when they were folded in storage. My sheets are 8mx16m and cost around 300 a piece I *think*

Brown Podzol · 23-01-2014 12:20pm

I have Nicosil ones with 25 years. Still perfect. 700 punts for two 50x30. Great investment. A cow could walk on them and do no damage.Woven material, the wind won't blow them.

bob charles · 23-01-2014 12:22pm

Brown Podzol wrote: »

I have Nicosil ones with 25 years. Still perfect. 700 punts for two 50x03. Great investment. A cow could walk on them and do no damage.

any chance of a weblink for them as never heard of them. Are they the black ones?

Brown Podzol · 23-01-2014 12:29pm

bob charles wrote: »

any chance of a weblink for them as never heard of them. Are they the black ones?

Black yes, with loops all over to hang weights if you want to. I'll check web later on and see if I can find them. I bought them from Lucy and O'Connell in Cork, long gone out of business now.