Starlings (Pukwana: renting, buying a house, buying)

[camelrancher]

We have a ranch in Pukwana, SD where we raise a variety of exotic animals (alpacas to zebra) and birds. We have a large number of starlings (in the hunderds)that have now moved in and are eating the feed of our pheasants, peacocks, partridge, ducks, geese, etc. Since the starlings have started going into the pens to get the feed- we are going thru an extra 200 pounds plus per week. At 12.00 per 50 pounds for feed- it is getting expensive.

Does anyone else have problems with starlings and what do you do about it?

Thanks
Lonnie

[no8fann]

Here in Indiana, my agency does starling control for the dairy farms. If you send me a dm, I can point you in the direction of who to contact in your state.

[willarn]

Buy a shot gun. within a week or two problem solved .

[no8fann]

Originally Posted by willarn

Buy a shot gun. within a week or two problem solved .

You'd want to have a lot of patience and free time to waste with 30,000 - 40,000 birds and that approach! Best of luck there!

[BusySocialWorker]

Wow I have to admit I had no idea what a Starling even was and had to google it.... I am sure no help, but I learned something I guess.

[SECTION M]

Those birds suck. When we were renting a house some starlings started building nests in our bbq grill so we had to clean it every time we used it. Then when were were done grilling we had to plug every single opening in the grill so they couldn't get in. They laid eggs in there several times and we would take them and throw them off the deck. The birds didn' like that very much. So then the birds moved into the overhang on the front porch where the siding wasn't fastened all the way. So I solved the problem by buying a house somewhere else.

[no8fann]

Originally Posted by SECTION M

Those birds suck.... So I solved the problem by buying a house somewhere else.

LOL! That's a bit extreme, but it does the trick!

[uncleharley]

The shotgun idea is effective. You don't have to shoot all of them, just a few. The rest will get the idea and move on. When the young of the year begin to move back, just pick off a few more.

uh

[no8fann]

Originally Posted by uncleharley

The shotgun idea is effective. You don't have to shoot all of them, just a few. The rest will get the idea and move on. When the young of the year begin to move back, just pick off a few more.

uh

It does work well in rural areas where you are able to discharge a firearm, and with a small amount of birds, but it gets repetitious out here. We have enough different flocks, that when one leaves, it only takes a couple of days before there is a new one. You never get to wait out the 4-5 week cycle of the young flocks...more like 4-5 days! The crows are getting just as bad!

[cancan]

starlings are a big problem on alot of farms....they are non native and come from a few mass releases in cental park NYC....Thanks NY.

now they are all over the country by the zillions.....we shoot them here as they are not protected. they will ruin the inside of a barn in short order and they are theives....they will steal most anything they can pick up and fly away with.

Shoot them off before they nest each year and you should be ok....also make your buildings tight so they cant dig or otherwise find a way in.