How to Keep Birds From Eating Cover Crop Seeds?

[OrangeAgain]

I'm curious how folks keep the birds from eating seeds for cover crops like winter rye or winter wheat.

 

[sweettractors]

I'm curious how folks keep the birds from eating seeds for cover crops like winter rye or winter wheat.

Sporadic loud noises work well. Ken Sweet

 

[lostcreekranch]

You will get much better germination if you get seed covered with light harrow or drag.

 

[dusty3030]

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This is probably the best advice.

 

[nybirdman]

An engineer at work had the fellows plant grass seed at night...............so the birds wouldn't see them do it.And it took four years of college to come up with that.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Eat the birds first.
Of course my problem is wild turkeys, not blackbirds.

 

[Jstpssng]

I'd say all of the above... raking it under would make it harder to find but they never seem to have any trouble finding my corn.

I like DrZinj's solution the best... except that last time I planted a cover crop I had 40 turkeys start at one end of the field and, over the course of a couple of weeks work their way to the other end of the 2 acre field. At the end of each day I could see where they had stopped; it was like a vacuum cleaner had gone through.

40 turkeys... 1000$/turkey fine... I kept doing the math but it always came up cheaper to let them eat. :-(

 

[Midniteoyl]

Sutton Ag - Bird Control Pyrotechnics