Bird proof (and bird safe) orchard?

[ladyluck]

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone has successfully bird proofed their orchard. Importantly, I'm wondering if anyone's done it in a way that is also safe for the birds. Our property currently has a combination of chicken mesh along the bottom and a fine fabric type mesh (unsure of its proper terminology) but it has a few issues for wild birds - they can still get in along the sides and then panic trying to escape. Best case scenario, they're a bit spooked - worst they fly into one of the wooden or metal support beams and injure themselves. We've also found a few caught in the mesh, and some that I suspect were originally caught in the mesh and broke their necks trying to escape. I'd like a more bird friendly option for them.


(Just in case anyone's worried, we do have trees planted for the birds to enjoy, we're just trying to keep some of the fruiting trees for ourselves - we used to get huge flocks, like actually HUNDREDS, coming in and eating all the pears and apples)

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I have had the same sort of problems with making a cage for raspberries, and they don't grow too big. The best solution I have seen is from planting trees on dwarfing stocks, much easier to net. I helped plant a cherry orchard like that once on colt stocks that could be kept to 7 or 8 feet, The owner had a net that unfurled from a roll on a tractor driving up and down the rows. and could be wound up again the same way, it was very successful, and cherries are very attractive to birds. Colt was as small as they went in those days, but there are some very good rootstocks available now.

 

[Anniekay]

You could just put up some scarecrows and share and not worry about the birds having some. If you do all you can to increase the productivity of your trees you should still have plenty left for your crew..

 

[Oliver Buckle]

When we camped on a fruit farm when I was a kid they had 'bird scarers', a string of blank cartridges that fired one off every half hour or so.

 

[GFTL]

My 5 blueberry bushes were loaded with berries one day and the next day they were gone. I put up a 12x16 hoop house from 3/4" pvc conduit with bird netting. I made a wood boarder to staple the sides down (that keeps the squirrels out). That put an end to the problem. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FFY1TYG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[Meadowlark]

Scarecrows, plastic owls, etc. do not work, especially in orchards. Netting is only marginally effective in my experience and a great deal of work on large areas. On individual plants it can help.

This works:



Safe and very effective propane cannon. I purchased mine to protect fish growing in my ponds from water turkey predation. Highly effective to the point where I haven't used it in years...no water turkeys.

 

[MiTmite9]

Scarecrows, plastic owls, etc. do not work, especially in orchards. Netting is only marginally effective in my experience and a great deal of work on large areas. On individual plants it can help.

This works:

View attachment 106243

Safe and very effective propane cannon. I purchased mine to protect fish growing in my ponds from water turkey predation. Highly effective to the point where I haven't used it in years...no water turkeys.

TiL: Anhingas are also called Water Turkeys. (I read your comment and was trying to picture/imagine if there might really be a type of turkey that hunted fish ---- hahaha.)

 

[GFTL]

Scarecrows, plastic owls, etc. do not work, especially in orchards. Netting is only marginally effective in my experience and a great deal of work on large areas. On individual plants it can help.

This works:

View attachment 106243

Safe and very effective propane cannon. I purchased mine to protect fish growing in my ponds from water turkey predation. Highly effective to the point where I haven't used it in years...no water turkeys.

You're right about the mesh being a bit of a pain to put up but once it's there you're for years.