Nestboxes in Pastures

Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 05:56:41 -0700 (PDT)
From: The Doctor sytyf"at"yahoo.com
Subject: just when I thought it couldn't get any worse; COWS!!!!!
To: BLUEBIRD BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu

Hi all,

My Illinois trail has sure been a challenge. I wont document again all of them again but here is the new one. My landlord has informed me that the unused pasture land that I have 5 of 9 of my nestboxes is going to have cows. Maybe as soon as this weekend. Sure I noticed fence going up for the past 5 weeks. All of the commotion back did disturb the 1 nesting TRES and 3 EABL nests. All 5 nestboxes are wide open and suspect to cows rubbing and pushing on the nestbox mounting poles.

I now have to move the nestboxes to the fenceline or encircle the nestboxes with a barbwire fence. Looks like I'll have to cancel my Memorial Day plans to put up fencing. The Illinois trail has had 7 EABL fledge out of 3 nestboxes to date. Well worth the effort. At least the cows will knock down that 2 1/2 foot high grass and draw some insects out there.

Have a good day

Bob Sitarski a.k.a The Doctor

Jackson County Indiana ( 385244N 086023W )

& Clay County Illinois ( 384008N 0882908W )

Date: Sat, 25 May 2002 01:26:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: Daniel Sparks dansparks_47448"at"yahoo.com
Subject: Re: just when I thought it couldn't get any worse; COWS!!!!!
To: sytyf"at"yahoo.com, BLUEBIRD BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu

the cows will knock down that 2 1/2 foot

...

Bob,
They may draw more than insects--a couple in our club used to have an excellent EABL trail.They bought a couple of horses and now it's a full time job to try to control the HOSP. It's important not to let the HOSP get established.

...

=====
Dan Sparks
P.O. Box 660
Brown County Bluebird Society
Nashville, IN 47448
dansparks_47448"at"yahoo.com

Date: Sat, 25 May 2002 16:45:56 -0400
Subject: Re: just when I thought it couldn't get any worse; COWS!!!!!
From: "L. J. VanZalen" wings"at"mei.net
To: dansparks_47448"at"yahoo.com, sytyf"at"yahoo.com,
BLUEBIRD BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu

on 5/25/02 4:26 AM, Daniel Sparks at dansparks_47448"at"yahoo.com wrote:

the cows will knock down that 2 1/2 foot

...

Bob,

I can verify that.I never saw HOSP until I bought horses for my kids (20 years ago). HOSP will follow animals and grain.

larry...

Date: Sat, 25 May 2002 14:23:17 -0700 (PDT)
From: The Doctor sytyf"at"yahoo.com
Subject: Cows and horses attract HOSP
To: BLUEBIRD BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu

Thanks all,

I never thought of the cows attracting HOSP. The manure and grain will be a smorgusborg for them. My big city population of HOSP and EUST will probably double and they'll follow the cows out to the pasture where the nestboxes are located. I can only hope that the HOSP will stay by the equipment storage buildings, houses and grain storage silos.

Have a good day

Bob Sitarski a.k.a The Doctor, Jackson County Indiana ( 385244N 086023W ) & Clay County Illinois ( 384008N 0882908W )

One question -- when you say the sites for the new boxes are "in a horse pasture", do you mean a horse pasture with actual horses in it?

Is this an issue, folks? Won't horses sometimes chew on/knock down nestboxes?

Cher

In "The Bluebird Monitor's Guide" it shows a nestbox in a pasture. It is put up high and has a guard built out of barbed wire on the pole to keep the animals away from it. The monitor was on a horse looking into the nestbox.

I had one on the edge of where cattle were grazing and before I got the guard up, they could somehow reach and manage to open the door of the nestbox! They had rubbed on the side of the pole it was on. The guard stopped all that.

Evelyn Cooper
Delhi, LA

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