# Crow scarers - are there any laws about where they're put?



## Hutchlou (12 January 2011)

Getting really fed up with a local farmer who has set up crow scarers in the fields adjacent to our yard. These are the loudest bangs I've ever heard & are going off all day. He has put two up in his fields at opposite ends of our fields, so they are literally coming at them from both sides. 
Both are only a few yards from the bridleway/byway/footpath, are there any laws against this?


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## Wagtail (12 January 2011)

I really hate them! Try sleeping when they are in the field next to your house and the light sensor that is supposed to stop them going off is faulty!  I have been out countless times in dark cold muddy fields in the middle of the night trying to track down the faulty one to shut it off! When they only go off 3 - 4 times an hour and hidden in the hedges they are SO difficult to find in the dark.

There is a code of practice that says they must be situated at least 200 metres from any buildings and faced away from said homes. But that's it. You are at the mercy of the farmer concerned, I'm afraid.


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## Wagtail (12 January 2011)

On a positive note, the horses DO get used to them after a few days, but obviously they are very unsafe to ride past!


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## Hutchlou (12 January 2011)

Thanks. Unfortunately they are 200m from the nearest house, but they still must shake their windows!! 
To hack out we will have to go past both of them.


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## Thistle (12 January 2011)

sneak out in the dark and turn the barrel of the gun to face away from the yard, obviously don't point to towards the houses or bridleway.


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## MerrySherryRider (12 January 2011)

They are a pain for riders, we often have to ride along side them. Used to have one behind our horses field, which they quickly got used to and ignored. If you have to ride past one try waiting for it to go off, generally they don't go off more than every 15 -20 minutes. Our horses aren't too bad with them as they are used to quarry blasts and shoots, but even so, riding past one as it goes off makes me jump out of my skin.
The NFU has issued a code of practice for farmers using crow scarers and does ask that consideration be given to riders on bridlepaths and suggests using warning signs. 
However,I do have sympathy for farmers who need to protect their crops, its their liveihood and its not all year round. Combine harvesters are more of a problem for us when riding alongside fields on our hacking routes.Oh, and the helipad sited along a main bridlepath. The joys of hacking eh ?


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## Welly (12 January 2011)

We had one that was keeping us awake so I contacted my council, they told me that they are not allowed to go of during night time hours and in my case they contacted the farmer and sorted the problem. Not sure about daytime rules I think that there is only  code of conduct.


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## Vickijay (12 January 2011)

We have 1 on our farm and its meant to go off 3 bangs together at 30 min intervals. It went off when I was tacking up to ride my baby ex racer, I thought phew at least I have 30 mins. Rode past it about 15 mins later and was about 6m from it and BANG!! Poor Lilly jumped but carried on, BANG!! less of a reaction, then BANG!! By this point I was about 20m from it and she flinched but didnt do a thing!! Clever baby Lill!! She flys the flag for baby ex racehorses!!!

With regards to your situation, can you not speak to the farmer and ask what its settings are in case your riding? Our farmer had changed ours! The horses do get used to them. Its about a 10 min walk from our arena and the horses dont bat a eye when it goes of now. Although I still feel proud of Lilly for being so brave when she was right by it!! I think we both jumped as much as each other the first time it banged!!


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## sunshine19 (12 January 2011)

You can download a copy of the NFU Bird Scarers Code of Practice here

http://www.nfuonline.com/News/Download-our-bird-scarer-guide/

Well worth a wee read


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## Dubsie (12 January 2011)

Vickijay said:



			We have 1 on our farm and its meant to go off 3 bangs together at 30 min intervals. It went off when I was tacking up to ride my baby ex racer, I thought phew at least I have 30 mins. Rode past it about 15 mins later and was about 6m from it and BANG!! Poor Lilly jumped but carried on, BANG!! less of a reaction, then BANG!! By this point I was about 20m from it and she flinched but didnt do a thing!! Clever baby Lill!! She flys the flag for baby ex racehorses!!!

With regards to your situation, can you not speak to the farmer and ask what its settings are in case your riding? Our farmer had changed ours! The horses do get used to them. Its about a 10 min walk from our arena and the horses dont bat a eye when it goes of now. Although I still feel proud of Lilly for being so brave when she was right by it!! I think we both jumped as much as each other the first time it banged!!
		
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Good job she didn't think it was a starting gun at the races then!


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## depurple1 (12 January 2011)

We have a pigeon scarer on our yard - it makes a quieter noise, like an airgun.  It has been there for years and bizarrely only goes off when it is cold and damp.  It is in a bunch of trees but we can't find it to remove it!  

All the horses are used to it now and don't bat an eyelid when it goes off so I don't really mind it being there.

I think I would try politely speaking to the farmer if I was in a situation like yours.  If he is not following the code of conduct he could perhaps open himself up to insurance claims if a horse was injured as a result of a scare?


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## Hutchlou (12 January 2011)

Our horses were getting used to the first one but the farmer put another one up yesterday. Unfortunately he isn't the biggest horselover in the area.  He purposefully ploughs up too much of the bridleways running alongside his fields & sows his crops too close, won't let us ride when it's stubble & last year was chainsawing branches as we were riding & very reluctantly stopped for about 5 seconds whilst we quickly rode by!


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## Hutchlou (12 January 2011)

Thanks Sunshine, that makes for an interesting read. Makes me think he's placed them where he has on purpose! His field must be at least 6 acres so he could put it at the other end, far away from the yard!


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## mon (12 January 2011)

Thing is farmers have a living to make and not everybody/thing can be expected to stop for horses, I dont rven expect special measures on my farm when bringing horses in, my 5yr old has got to get use to them, the thing that annoys me are clay pigeon shooters and we have santa pod drag strip near us aand jet cars and drifters make a hell of a racket all weekend


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## Orangehorse (13 January 2011)

If the farmer ploughs up too much of the bridlepath, get in touch with the County Council and say he is in breach of the Cross Compliance regulations and will they report him to DEFRA!


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## mon (13 January 2011)

how to get on farmers ood books, ring DEFRA!, just hope no one ever puts a hoof of bridleway, even if you fall off lets annoy farmers then beg them for cheap hay/straw and to be allowed to canter on stubble fields.


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## Vickijay (13 January 2011)

Dubsie said:



			Good job she didn't think it was a starting gun at the races then!
		
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Lol I didnt think of that!! Its far, far louder though. My friend can hear it clearly at her house which is about 2.5 miles away!!

I wouldnt suggest upsetting the farmer. He is only trying to protect his crops and livelyhood. Its hard enough making a living from farming these days without birds gobbling up whatever your trying to grow!


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