Pests target my bales and I can’t shoot straight
The farmer’s job with regard to round bales is straightforward enough — ensure the crows and the mice don’t have it all their way, and try to have a decent bit of silage left for the cattle come winter.
The week before the Ploughing I mowed and baled my first lot of round bale silage. ‘Twas late in the year for sure, but as the fellow says, better late than never.
With the job complete, while many farmers might get all hot and bothered with the business of paying the silage contractor, my troubles lay squarely with the birds and the mice. In recent times, these pests have become very fond of bales, so bale protection has become my main priority.
The gun is, of course, a great weapon in the farmer’s fight against all classes of wayward creatures. But it is only as good as the man behind it, and is pretty useless with me behind it. I have a good double barrel, a cartridge belt and earmuffs, everything but accuracy. Crows and magpies have little to fear from me and my gunfire.
So all I can really do is patch up the bales that have been picked and clawed, then paint a stripe of white across them, and hope and pray that this recommended measure will be enough to keep the pests at bay.
Then there is the problem of mice. An old family friend and relation of mine once mentioned that he was on the verge of perfecting the ultimate mouse catcher, ideal for the farmer and his round bales. Sadly, he died before his invention was perfected to his liking. He has taken his invention with him and left us fending for ourselves.
With little option, all I can really do is put down a bit of poison, and hope they will take the bait, as opposed to bites out of the silage.
Some might suggest that I should get a handful of cats, and perhaps they would frighten away both the birds and the mice.
Knowing my luck, instead of hunting, the cats too would likely find my round bales irresistible.