If you run a dairy farm, you know how quickly a few starlings can turn into a serious problem.
One day you see a handful around the feed bunk.
A few days later, there are hundreds.
Then the flock grows.
They're around the feed. They're on the buildings. They're on the ground. They're covering nearby structures and leaving droppings behind.
And eventually, you have to ask the question:
How do I get rid of these starlings?
For dairy operations dealing with persistent starling flocks, Avitrol can be used as a professional bird-control solution to help move the birds away from feeding, loafing and roosting areas.
Dairies can provide nearly everything a starling needs.
Food.
Water.
Shelter.
A place to roost.
And when starlings discover a dependable food source, they can return to that location day after day.
Dairy feed is especially attractive because it provides an easily accessible source of nutrition. During fall and winter, large starling flocks can become even more noticeable as birds concentrate around reliable food sources.
That's why a dairy can suddenly find itself dealing with a massive flock.
The birds themselves may be small.
The problems they create aren't.
Large starling flocks can consume significant amounts of livestock feed.
USDA APHIS reports that approximately 1,000 starlings can consume around 36–40 pounds of food per day. When large flocks repeatedly gather around a dairy, those losses can add up.
Starlings don't simply eat and leave.
They're walking through feeding areas, landing around feed and leaving droppings behind.
Research on dairy farms has documented starling excrement contamination around cattle feeding areas and examined its relationship with pathogen recovery.
For a dairy operator, keeping unnecessary wild-bird activity away from important feeding areas is an important part of protecting the operation.
If you've ever dealt with a large starling flock, you already know.
Droppings can accumulate on:
The larger the flock, the larger the mess.
And that's perhaps the most frustrating part.
You move the birds today.
They're back tomorrow.
You move them again.
They're back again.
When a dairy continues to provide an attractive feeding and roosting environment, starlings can become persistent visitors.
That's why dairy operators dealing with established flocks need a bird-control solution designed specifically for pest-bird management.
Avitrol.
Avitrol is a professional pest-bird control product that can be used for European starlings when used according to the applicable product label.
Avitrol Mixed Grains is labeled for European starlings, along with several other pest-bird species. The product has flock-alarming properties designed to cause part of a flock to react and frighten the remainder of the flock away from the treated area.
That's the key idea behind Avitrol bird control:
Don't just chase the flock. Change its behavior.
Starlings are social birds.
When one portion of a flock reacts to Avitrol, the response can alarm the rest of the flock.
The result is a disruption of the flock's normal behavior.
Instead of continuing to comfortably feed or gather at the location, the flock can become alarmed and leave the area.
This makes Avitrol particularly relevant for dairy operations where starlings have established predictable feeding or loafing locations.
The objective is straightforward:
Get the starlings away from the dairy's problem areas.
When starlings are repeatedly showing up around a dairy, you need more than a temporary solution.
You need a way to address the flock.
Avitrol gives professional applicators a tool specifically labeled for managing European starlings.
The product can be used in areas associated with feeding, nesting, loafing and roosting sites when the application follows the current label requirements.
That makes identifying the birds and understanding where they're spending their time especially important.
Before any treatment, know what you're dealing with.
Are they European starlings?
Are they grackles?
Blackbirds?
Cowbirds?
Pigeons?
Different birds can have different product and label considerations.
Bird ID is product ID.
Knowing exactly what bird you're dealing with helps ensure the appropriate Avitrol product and label are being considered.
Watch the flock.
Where do they gather?
Where are they eating?
Where do they return repeatedly?
The goal is to understand the flock's behavior and identify the locations where bird activity is creating the biggest problem.
The reason Avitrol can be useful on dairy farms is simple:
Starlings don't need much encouragement to return to a good food source.
Once they discover a dependable location, they can keep coming back.
Avitrol provides a way for professional applicators to target the flock's established behavior and create a strong alarm response that can drive the birds away from the site.
Avitrol's own agricultural materials identify starlings among the pest birds commonly encountered around livestock operations and other agricultural facilities.
If you're seeing 20 starlings today, don't assume you'll only have 20 tomorrow.
Bird populations can build quickly when they discover a reliable food source.
That's particularly important during fall and winter, when large flocks can concentrate around agricultural operations.
The sooner you recognize the problem, the sooner you can develop a plan to move the flock away.
If starlings are taking over your dairy, you don't have to simply accept them as part of the operation.
Avitrol provides professional bird-control applicators with a tool specifically labeled for European starlings.
The process starts with identifying the bird.
Then identify where the flock is feeding and gathering.
From there, a certified applicator can determine whether Avitrol is appropriate for the site and apply it according to the current label.
The goal isn't to spend every day chasing birds around your dairy.
The goal is to get the flock to leave.
If starlings have become a problem around your dairy, talk to an Avitrol professional about developing a starling-control program for your operation.