Hi all
Until 5 or 6 years ago we had the children's old white very winter hairy pony in our field, the rooks and/or crows and jackdaws would in the spring collect the hair where he had rolled presumably to line their nests, over time some of them learnt to hop up on him and pluck the thick hair directly, that wouldn't have hurt as it was all falling out anyway but you wonder about their claws. I meant to take a photo of this but never quite got round to it and the pony went to a new home.
I have never seen the birds do this to any of the ther ponies here until two days ago, when at 8 am I found a brown pony that was ill and was lying down and very reluctant to stand up, as I walked towards it I could see a couple of black birds (rooks or crows I can never tell the difference) standing on it's back plucking the long moulting winter coat from it.
Is this behaviour very common, I have never heard of it locally?
PS The pony is fine now after medical treatment.
Hi Forstpony.......
firstly yes its a very common behaviour... all birds will make use of the best material they can find for nest building... sparrows collect our dog hair from the door mat where he likes to lie......... i have also seen crows/ rooks/ and jackjaws doing the same to sheep, cows even lions in a zoo...
if you could can you collect some of this hair and put it into a plastic plant pot for them........ then they may leave to pony alone a bit ...
Kestrel
dont just look enjoy and leave for others to share after you. we dont own the earth we just rent a small part of it....