Red Grains in dead Woodies - drilled seed or rat poison?

[Dodder]

A neighbour has found two young woodies in her garden, one dead & one dying and has found red grains in their crops.
They seem to think this must be rat poison, but my thoughts are it could be they have maybe picked up some treated grains that have been spilled during drilling?
I have never seen red rat poison but by the same token have no idea whether drilled grain is actually treated with anything prior to planting and if so what colour it might be? Any ideas?

 

[VSS]

Going by colour alone, it could be either. However, pigeons aren't really likely to access sufficient rat bait to fill their crops. Treated seed is most likely. Not sure why it would cause them to die though? Pigeons must eat tonnes of the stuff in a normal year.

 

[Tim.243]

A neighbour has found two young woodies in her garden, one dead & one dying and has found red grains in their crops.
They seem to think this must be rat poison, but my thoughts are it could be they have maybe picked up some treated grains that have been spilled during drilling?
I have never seen red rat poison but by the same token have no idea whether drilled grain is actually treated with anything prior to planting and if so what colour it might be? Any ideas?

Seed dressing....Wheat and Barley also Maize is treated with a red coating, I would be quite obvious that it is a seed of wheat or barley....graded grains make finer flour.....

 

[Dodder]

Seed dressing....Wheat and Barley also Maize is treated with a red coating, I would be quite obvious that it is a seed of wheat or barley....graded grains make finer flour.....

Thanks Tim, what actually is the dressing? Presumably a fungicide?

 

[Tim.243]

Thanks Tim, what actually is the dressing? Presumably a fungicide?

Welcome, it is so the pigeons can find it easier...

Seed treatments are meant to address three major problems farmers face with planting and early crop development and growth: fungi, pests and microorganism productivity.

 

[shakey jake]

rat poison would take several days to have an effect, seed dressed would be easier for woodies to find.
i wouldnt think dressed seed would kill them that quickly if at all

 

[Rowey]

Always find a few wasting away this time of year. I just duff them. They are always thin and lose the wariness of man

 

[Freeforester]

(Always the conspiracy theorist, lol!) From the late Prince Philip, some years ago:

Nothing to see, move along, ahem!

For the interested:

 

[steve sxs]

A neighbour has found two young woodies in her garden, one dead & one dying and has found red grains in their crops.
They seem to think this must be rat poison, but my thoughts are it could be they have maybe picked up some treated grains that have been spilled during drilling?
I have never seen red rat poison but by the same token have no idea whether drilled grain is actually treated with anything prior to planting and if so what colour it might be? Any ideas?

It's either lead shot in their gizzards or covid, can't be anything else cos nothing and know one dies of anything

 

[GWP]

Looks like seed dressing was given some wheat a few years ago with a red dressing

 

[steve sxs]

It's either lead shot in their gizzards or covid, can't be anything else cos nothing and know one dies of anything Else

 

[JockStalk]

It’ll be climate change. 100%

 

[steve sxs]

It’ll be climate change. 100%

Ha ha completely forgot about that in all the excitement, that's the next panic buy Sunblock