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There are five eligible activities under Nova Scotia’s Agricultural Biodiversity Program:
- Wetland Restoration
- Farm Pond Construction
- Beaver Pond Management
- Flushing Bars
- Invasive Species Control (Purple Loosestrife)
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Wildlife Flushing Bars 
A variety of wildlife species use agricultural hayfields for habitat. Many types of songbirds and waterfowl, as well as other types of birds such as pheasants and northern harriers are known to use hayfields for nesting habitat. Other bird species use the hayfields for cover. Snowshoe hare, white tailed deer, porcupine, raccoons and foxes are also known to use this habitat for food and/or cover.
All of these wildlife species are vulnerable to the blades of moving equipment. Hay is cut early in the season and is often cut several times in one growing season. The flushing bar device is used to scare wildlife from the path of a tractor and mower in a hay field.
The flushing bar devise is simple, consisting of an aluminum bar that attaches to the front of a tractor via a mounting bracket. Once the mounting bracket is attached, the bar can be installed or removed by one person in a matter of minutes. The 12-foot lightweight bar extends out in front of the mower while it is cutting, dragging chains through the grass and forcing wildlife to move before the mower blades reach them. The bar can be tucked in against the tractor when on the highway or in a confined space.
The flushing bar will not save a bird’s nest from being destroyed, but it will save the nesting female, which can then re-nest. In the case of fawn deer and other wildlife, the bar is successful in moving them out of the path of the mower.
Flushing bars are another tool that Ducks Unlimited Canada uses to protect habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife species in the agricultural landscape. They are one of the eligible activities under the Agricultural Biodiversity Program offered through the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. This program provides NS farmers with access to technical and financial assistance for projects that will improve biodiversity and wildlife habitat on their farms.
