Pigeons shredded my Sprouts and Broccoli

[Jimmy]

I have two raised beds, one with Kale and one with Sprouts and Sprouting Broccoli.

Yesterday the pigeons shredded the Sprouts and Broccoli.
I saw them fly off.
All the main leaves have gone.

Question:
Will they recover and grow from the centre ?
Or should I dig them out and use bed for something else ?

Thanks
Jimmy

P.S. Anyone got a good Pigeon recipe ?

[Mr Bones]

If you can afford the space leave them, sometimes they'll grow back, sometimes not. Certainly though the pigeons will return so plants new or regrown will need netting.

[Thelma Sanders]

If the topmost shoot is still there they usually grow back and, if you can, spend a few quid on some netting so the birds don't come back again

[Jimmy]

Suitably netted !
Thanks
Jimmy

[Jimmy]

Arghh
Just popped into the garden and there was a cabbage white fluttering around INSIDE my netting frame.
I thought it was sealed 100% but there may have been the smallest of gaps where the nets join.
Going to have to inspect all the leaves now !
Drat.
Jimmy

[veggiechicken]

You're living up to your signature Jimmy

[Jimmy]

All the leaves seemed clear of yellow eggs, so fingers crossed.
As for
You're living up to your signature Jimmy
It's never let me down yet !
Jimmy

[Jimmy]

Life reminds me of that program "One man and his dog" where they have to heard sheep into a square pen.
Everything is going swimmingly, then suddenly, for no reason one dashes off in another direction and the whole shebang goes pear shaped.
Jimmy

[WPG]

Hopefully one bit of good news Jimmy - I remember a year pigeons reduced my purple sprouting broccoli almost to a stump...it did recover, slowly, and then produced the most broccoli stems I've ever had. I guess the attack stressed the plant into producing more flower stem than foliage.

[Jimmy]

Yes they seem to have recovered from the original shredding although some appear quite small.
One seems to have some form of white fly or grey beasties. Found some old veg spray in back of shed and gave them a dousing. Not sure how old the spray was, probably 20 years or so.
Jimmy

[Jimmy]

Grey beasties could be Mealy cabbage aphid
Jimmy

[burnie]

I have gone for the "Full Monty"(smutty lot I don't mean nekid gardening) and installed chicken wire and netting, my veggies are doing better than I dared hope for.

[damian1225]

My cabbage and sprouts have had a battering off the pigeons, but after covering them the best i can with wire and netting etc they have come back slowly, not sure if i will get a crop off them but im persevering with them

[damian1225]

.... they even attacked my rare daubenton kale

[Jimmy]

Update
Things seem to have recovered.
The spray I used on the sprout plant with "Grey Beasties" seems to have worked, it's bigger than the rest.
All the sprouts, broccoli, kale now look OK.
The netting (from Wilko) seems to have done the trick along with the carpet of slug pellets.
Some of the plants are so big the leaves press against the netting. The cabbage whites flutter forlornly around. I wonder if they can lay their eggs through the netting. Need to inspect carefully.
Jimmy