A new clock feature on the £295 Techneat Vari-Scary gas gun enables farmers to pre-programme the bird scarer to not to go off during a set period each week.

It means that a “Silent Sunday” can be created to help keep non-farming neighbours happy and save on gas costs.

“Proactively informing local communities that you will be operating a ‘Silent Sunday’ policy can help to avert criticism and complaints,” says the firm’s Tom Neat.

Adopting a Silent Sunday is unlikely to result in large numbers of pigeons migrating into the crop, he reckons, unless it is already under intense pest pressure. It also helps avoid familiarisation of pigeon populations and maintains a high level of deterrence.

The Vari-Scary can be pre-set to miss any day or period in the week, giving the chance to make substantial savings in gas costs. “Taking out two days in a week would reduce gas consumption by nearly 30%. Combined with the programmable variable shot patterns, pigeons and other pests can be kept constantly on the move,” he advises.