Foxes and lambing

[Buchan]

A farmer said to me yesterday that he's found that if the dog fox is shot around now, then the vixen will have to work harder and therfore goes for the easier stuff - like lambs. Thoughts on this please.

 

[potshotpat]

Hi Buchan, why would they not go for the easier stuff anyway?

 

[zambezi]

Related: my local permission is losing chickens to the fox. And lambing has started. I have been asked to remove the chicken killer. I cannot help wonder if it is the work of a fox with an earth full of young. I am conflicted but know that the farmer's viability is at risk. If I see the dog near the coop, it will be despatched. The vixen?

 

[Tim.243]

Farmers tie gates up with bits of string to keep livestock in!!

People get there shooting from land owners for various reasons so if you are the one who is in the frame for dealing with the foxes then do so. No different than shooting a milky doe rabbit etc.
There are loads of responsibility's in shooting which people have to except.

Tim.243

 

[shakey jake]

impossible to say, some foxes will kill lambs and chickens, if the farmer doesnt want you to kill them till summer dont but what if a neighbour kills the dog?

 

[Markfox]

You do what you have to do to keep the farmers happy, as long as it’s legal morals don’t come into it

if you don’t someone else will

 

[bogtrotter]

A farmer said to me yesterday that he's found that if the dog fox is shot around now, then the vixen will have to work harder and therfore goes for the easier stuff - like lambs. Thoughts on this please.

There is a bit of truth in this, foxes are opportunists but its doubly hard for them at lambing time dox fox does the hunting to start with feeding the vixen as the cubs grow both dog and vixen need to hunt to keep the growing family fed.Removing the dog first puts enormous pressure on the vixen to feed both herself and her cubs putting more.pressure on lambing fields, Lambs are probably not a the first choice of a fox but are an easy option when they are under pressure.
Have known quite a few cases of earths with cubs where there also lambs fairly readily available where no.losses were suffered due to.plentiful supply of other food rabbits and hares for example, have also seen an earth with over thirty lamb carcasses scattered around , in a hill.situation when re there was little else for them
We always did the earths with terriers at cubing time killing the vixen and cubs than sat out at the earth overnight and shot the dog when he returner with food for the vixen.or cubs.
Never lamped foxes at or close to.lambing time other than at the earth or on a lambing field anr.only then if the farmer was actually losing lambs.
For the reasons the OP mentions it was more effective to deal with them at the earths where the whole family cohld be cleaned up in one go.

 

[Irish Bob]

Foxes only take risks when they have to. Shooting foxes that aren't causing a problem just gives an opening for a fox that will.

I have only had to shoot two foxes in the last 10 years because they became a problem.

The reason they did was partly due to my taking my eye off the ball.

Most farmers, myself included, aren't bothered by them.

 

[finnbear270]

We shoot them on request ... all year round.

 

[bogtrotter]

There is a bit of truth in this, foxes are opportunists but its doubly hard for them at lambing time dox fox does the hunting to start with feeding the vixen as the cubs grow both dog and vixen need to hunt to keep the growing family fed.Removing the dog first puts enormous pressure on the vixen to feed both herself and her cubs putting more.pressure on lambing fields, Lambs are probably not a the first choice of a fox but are an easy option when they are under pressure.
Have known quite a few cases of earths with cubs where there also lambs fairly readily available where no.losses were suffered due to.plentiful supply of other food rabbits and hares for example, have also seen an earth with over thirty lamb carcasses scattered around , in a hill.situation when re there was little else for them
We always did the earths with terriers at cubing time killing the vixen and cubs than sat out at the earth overnight and shot the dog when he returner with food for the vixen.or cubs.
Never lamped foxes at or close to.lambing time other than at the earth or on a lambing field anr.only then if the farmer was actually losing lambs.
For the reasons the OP mentions it was more effective to deal with them at the earths where the whole family cohld be cleaned up in one go.

Excuse the spelling predictive text has gone crazy on this tablet.

 

[stoker150]

Also you can get more lambs taken if a barren vixen is helping out

 

[slider]

Don't forge the badgers - in my experience badgers will kill just as many lambs as foxes - but we are not allowed to shoot these cue and cuddly wee beasties!!!

 

[bogtrotter]

Also you can get more lambs taken if a barren vixen is helping out

Correct.

 

[bogtrotter]

Don't forge the badgers - in my experience badgers will kill just as many lambs as foxes - but we are not allowed to shoot these cue and cuddly wee beasties!!!

Not many badgers where I am.

 

[slider]

excuse the pos above bu he is no working on my comper

 

[Buchan]

Thanks for the thoughts folks. I'm sure I've read of something in ecology terms about animals changing resource utilisation for higher value prey (lamb) despite the risks (us).

 

[VSS]

A sheep farmer who's suffering high mortality rates will save more lambs by getting a better shepherd than he will by shooting foxes.

 

[Paddy_SP]

I'm currently run off my feet dealing with lamb-killers. Two nights ago, for instance, a local farmer lost a healthy lamb - last night I shot what was almost certainly the culprit - a very big, long-toothed dog fox. He was in exactly the right place, and I've not seen any other foxes around there, despite excellent visibility across a wide area and my attending the farm regularly. As was said above, foxes will go for whatever food sources are available, especially when the cubs are hungry, such as daylight attacks on poultry or lambs, often right next to houses.

 

[Buchan]

A sheep farmer who's suffering high mortality rates will save more lambs by getting a better shepherd than he will by shooting foxes.

True. In case folk are wondering if this post was a bit sardonic, it isn't. The differences that good nutrition to the ewe and care around lambing can make to early survival are huge.

 

[User00025]

There is a bit of truth in this, foxes are opportunists but its doubly hard for them at lambing time dox fox does the hunting to start with feeding the vixen as the cubs grow both dog and vixen need to hunt to keep the growing family fed.Removing the dog first puts enormous pressure on the vixen to feed both herself and her cubs putting more.pressure on lambing fields, Lambs are probably not a the first choice of a fox but are an easy option when they are under pressure.
Have known quite a few cases of earths with cubs where there also lambs fairly readily available where no.losses were suffered due to.plentiful supply of other food rabbits and hares for example, have also seen an earth with over thirty lamb carcasses scattered around , in a hill.situation when re there was little else for them
We always did the earths with terriers at cubing time killing the vixen and cubs than sat out at the earth overnight and shot the dog when he returner with food for the vixen.or cubs.
Never lamped foxes at or close to.lambing time other than at the earth or on a lambing field anr.only then if the farmer was actually losing lambs.
For the reasons the OP mentions it was more effective to deal with them at the earths where the whole family cohld be cleaned up in one go.

Always did exactly the same on the hill, usually late April. On low ground estates checked all earths from distance early March on.