Keeping the fox away from my lambs!!

galway 4 sam

any tips for keeping the fox away from my lambs. I have heard that if you paint the lambs back with paint it will keep the fox away. what colour paint and what type of paint? any other ideas/tips would be appreciated. Thanks.

johngalway

galway 4 sam wrote: »

any tips for keeping the fox away from my lambs.

Yep, shoot them. Prevention is better than cure.

Teagasc had a research farm the Mayo side of Leenane where they had a field with five strands of electric wire around it. The manager there reckoned they'd only ever lost one lamb or no lambs I forget which since some time in the 90's.

People used to put creosote on lambs necks but I wouldn't do that, it's nasty stuff.

flatout11

the electric fence is probably the best deterant

Western Pomise

Paint a thin stripe of stockholm tar on their tail and head.....foxes detest the smell of it.

Western Pomise

And before any treehuggers come on....the tar wears off after about 2 weeks when the lambs are too strong for the fox to take!!....would rather have smelly live lambs than smelly dead lambs.

razor8

red oxide is also supposed to work, any time we had a problem, we rang the local gun club who would come out at wipe out any foxes in the forestry next door.

I believe its very rare for a fox to take a lamb with the odd exception. i think the lambs are usualy dead when foxes get the blame for taking them

jmrc

a small piece of lead placed just behind the foxes left ear seams to solve this inbalance....in the fox...

if possible, move the lambs closer in at night to a secure holding area. not always practial but it does work. good fences too, and remember the gates too..

Birdnuts

jmrc wrote: »

a small piece of lead placed just behind the foxes left ear seams to solve this inbalance....in the fox...

..

Aye - lamping is your only man for getting fox numbers down quickly. The OP might consider re-posting this in the Hunting Forum if he wants/needs help in this area:)

johngalway

razor8 wrote: »

I believe its very rare for a fox to take a lamb with the odd exception. i think the lambs are usualy dead when foxes get the blame for taking them

I'm afraid that you believe wrong.

Looking after my fathers farm while he had his hip replaced I put 32 in lamb Scottish Blackface ewes into a 20 acre field. I expected them to walk out with 40 lambs.

They got the same care as my own ewes on my own farm where I had 0 lamb losses.

During lambing I noticed ewes were freshly lambed but the lamb count was not rising. I met a local man in the village who shoots and asked him to come in with me that night.

From a high vantage point we could see five or six foxes in amongst the ewes at the same time. We shot thirteen foxes over seven nights and had no more unexplained losses. The land is on an island connected to the mainland by bridge, so it's not as if they can come in from the four corners of the country.

Those 32 ewes came out of that field with 16 lambs.

After I got my own guns the local Postman arrived to my door one day. Another farmer had lost 16 or 18 lambs in one week, could I have a look. Skins, legs, tails, all over the place.

The next night, Saturday we went for a look and I shot a barren vixen. One lamb was taken in the next week so I went for another look the next Saturday night, shot another barren vixen, no more losses after that.

Another farmer rang me one night, he had four lambs taken over two nights. We went for a look on two exceptionally stormy wet nights and shot two foxes on one night with the same result.

Ourselves, and the two other farmers noted all treat our stock well and take pride in producing good animals.

Foxes will kill lambs, fowl and game birds as well as other wild animals.

TossL1916

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056544357

Put an ad their if you want them hunted. Depending on where you live in galway you should have plenty lads looking to do the job for you.
If you do use this, dont get in as many lads as possible,pick one fella with a bit of experience and you should be fine. Or get on to your local gun club.
Hope this helps.

5live

johngalway wrote: »

I'm afraid that you believe wrong.

Looking after my fathers farm while he had his hip replaced I put 32 in lamb Scottish Blackface ewes into a 20 acre field. I expected them to walk out with 40 lambs.

They got the same care as my own ewes on my own farm where I had 0 lamb losses.

During lambing I noticed ewes were freshly lambed but the lamb count was not rising. I met a local man in the village who shoots and asked him to come in with me that night.

From a high vantage point we could see five or six foxes in amongst the ewes at the same time. We shot thirteen foxes over seven nights and had no more unexplained losses. The land is on an island connected to the mainland by bridge, so it's not as if they can come in from the four corners of the country.

Those 32 ewes came out of that field with 16 lambs.

After I got my own guns the local Postman arrived to my door one day. Another farmer had lost 16 or 18 lambs in one week, could I have a look. Skins, legs, tails, all over the place.

The next night, Saturday we went for a look and I shot a barren vixen. One lamb was taken in the next week so I went for another look the next Saturday night, shot another barren vixen, no more losses after that.

Another farmer rang me one night, he had four lambs taken over two nights. We went for a look on two exceptionally stormy wet nights and shot two foxes on one night with the same result.

Ourselves, and the two other farmers noted all treat our stock well and take pride in producing good animals.

Foxes will kill lambs, fowl and game birds as well as other wild animals.

razor8 wrote: »

red oxide is also supposed to work, any time we had a problem, we rang the local gun club who would come out at wipe out any foxes in the forestry next door.

I believe its very rare for a fox to take a lamb with the odd exception. i think the lambs are usualy dead when foxes get the blame for taking them

I have to agree with john galway here, razor8. I remember lambing outside one spring and heard a ewe lambing on a very foggy night. She was after having twins and both were up and sucked and i tried to get them to a house for bonding but the ewe wouldnt move from that spot. I shone my lamp and there were two eyes shining a few feet away. A mangy old fox looking for a snack! I eventually got the ewe into the house and next day rang a neighbour who sorted the fox out. He was old and hungry so that was why he stuck around so long. But despite the PR, yes they do take live viable lambs and will come back for dessert