Unusual lamb deaths

tikkamark

A fella a farmer was in the woman's barber's today and was telling her he lost 3 lambs the other night and all three had there heads completely eaten but the bodies weren't touched have ye lads any idea what might have done this???

123shooter

Dr Hannibal Lecter ??

.243

More than likely a Badger,seen it happen before,they take the head off to return it to the set for the offspring to chew on as the skull is still soft,the adult then comes back to feed on the internal organs and leaves the carcess

123shooter

.243 wrote: »

More than likely a Badger,seen it happen before,they take the head off to return it to the set for the offspring to chew on as the skull is still soft,the adult then comes back to feed on the internal organs and leaves the carcess

Was the lamb dead or alive?

.243

123shooter wrote: »

Was the lamb dead or alive?

Alive that day and dead when the head was removed that night

123shooter

But badgers eat on the spot they dont carry food away where a fox does. So I read.

Also as regards soft for offspring I would have thought a lambs head was the hardest part of the entire body so plenty of soft flesh and bones elsewhere.

.243

123shooter wrote: »

But badgers eat on the spot they dont carry food away where a fox does. So I read.

Also as regards soft for offspring I would have thought a lambs head was the hardest part of the entire body so plenty of soft flesh and bones elsewhere.

The adults return to eat on the spot,they remove the heads as it's the easiest part to remove from the body as they can't carry the whole lamb

123shooter

I am sorry but I cant believe a badger is so weak he cant carry a tiny 2lb lamb and it would be easy to rip open it's guts and get a mouthful of flesh than try chew through a neck bone. One of the strongest animals for it's size in existence.

I did a search to find some stuff on our friend killing a lamb and it returned a zero so i did another search for eating a lamb and that returned a zero. Admittedly I didn't look at every google page but enough was enough.

.243

123shooter wrote: »

I am sorry but I cant believe a badger is so weak he cant carry a tiny 2lb lamb and it would be easy to rip open it's guts and get a mouthful of flesh than try chew through a neck bone. One of the strongest animals for it's size in existence.

I did a search to find some stuff on our friend killing a lamb and it returned a zero so i did another search for eating a lamb and that returned a zero. Admittedly I didn't look at every google page but enough was enough.

They don't need to take that whole animal to feed their young and themselves hence what you find is a headless carcass with the organs removed

123shooter

So when did you witness this event?

.243

123shooter wrote: »

So when did you witness this event?

When I came across the small bone skull of a lamb at a set a few yrs ago

123shooter

Oh I see I misunderstood. They eat by scavanging and digging not by hunting. I mistakenly thought you had said they hunted and killed the lamb. Where your lamb could have died and was consumed so the skull was found that way?

.243

123shooter wrote: »

Oh I see I misunderstood. They eat by scavanging and digging not by hunting. I mistakenly thought you had said they hunted and killed the lamb. Where your lamb could have died and was consumed so the skull was found that way?

A.you are correct I never did say they hunted lambs,but as you just said yourself they scavenge and have been known to take out newborn born outdoor lambs apart
B.that And other different occasions involving situations what I've come across leads to badgers,

123shooter

But you personally have never seen one kill a lamb new born or of pension age?

tikkamark

The unusual thing here was the lambs were alive and well the evening before and the very next morning they were dead with no heads and no damage anywhere else on the body?
Would a pine Martin be cabable of killing a lamb?

123shooter

I have witnessed a fox killing a lamb 20 meters, new born, one of triplets but stuck the wrong side of a small stone wall from its mother. The fox was killing it with its paws. I shouted dog chased him, lamb died few mins later.

I have actually found the opposite about 4 times, where i have come across the heads of small lambs and no body in site.

I also came across the remains of a large lamb which consisted of a small bit of wool and a 4" bone fragment and a bloody stain all over grass. I had seen lamb with mother in daytime.

Another night something with eyes went crashing through the trees and bushes making noises like a chimpanzee screaming very loud.

Recently left 2 twin lambs with mother and walked other side of hill about 30 meters and heard strangest of noise like an animal calling noise never heard before, so i went back and one of the lambs was walking off into the darkness away from its mother. When i shone my torch around the noise stopped.

I don't like going out in the dark around here any more and haven't a clue what killed any of the lambs. But then unless I had seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't put the blame on or demonize any animal unless I was 100%

allan450

tikkamark wrote: »

The unusual thing here was the lambs were alive and well the evening before and the very next morning they were dead with no heads and no damage anywhere else on the body?
Would a pine Martin be cabable of killing a lamb?

pine martin has killed a few around me.I dont need to here the **** about them been protected ect.This is fact a farmer has lost several lambs during the lambing season to them.Now they never took the head off just hit the jugular and the lambs died after.but sure they dont do any damage :rolleyes:

Birdnuts

9 times out of ten it will be a dog fox doing that type of damage. I remember several occasions when digging out fox sets and coming across collections of lamb skulls. Twin lambs are most at risk cos the mother can only concentrate on defending one lamb at a time. The lambs in most cases were about 2 weeks old or younger

cookimonster

Interesting thread, I like the almost gothic horror story genre to it.....

A quick bit of Googling seems to verify the lads information- foxes attack the neck / throat area causing damage to the juggler and windpipe (coyote do the same whereas dogs tend to attack from behind and cause tearing wounds) and are indeed known to carry off the heads as do rogue badgers that will kill live lambs and are known to shear off the heads as opposed to the normal carrion feeding where the intestine is preferred.
I've talked to sheep farmers who have commented on the positive presence of badger and their ability to clean away animal carcasses.

You can rule out wild pig / boar as the kill site and carcass is bloodier due to the fact that they stand on the lamb while feeding off the chest cavity , not to mention the obvious fact about our wild pig / boar population.

Big cats, well have you looked up any trees lately for their latest kill.....

Then your favourite and mine the ever increasing population of the lycanthrope, thriving here due to the severe lack of silver ammunition to be got in reliable supply from Irish gun shops.

123shooter

I wouldn't believe it until I had seen it and there is plenty of television footage of all the animals/beings you mention and I can't remember seeing any of them killing and eating a lamb:)

But my stories are true. Other thing was they all took place in the same area and one event about 6 weeks back.

Still no real explanation why some animal/being:) who comes across a tasty meal decides to bite off the most inedible bit and leave the rest/best bit behind or in fact leave any of it behind. Doesn't make sense or comply with nature.

sniperman

a mutant ferret?

Bogwoppit

123shooter wrote: »

I wouldn't believe it until I had seen it and there is plenty of television footage of all the animals/beings you mention and I can't remember seeing any of them killing and eating a lamb:)

But my stories are true. Other thing was they all took place in the same area and one event about 6 weeks back.

Still no real explanation why some animal/being:) who comes across a tasty meal decides to bite off the most inedible bit and leave the rest/best bit behind or in fact leave any of it behind. Doesn't make sense or comply with nature.

Beings?

Care to elaborate?

123shooter

cookimonster wrote: »

Then your favourite and mine the ever increasing population of the lycanthrope, thriving here due to the severe lack of silver ammunition to be got in reliable supply from Irish gun shops.

Tis a Werewolf I believe:) or would that be classed as an animal?

Hobgoblin, Leprechaun.......... who knows Whatever turns you on.

Eddie B

123shooter wrote: »

Still no real explanation why some animal/being:) who comes across a tasty meal decides to bite off the most inedible bit and leave the rest/best bit behind or in fact leave any of it behind. Doesn't make sense or comply with nature.

It makes perfect sense actually. If a stoat, mink etc kill a rat, or frog, they often only eat the head. That brain tissue is a very tasty morsel. Must be like caviar to a predator.

Also, how many times have you seen the heads taken off pheasants, chickens etc in a pen kill.

I'm sure both fox and badger could have killed those lambs. Must be a handy enough meal for either, don't even have to chase them down. A bit like a drive through at McDonald's.

TheQuietFella

The head of the animal I believe is the most nutritious!
Bears hunting salmon will often eat just the head and leave the body.

123shooter

Evidence not theory and I bet someone out there can prove the calorific value in a salmon or lambs body and its head.:)

cookimonster

....did someone mention brains?..........

Then logicaly we can include Zombies and if so then Zombies Foxes!

Well they have the perfect solution to them and in just the right calibre to-

123shooter

Hey got it sorted.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4417964/Newborn-Easter-lamb-DECAPITATED-Satanic-sacrifice.html

Drug fueled Ravers

Bogwoppit

123shooter wrote: »

I don't like going out in the dark around here any more and haven't a clue what killed any of the lambs. But then unless I had seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't put the blame on or demonize any animal unless I was 100%

I'm intrigued to know why you don't like to go out at night?

123shooter

Bogwoppit wrote: »

I'm intrigued to know why you don't like to go out at night?

T'was just a saying but you never know:eek:

I'm intrigued why you want to know?

Bogwoppit

123shooter wrote: »

T'was just a saying but you never know:eek:

I'm intrigued why you want to know?

Reading your posts suggests you may be wary of meeting a chimpanzee/werewolf/leprechaun/being and I was curious as to whether you believe there is a significant chance of this happening.