Gulls - Black backed and lambing outside?

[Jerry]

New experience today, 3 bloody great gulls having a go at an hour old lamb. Think they were black backed gulls.

I do have issues with ravens at times but never seen gulls taking an interest in a lamb before.

I ended up scooting around on the quad for half an hour chasing them till they buggered off.

Any better ways to deter them should they come back???

 

[primmiemoo]

Join the club, @Jerry . A pair learnt to kill lambs and any ewes spotted on their backs during FMD, and wreaked havoc until two years ago. They live a long time, and teach their young well, so I'm sorry to say it's a case of cursing them, learning their calls (they aren't as precise as ravens in saying what they see, but you can get the general gist), and getting out in the field to yell at them before they have murdered anything.

 

[scottish-lleyn]

36g no5 usually sorts them

 

[serf]

Have someone training a hawk over the place throughout the year if its going to be a regular occurrence

 

[Jerry]

Join the club, @Jerry . A pair learnt to kill lambs and any ewes spotted on their backs during FMD, and wreaked havoc until two years ago. They live a long time, and teach their young well, so I'm sorry to say it's a case of cursing them, learning their calls (they aren't as precise as ravens in saying what they see, but you can get the general gist), and getting out in the field to yell at them before they have murdered anything.

hmmm...not good.

I’m lambing over 4 fields at moment. Can’t be all places all the time.

 

[Jerry]

36g no5 usually sorts them

Are they in general license in England?

 

[Jerry]

Have someone training a hawk over the place throughout the year if its going to be a regular occurrence

That’s interesting. And something that could be worth exploring. Might keep the ravens away as well!

 

[CopperBeech]

I take the attitude that the rules about what you can and can’t kill only apply if the particular species plays nice. Once anything starts killing your stock all bets are off. Go total recall.

 

[michael N123]

Everything is either a pigeon or a crow don’t complicate matters

 

[Anymulewilldo]

36g no5 usually sorts them

Do you not like your shoulder?! 28g 6’s work here!

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Poor man's pigeons, have at the barstewards, they learn too bloody fast off each other.

If you're a fair shot, 1⅛ and an extra full/turkey choke, actually really good practice because they are difficult not to shoot in front of

"but you never heard it here"

 

[ajcc]

17 and you call them lesser black backed going forward or crow from where I was stood.

 

[Dave6170]

Horrible creatures, no idea why they are protected. Mind you they're not very well protected here!

 

[bluebell]

and they wonder about what would wolves soon learn to eat?

 

[Dry Rot]

It is a bit sad when the only way to get the law changed seems to be to ignore it. But provided the perpetrator is prepared to accept the consequences, that seems to be the way things are going....and always have done.

 

[Ribble]

I wonder if lockdown has put pressure on feral pigeons and feral gulls.

There must be a lot less to scavenge.

 

[A1an]

Black backs have been taken off the General License in Scotland.

Absurd!

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Join the club, @Jerry . A pair learnt to kill lambs and any ewes spotted on their backs during FMD, and wreaked havoc until two years ago. They live a long time, and teach their young well, so I'm sorry to say it's a case of cursing them, learning their calls (they aren't as precise as ravens in saying what they see, but you can get the general gist), and getting out in the field to yell at them before they have murdered anything.

Do you get to actually know what the ravens say to each other?

 

[Dry Rot]

Black backs have been taken off the General License in Scotland.

Absurd!

I think the trouble is there is no one to argue our case with the law makers whereas the conservationists and bunny huggers come fully prepared and armed. What we need is some sort of union or association that looks after famers' interests....

Edited to say the falconers got themselves organised and now their sport is legal in most countries and they are even allowed to take birds from the wild for their sport, all subject to licensing, of course. I've always found those issuing the licences quite helpful provided they are given a reasoned argument.

It is clearly unreasonable to expect a farmer to stand quietly by and watch ravens or gulls remove the eyes of his lambs and ewes. Nor is it reasonable to expect him to apply for licences during the stress of lambing when the law is so difficult to enforce. It is pretty obvious what's going to happen. Setting innocent and caring people up to be criminals.

 

[Peckerhead]

I feel your pain I had 2 cast ewes killed recently,ended up moving everything to the steep ground so they self righted and those birds are gonna get it as soon as lambings done and I've had sleep! Going back to your problem I wonder if those diving hawk kite things on whippy poles would work,they were installed around landfill sites to deter the gulls around 10 years ago,not seen any for a while now I think about it but may be worth a Google!