Magpies and sheep

[Pasty]

Just driven up around the sheep and noticed a magpie on one of their backs. Not a new thing, I have noticed it before. It didn't seem bothered by the truck and I could easily get within 20 yards which made me think I ought to go back and get the air gun.

But then I wondered if they are actually helping the sheep. These are full grown ewes so are they picking off any lice and ticks? Any potential harm to the sheep?

I'll normally whack any magpie I can for the sake of songbirds but now wondering if I would be taking out a helper in this case.

Any thoughts? Evidence of harm to sheep?

 

[Alex6160]

Just driven up around the sheep and noticed a magpie on one of their backs. Not a new thing, I have noticed it before. It didn't seem bothered by the truck and I could easily get within 20 yards which made me think I ought to go back and get the air gun.

But then I wondered if they are actually helping the sheep. These are full grown ewes so are they picking off any lice and ticks? Any potential harm to the sheep?

I'll normally whack any magpie I can for the sake of songbirds but now wondering if I would be taking out a helper in this case.

Any thoughts? Evidence of harm to sheep?

We have only ever had problems with magpies on sheeps backs.....we had one case where a few magpies ate a hole into a tups back all the way down to his spine.....just keep a close eye that they are causing no damage mate

 

[chris elk]

Get them cleaned up no good to anything , I've caught 28 in my Larson traps this spring . Wouldn't trust them to go for lambs eyes etc.

 

[Downtrodden Dad]

Made a right mess of a batch of tups one year by pecking their backs. Evil things

 

[Pasty]

Thanks all. I did nip back out with the rifle but the ewes had split and the ones with the magpie in attendance made a break for their mates when I rocked up. Just got spooked in the evening light I think. Also hadn't used the gun for a while so had to check zero. I'll make a point of taking it with me from now on. Can't usually get that close to the crafty sods.

 

[chris elk]

Make your self a Larson trap get a call bird from a local keeper and in the spring you'll catch one or two a day!

 

[milkloss]

Make your self a Larson trap get a call bird from a local keeper and in the spring you'll catch one or two a day!

Can you catch them this time of year or is it spring only job?

 

[chris elk]

You'll still catch but a lot better in the spring . The art is to try and keep a call bird alive through the winter so you can get cracking end of Feb and keep one or two spare as you catch them .

 

[C.J]

Can you catch them this time of year or is it spring only job?

Still catching one a week here.

 

[Roy_H]

Can you catch them this time of year or is it spring only job?

Local but not too "Local" if you get what I mean. Its the "foreign" accent of the call bird that tells the magpies that the one in the cage is an intruder!

 

[Aspinalls]

Yea - watch out for the eye-pecking so and so's near your lambs in Spring. They are mercyless

 

[Christoph1945]

I thought, perhaps mistakenly, that use of a live bird to bring others into range was illegal. Am I mistaken in my understanding of the law?

ps..............I'm not being critical with my question, just interested.

 

[Roy_H]

I thought, perhaps mistakenly, that use of a live bird to bring others into range was illegal. Am I mistaken in my understanding of the law?

ps..............I'm not being critical with my question, just interested.

You aren't bringing in the bird to be shot, the call bird is in a cage and the idea is other magpies come to investigate the intruder into their territory and become caught themselves in another separated part of the cage so they cannot harm the call bird. Then the newly trapped bird(s) are disposed of humanely. As long as the call bird is kept fed and watered and protected from the worst of the weather, using such a "Larsen Trap" is perfectly legal.
http://www.trapman.co.uk/metal-larsen-trap.htm

 

[Christoph1945]

Roy,

many thanks for your considerate and educational reply. Now I understand just a little more about both the law and country ways.

As for the magpies on the backs of sheep; I did half wonder if the birds were attracted to the sheep's back by some preexisting condition.
Being a simple townie, ignorant of so many country ways, I am somewhat prone to asking what may appear to be silly questions!

Chris

 

[Roy_H]

Roy,

many thanks for your considerate and educational reply. Now I understand just a little more about both the law and country ways.

As for the magpies on the backs of sheep; I did half wonder if the birds were attracted to the sheep's back by some preexisting condition.
Being a simple townie, ignorant of so many country ways, I am somewhat prone to asking what may appear to be silly questions!

Chris

You are very welcome Chris! We had a carpenter friend build us a trap. We were never a fan of the magpie but seeing a pair rip open a bluetit's nest and kill all the baby ones was the last straw. (OK its nature but...) Within 1 hour of setting the trap it caught it's first bird and then within 12 months it caught over 100 more! Then some do-gooder found it, let the call bird out and smashed the trap to bits!

 

[Christoph1945]

Aaaah; I remember the days when magpies were fare game for disposal and then they were listed as protected species. I now understand that they are once again listed as pests an can be disposed of as required. Despite being a lifelong townie, I have no problems with pest control and property protection from invasive species. I also have great sympathy with our farming community's battle against TB carrying badgers and ignorant peoples resistance to a humane cull.

Although not a fan of vivisection; I was stunned when I once heard of some animal rights protesters releasing a load of animals from a lab. God knows what was being tested on the little critters and what they may have been carrying. Remember "SARS"? Big panic and no one ever said where it came from!

 

[Roy_H]

Talking of "Invasive species", not many people realise that if a grey squirrel has been caught in a "catch alive" cage trap it is actually illegal to let it go again. It must be humanely destroyed.

 

[Christoph1945]

That was one little thing that I "did" know. Getting there slowly! Same applies to the alien signal crayfish introduced to our waters from the US. But as I understand it, one requires a permit, or licence, to catch the little blighters but once caught they cannot be returned to the water and one must confirm that they were dead before disposal.

I just may try a bit of crayfish fishing; depending on the cost of a permit. I can get a half decent crayfish trap for just over £20 and the little buggers are very tasty.

I think that it was only last year that an elderly townie trapped a grey squirrel and pumped it full of airgun pellets and then left it to suffer a slow agonizing death. Cost him dearly though and put a considerable hole in his bank account, for animal cruelty.

No more cruel than the designer diseases used by governments I suppose. Remember myxomatosis? I can also remember when there were stray dog problems up and down the country and in some areas they ran in packs. Big problem and loads of complaints and questions in the house, but then from nowhere cam "parvoe". Problems solved.

 

[Danllan]

I have no problem with controlling any pest species, be it magpies, crows, foxes or badgers (were that legal) but let's not be daft and call a wild animal, or any animal for that matter, 'evil'. They all do what comes naturally, maggots in a sheep's flesh eating it alive are horrible and revolting, but they aren't evil, they are just doing what comes naturally and are no more 'evil' that a sheep or rabbit eating grass.

Perhaps most organisms in the wild are eaten alive; it's unpleasant, especially for the individual, but it isn't evil.

 

[TripleSix]

I ran over a grey squirrel with the van last night.
Bonus!

Got a couple of pigeons last week too.

A kills a kill.

I did run a Larsen but the boss let my last call bird die so I gave up.