Outside lambing pest control?

[taff]

OK so just interested really in how much time and effort people put into pest control before and during lambing especially when the actual birth happens outside. I might be leaning that way(outside lambing)! with increasing numbers and I was wondering what everyone does as we are a split over a number of locations some of which are in fairly difficult places to control foxes etc.

 

[unlacedgecko]

You won't beat snares for efficiency. Just make sure you get round them morning and night.

 

[Leereade]

Even live traps will help with dead lambs in them foxes like an easy meal they would take a dead one before a live one

 

[taff]

Any body lamb behind electric? Snares are good but we're over run with footpaths so no always a option!

 

[Tim W]

Lamb most behind electric no worries

Pests? I leave it to gamekeepers but corvids are my main problem
Foxes take an occasional one or two as do badgers

Humans walking dogs probably do as much or more damage

 

[scottish-lleyn]

I will start my corvid massacre very soon then continue to carry a gun on the bike until lambing finished. Set snares for foxes. You have to be ticketed to set snares legally. A couple of foxes about doing not damage are a good thing as they keep other foxes of there patch.

 

[Kevtherev]

Ravens are the worst bloody things up here

 

[Woolless]

A local bloke controls the foxes on the farms round here. He came up a couple of weeks before lambing and sat out one night. Saw a couple of foxes next door which he got later.

 

[unlacedgecko]

I will start my corvid massacre very soon then continue to carry a gun on the bike until lambing finished. Set snares for foxes. You have to be ticketed to set snares legally. A couple of foxes about doing not damage are a good thing as they keep other foxes of there patch.

No need for a snare ticket in England/Wales.

If corvids are the problem then Larson's and ladder traps are your friends.

 

[JohnGalway]

I'd look into getting someone else to do it. Pest control can take up a lot of your time, particularly at lambing when you're better of getting decent sleep instead of being up half the night. If you do get someone in with snares, they need to know how to use them or you'll have badgers, hares and all sorts hung up around your land. Is digging and terriers still allowed over there? I don't mean to kill the fox by that method, rather to find him and shoot him & family that way. Hooded crows are barstewards and should all be killed. Larsen traps are very effective during nesting, I'd advise multiple catch compartments so as to maximise your daily catch. Again checking daily, feeding call birds can be very time consuming, particularly in multiple locations. IF, and its often a big word, you have reliable and trustworthy locals interested in that type of thing it could well be a better option than DIY.

 

[Pasty]

Ladder traps are very good for crows. Bait with eggs or a dead rabbit or both. Once one get's in they'll all join the party. As usual check daily etc.

Also might be worth asking on one of the airgun forums as there are many responsible shooters out there looking for 'permissions' to carry out their hobby. Usually discreet and insured. Many will also have .22LR or .17 as well for range.

I'm seriously considering lambing my few in front of the house so that I have full view of the field from my office window when I am working there. Once I get my HMR, crows will be in trouble.

 

[RDL]

Grey crows and ravens would be my biggest problem with outside lambing.
I use a couple of gas bangers.

 

[Al R]

In order of how much damage they can do it'd be badgers, 10-20 pairs of ravens, 10-12 pairs of great black backed gulls and then foxes.

We've got to continuously check every animal every 2 hours outside. You can tell from a mile away if a ewe is lambing as the ravens and GBBGulls will start heading in that direction! If your not quick enough they'll get the eyes and udder of the ewe and eyes of the lamb as she's pushing!

The foxes will take the odd one in a whole season, but they usually just end up eating afterbirth and are usually just trying to feed their family!

 

[rhuvid]

As I've found, if you get a problem, deal with it. Otherwise leave them quiet.

 

[Joe S]

Ravens and bonxies are the only problems we're have, just have the 223 on ur back will looking around them!

 

[unlacedgecko]

Ravens and bonxies are the only problems we're have, just have the 223 on ur back will looking around them!

What is a bonxie?

 

[Woolless]

Artic Skua. It's a nothern isles word. I worked a summer in Shetland as a youngster.

 

[Joe S]

Artic Skua. It's a nothern isles word. I worked a summer in Shetland as a youngster.

Yup only meant to shot them if doing harm to live stock in spring aka lambing time! It never happens any other times[emoji85]

 

[addy the daddy]

we had problem couple year ago I go out lamping but they were craftty kept their distance could .nt get close enough with my 22 rifle then I pace out 50 yards put some dead lambs down tie them to a post and put a red light of a battery charger all night I could see the dead lambs from my living room in a hour 3 foxes came shot and dispatch no more problem plus 1 fox had a leg missing so he probly try to survive got bigger rifle and always go out 4 week before lambing

 

[MJT]

No need for a snare ticket in England/Wales.

If corvids are the problem then Larson's and ladder traps are your friends.

Contemplating making one for crows, are they as successful as people make out ? Would they be Any use in catching crows bigger black cousins ?