So long Mr fox... what happens now?

Guiggs

Member
Location
Leicestershire
For as long as I've rented a particular block of land there's been a pair of foxes that call it their territory. Never caused me any problems, quite nice to see them sunning themselves on an autumn day, mooching about, I've been within a few feet of them on many occasions. Most nights when lambing I'd see one ( the dog fox?) Wondering around looking for tit bits,
They actually help keep the place tidy!
However, I see one dead on the bank of the pond the other day, I've not gone for a closer look to see if there's any obvious reason for it dying but it seems a little odd..
What happens now, i'm sure another will move in and take it's place soon enough, but has my run of trouble free neighbours come to an end ? will the new ones decide my lambs will make an easy meal?
Time will tell I guess!
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
I tend not to shoot to many fox’s for this reason. They don’t tend to be a problem as plenty of afterbirth around when lambing. I have in the past taken out a lot of rabbits in the lambing fields a few days before I start lambing, hoping the fox’s and Newcastle supporters would go for the easy target of dead rabbits as opposed to ewes with lambs.

I have had the odd rogue one in the past that wants every lamb going, to the point that they are hunting in the day aswell, meaning they don’t last long.

I’m hoping for you you have a lazy pair again, although you never know?
 
I think most foxes target dead or dieing lambs, but some will take healthy lambs. I occasionally get one which just kills for fun and eats nothing. I shoot all foxes but dont make a serious effort unless I am losing lambs.
 

firther

Member
Location
holmfirth
I think most foxes target dead or dieing lambs, but some will take healthy lambs. I occasionally get one which just kills for fun and eats nothing. I shoot all foxes but dont make a serious effort unless I am losing lambs.

how old does an healthy lamb to be roughly, before a fox won't bother with it
 

Guiggs

Member
Location
Leicestershire
I've had much bigger problems from badgers and the pair of ravens than I ever did from the foxes, I lost a tiny lamb or 2 which I suspect the fox took but they might well have been dead by then any way and they'd not have done any good.
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
I've had much bigger problems from badgers and the pair of ravens than I ever did from the foxes, I lost a tiny lamb or 2 which I suspect the fox took but they might well have been dead by then any way and they'd not have done any good.
2 were taken by foxes last year out of over 1700 lambs, can’t blame them for feeding their family. Ravens, GBBG and badgers would’ve been over 50 lambs, which was a good year for us!
 
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Guiggs

Member
Location
Leicestershire
2 were taken by foxes last year out of over 1700 lambs, can’t blame them for feeding their family. Ravens, GBBG and badgers would’ve been over 50 lambs, which was a good year for us!

Can you shoot/ trap GBBG or are they protected like everything else that causes problems?
 
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how old does an healthy lamb to be roughly, before a fox won't bother with it

After a week old it will take a very determined fox to kill a lamb.

A few years ago I had a fox killing around 5 lambs a night with a single bite to the neck which often did not even break the skin. I had to cut open their necks to see the cause of death. Some lambs were defiantly over a week old and he was not eating any. After I had shot about 6 foxes the killing stopped so one of them was the killer.
 

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