The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: in the hills on May 08, 2013, 11:43:27 am
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There has been a real commotion in our field all morning. There are 3 Ravens "hanging about". They are sitting in the trees bordering our land (woodland) and appear to be fighting too. Even rolling about in the stream ::) .
The ewes are very uneasy. They have their lambs all together in the corner of the field and have circled them. They are watching the "goings on" closely. As far as I can tell the ravens aren't interfering with the sheep.
Are they a potential hazard to the lambs? Seen them around before but not staying so much in this one spot. :o
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All corvids love to peck out the eyes of lambs and sheep, tongues too. A raven is possibly big enough to take a small lamb.
Are you sure it's 3 ravens and not 2 parent ravens and a marauding buzzard being taught a lesson?
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Plenty of ravens here ,not a problem unless the ewe is cast or having problems lambing , then they take the lambs eyes and tongue
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They'll have a go at anus, tongue and navel too and leave something that you have no choice but to dispatch. Recommend loud bangs, CDs hung up from branches on cotton threads and constant vigilance.
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Thanks for the replies.
SITN - 3 ravens. Often seen them having a skirmish with the local buzzards but in this case it was one another. Maybe territorial or did wonder if they were fighting over afterbirth or similar seeing that we lambed outside. Decided to send my son out with his air rifle after your post. Clever things because me shouting and flapping didn't send them far but they soon moved off once he went out. ::)
Thanks MF - got some old CD's so will string some around edge of the field.
My Soay twins born a couple of days ago are still tiny so will listen out.
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We have them strip the ends of lambs tails last year, unfortunately our breed (Zwartbles) have to have a full tail with a white tip, so a paiin when they take the white tip of an otherwise perfectly marked lamb, haven't had them cause any other problems though, but could probably be a worry if we lambed outside though.
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Took a walk in the wood behind my field tonight. Discovered their nest is high in an oak in the middle of the wood. :(
All my ewes have lambed now, so just hope they leave the lambs alone.
Is it just ill/weak lambs that they go for?
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I have known them go for a sleeping lamb.
get a local rifle man to shoot them
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I have known them go for a sleeping lamb.
get a local rifle man to shoot them
But check they have a licence first.
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As Dan states to shoot a Raven you need a licence issued under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Permission will only be given if the Government deems it appropriate. They cannot be shot under general licence. Your Ravens are a protected species like the Buzzard and other raptors, so you could end up in very deep water if you take action outside of the law. And I'm sure nobody on here wants to get into that sort of trouble. We just have to do everything possible to avert such attacks.