[sabrina]

gave one of my friends a call this week just to have a catch up. She has a guy who comes onto her land to shoot, he does all the local farms around her to keep foxes and deer numbers down. One of his friends has a small flock of pure bred Shetland Ewes who have not long lambed. On doing the rounds one night he came upon a badger eating a rejected lamb which was still alive but too weak to escape. By law he could not shoot the badger which he has seen most evenings going round the field. He moved his sheep closer to the house thinking that would keep them safer but caught a badger on camera trying to dig under his electric fence 

[Freddiesfarm]

We have had terrible problems this year with badgers and we have three large sets very close to both the land we rent and our own lambing fields.

I decided to look into the whole badger thing to find out why it is illegal to kill them as they aren't endangered and it is simply down to the cruel and inhumane ways that some people used to go about it!

So far this year I have lost countless lambs to the badger and also my ducks which I use for the dog and duck displays - so now desperately training new ducks when should be putting more effort into dogs!

As for the bagers - well we have to co-exist so wondering whether it wouldn't be better to feed the buggers - surely if they have full tummies they won't go on the prowl after my lambs?....

[doganjo]

As for the badgers - well we have to co-exist so wondering whether it wouldn't be better to feed the buggers - surely if they have full tummies they won't go on the prowl after my lambs?....

Probably, but what will you feed them?  Bet they eat a lot!

[morri2]

Try feeding them cheap dog or cat food - I have heard they love it!  Hope works 'cos I think badgers, like foxes get a lot of bad press when, like you say, we really have to co-exist with them.

[Wizard]

Say morri I hope you talk like that when you send your £200,000 combine harvester into the field and the field gives way where the badgers have been burrowing buggering up a £3000 traction motor bending a drive wheel and other bits and pieces It don't matter though its only a combine The lovely beautiful badger is at the other end of the set.

[morri2]

I wish!!  £200,000 would be very welcome right now - in fact I'd settle for £2,000, nope, perhaps even £200 - won't be buying a combine though.

[Freddiesfarm]

I think badgers have their places I would just prefer they weren't at mine - I am such a NIMBY!

[doganjo]

NIMBY is GOOD!!!!!!!  I like NIMBY!  I am a NIMBY!

[HappyHippy]

I'm sure I remember reading something about badgers having very strict routes that they like to take to and from places and will attack anything that gets in their way. That might explain it trying to dig under the electric fence, but I'm not sure about the eating of the lamb - maybe just opportunistic ? I always thought they ate worms and frogs and stuff like that.

[Wizard]

Annie from reading you I guessed

[Hellybee]

No they will eat young lambs, my neighbour can testify to that.  She advised to try and help by putting a streak of stockholm tar at the nape of the neck to try and deter the badger and put it on the hocks/haunches  to deter the fox.  Apparently they detest the taste of the tar, which is harmlessto the lamb, starts wearing off as they get older. i adore the smell of the stuff lol

[Wizard]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh kinky