Lambs tails cut / missing

Username John

Hello,

I noticed a lamb with a very short tail yesterday, I ring the tails but I was surprised to see it short so quickly. But i didn't take much heed of it...

Today, I spotted a lamb with what look like tears / marks down the tail. I caught the lad with the short tail, and it looks like something happened the end of his tail as well (it wasn't due to the rubber ring)

What could this be? The lambs are about 5 - 10 days old.

I have a not so good feeling about some predator, but I can't think of what would go for their tails, but can't think of what else it might be...?

paddysdream

Could be the ewe biting the tail.
Seen a few here over the years do this,some just bite at it whilst a few would bite it clean off.

colmwexford

We had a ewe bite two of her lambs tails in the pen yesterday. Thought it might be over zealous cleaning, they weren't long born.

Username John

No - these are lambs that are a few days old. They ha long tails going out, and now a few days later, their tails are shorter... But not where the rubber ring is.
Also, not all the lambs have shorter tails - one had two cuts to his tail...

So I dunno what it could be. If it was one, I'd say they got it caught in wire or something. But as it's 2 or 3 - I wouldn't think its that...

MayoAreMagic

Had a fox killing lambs where he took off the head and the tail. The neighbour had a lamb that was missing a tail the same year.

AnFeirmeoir

id guess its a small dog. something chasing your lambs for fun

Username John

I know this is an old thread - but I said I'd open it again - as I found a lamb with the same thing yesterday...

Lamb about a week old - and tail gone from about an inch below the rubber ring...

razor8

had one like this last week, all you could see was the bone so i put a rubber ring on, i suspect it was a fox or badger that tried to attack lamb when he was asleep

Green farmer

That's one lucky lamb, to escape a predator.

drive it

Would it be the grey crow seen it here a couple of weeks ago lambs flat out sleeping and the dirty thing hops up beside them pulling at there tails, one lamb had cut marks the tail.
Got local lad that has a cage to catch them and he has got 7 so far .