13day old lamb & 16day old lamb head gone untouched??

derferjam

Hi
for the second time in two days I've found a lamb with its head gone but body perfect any idea??
As you can imagine I'm sick with the sight of it...
Thanks

tomwaterford

It's a fox

Remember digging out foxes before and funding nests of rotting lambs heads


Your as well to stay up all night if necessary to shot this fox,as it's only killing for sport and will keep returning until it's stopped

razor8

I doubt a fox would take a lamb that's 2 weeks old

arctictree

razor8 wrote: »

I doubt a fox would take a lamb that's 2 weeks old

I don't understand why a fox would not take such a lamb. The fox is much stronger and quicker. I'm surprised more lambs aren't taken by foxes.

derferjam

arctictree wrote: »

I don't understand why a fox would not take such a lamb. The fox is much stronger and quicker. I'm surprised more lambs aren't taken by foxes.

I've already killed six foxes... two vixen and 4 dogs in last 6wkds. One vixen in Cub. Got a dog and vixen last Sunday night but was hopeful that surely that was the lot... Didn't think this type of kill by predator was liking of a Fox. But I suppose has to be...

razor8

i seen it before but only in day old lambs where head was gone. at the time we blamed a pine martin for it

razor8

arctictree wrote: »

I don't understand why a fox would not take such a lamb. The fox is much stronger and quicker. I'm surprised more lambs aren't taken by foxes.

it would be an exception to the rule for a fox to take a lamb that age, good chance they were dead already

rangler1

derferjam wrote: »

I've already killed six foxes... two vixen and 4 dogs in last 6wkds. One vixen in Cub. Got a dog and vixen last Sunday night but was hopeful that surely that was the lot... Didn't think this type of kill by predator was liking of a Fox. But I suppose has to be...

The deal I have here is that if I leave out a dead lamb our friendly fox won't take a live one.....he calls about twice a week.
Anyway it's unlikely a fox would get a fortnight old lamb

Green farmer

Often pondered setting up a trail cam to see exactly what's predators are around at night. Thing is I've about 20 things needing buying ahead of it on the list.

MayoAreMagic

Definitely a fox. I have heard it is the male fox that kills this way, but personally I think it is just a style that certain foxes use and others don't. The same way that the same dog will attack an animal in the same way each time (depressing that I have learned that piece of info over the years).

Re the lambs themselves, are they particularly dopey lambs this year? It's rare but it isn't unheard of to lose them that old. Are they all going from the same field? I have a particular field where lambs this old tend to go from on occasion. It has a ditch where lambs sleep along. But the next field has a lot of cover for foxes to sneak through and then up along the ditch.

I use Stockholm tar on their necks as a deterrent, it works...

Ard_MC

derferjam wrote: »

Hi
for the second time in two days I've found a lamb with its head gone but body perfect any idea??
As you can imagine I'm sick with the sight of it...
Thanks

Had the same thing a few years ago. Was told it was a dog fox...got hunts and lamps in and nothin. Then a lad lay in the field from 4 am and a pack if 3 dogs came along. No more issues after that.

Sheep breeder

When a lambs head is taken it's an adult dog fox who can carry the head his mouth back to the den and would hard to shoot as is cute the lamb and any smell gone like lighting,

connolly18

i heard this somewhere if u have trouble with foxes buy a alpaca and itt will protect ur flock from predators