[Jacob-list] predator question

[Marilyn McBirney]

Hi all,

Unfortunately I have predator stories to share.  My experience with
predators is that coyotes and foxes will tear open a larger carcass and eat
it there – wounds/open around the belly and neck.  Smaller lambs (and goats)
have disappeared without a trace.  Another time I had goats at my mothers
place a mile away – she couldn’t find 2,  6 mo old kids and called me for
help – I found them floating in the pond, under an overhanging tree,
partially hidden – my thought was they were chased in there, drowned and
coyotes couldn’t get them.   I set up a night camera (like hunters use to
find a good place to hunt – see Cabella’s) to see what was coming around and
got some great photos of coyotes, some of foxes – suspected they were
scavengers, and raccoons passing by.     Also had an adult ewe killed, clear
holes in skin at her throat – classic throat hold kill and I suspected
mountain lion, or a major predator that knew what it was doing.  Mountain
lions weren’t around supposedly then.  The carcass (100 lbs) was dragged
about 40 feet to the darkness under a tree, the rest of the pasture more
open and illuminated.  Later that month there were reports among other
farmers that a mountain lion female and ½ grown cub had been killed a mile
away.  I’m sure that ewe was a mountain lion kill.   Initially I had
Colorado Div of Wildlife come out and check – they said dogs tend to go for
the rear – tearing up around the anus/tail.  Coyotes go for the throat and
belly.  Since they don’t pay for damage by these species the info was
readily available.   Another friend had an attack her Barbados sheep – lost
10 at once! DOW checked it out and there were murmurs of coyote and mountain
lion but DOW pays for mtn lion damage and there wasn’t enough evidence that
it was mountain lion.  She has since purchased to LGD and had no problems-
other than they do bark frequently J.   

 

Which predator depends on your cover, location near wilder areas – in my
case the Arkansas River, how familiar the animals are with humans, how
desperate the predators are, etc.  I would think coyotes would be a good
possibility for your situation based on my 20+ years here.  Sorry for your
loss – it’s always been a shock and distressing each time it happens.  I
currently don’t have any sheep or goats due to predator problems (and
alfalfa hay costs $8-10/ sm bale now!!- that’s what is grown around here).
I think I’ll just lock them in a barn
 then last year a veterinarian friend
in the foothills lost 8 goats to black bears breaking into her barn while
they were on vacation and the dogs (house pets but would raise the alarm)
were locked inside.  Fortunately bears haven’t made it this far downstream

yet.    A young moose made it into the west side of town the other day (!).
I love having the wildlife and know to take precautions but
!  As I re read
this it sounds like a lot but this is over 22 years with a problem then
years of no problems, then a problem, years without – it just cycles,
probably based on how riled up everyone gets about their livestock and
eliminating the problem
 for a while. 

Good luck!

Marilyn McBirney

Rising Sun Farm,  Pueblo   Colorado

 

General Curator

Pueblo Zoo 

 

 

From: jacob-list-bounces at jacobsheep.com
[mailto:jacob-list-bounces at jacobsheep.com] On Behalf Of Karen Askounis
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 11:41 PM
To: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
Subject: [Jacob-list] predator question

 

For those of you who have lost sheep to coyotes is it common to have almost
nothing remaining after the attack? I have lost two ram lambs (one at a
time) – the first one simply was gone without a trace! No blood, no wool, no
wool or hair over or under fences – nothing. The second one – as is usually
the case – my most favorite sheep of all time L – found one piece of hide,
some bits of wool, his tail, no blood anywhere in pasture, again no wool or
hair on any exterior fences. These were ram lambs about 6 months old. They
were in with a donkey. Not sure if I should be mad at the donkey or happy he
kept losses to one lamb each time. This pasture had a hot wire across the
top but no lower predator hot wire (until last weekend, after the fact of
course). There were a few spots where the ground had washed away a bit under
the fence leaving some space under the fence where I figure they got in.
Does this sound like a pack of coyotes or should I be looking for something
else? We are in north eastern Illinois. Not sure what other predators to be
thinking of.

 

On a slightly different subject – does anyone think sheep with un-docked
tails are easier for predators to catch??

 

Karen Askounis

Three Fates Farm

Crete, IL

kaskounis at threefatesjacobs.com

 


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