I'd imagine some fast of foot guard dogs might be able to help, but most of the protector species dogs, at least that I know of, are big and slower. Herding dogs, which are not always left out alone with flocks, are typically agile and fast, but not sure they are appropriate for protecting against large aggressive birds. Not sure what the (legal) answer would be.
We have coyotes here, lots of them, and they threaten the lambs, kids (goats) and every sort of coop in the area. We have crows, Red Tail Hawks and Bald Eagles. FULL STORY at the link below.
cowboystatedaily.com
We have coyotes here, lots of them, and they threaten the lambs, kids (goats) and every sort of coop in the area. We have crows, Red Tail Hawks and Bald Eagles. FULL STORY at the link below.
Ravens Attack Lambs, But Are Protected In Wyoming, So You Can’t Shoot Them
With calving and lambing season underway, Wyoming ranchers must fend off predators. Ravens are among the worst with their attacks on lambs, but can’t be…
cowboystatedaily.com
Ravens Attack Lambs, But Are Protected In Wyoming, So You Can’t Shoot Them
Ravens are among the worst with their attacks on lambs, but can’t be shot because they’re a protected species.
With calving and lambing season underway, Wyoming ranchers must fend off predators. Ravens are among the worst, but can’t be shot because they’re a protected species. (Photo by Ian Rutheford via Alamy)
Spring calving and lambing season is on across Wyoming, and ranchers are on guard against predators snatching up their newborn livestock.
Coyotes are a constant threat, as are wolves in parts of the state. Along with occasional marauding grizzlies, or foxes looking for an easy meal.
But as it turns out, ravens can be a bane to ranchers, as well – attacking calves’ tender parts or pecking out lambs’ eyes.
And because ravens are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Act, ranchers can’t legally shoot them.
“One sheepman I know over by Riverton said one of the most pathetic things you can see is a lamb that’s alive, but has had its eyes pecked out,” Wyoming Farm Bureau spokesman Brett Moline told Cowboy State Daily.
Big Piney area cattle rancher Tim Thompson told Cowboy State Daily that he dreads ravens showing up during calving season – and he and his family do their best to shoo them away.
“Those sons-a-bitches will eat a calf alive,” he said.
Don’t Mistake Ravens For Crows
Ravens’ smaller cousins, crows, can also cause trouble for cattle and sheep ranchers this time of year, Moline said.
Like ravens, they can attack newborn animals, he said.
There is a hunting season for crows in Wyoming, but that ended on Feb. 28. So, crows are also protected during much of the calving and lambing season.
In some cases, USDA Wildlife Services can issue permits to kill crows and ravens – to protect livestock or other human interests.
A few years ago, Riverton was practically overrun with those birds, and USDA allowed for many of them to be killed, Moline said.
Thompson said raven attacks on calves are gruesome.
Ravens will peck through a calf’s rectum area, trying to get to the hapless animal’s internal organs, he said. . . .
