Corvid Lamb Persecution Now Out of Control COUNTRY SQUIRE MAGAZINE

BY EILEEN STUART

Warning: Graphic images

Following an appeal by the high-profile farmer Gareth Wyn Jones, sheep farmers across Britain have amassed hundreds of images and reports of bird attacks on lambs during this year’s lambing season.

Pest birds, such as carrion crows, magpies and jackdaws, are spreading in their millions and face only one enemy: farmers with their shotguns.

The problem is, farmers with their shotguns cannot always be outside protecting their lambs. Farmers are also restricted by a spike in urban sticky beaks, licensing hurdles and red tape.

The situation, following years of Townie legislation dreamt up by short-sighted ‘environmentalists’ on townhouse desks, is now out of control and worsening. Now, farmers have been forced to club together to collect evidence so that officials and MPs can witness and understand the major disaster that their policies have created. The reality on the ground may stop them from listening to animal rights extremists in future at whose feet all the gory lamb deaths lie.

The incidents reported are widespread across Britain. Take this farmer who reported:

So far this year, we have had 1 ewe stuck on back, Ravens took her eye back passage & abdomen. She died. 3 x ewes stuck on back, lost one eye to ravens but survived. 4/5 lambs killed, eyes & back passage taken by ravens or crows. Crows & ravens eating sheep cake when feeding in the fields. 1000’s Starlings eating sheep cake on mass. Crows/rooks damaging plastic wrap on 40/50 bales of silage.

Or this Shropshire farmer:

Hi there I have 50 breeding ewes Last year I stopped lambing outside as magpies were taking eyes out of lambs while the ewe was in labour withe second lamb,lost about six lambs
Now I lamb inside best I can and keep them in until lambs are stronger whitch is an extra cost in corn but saves lambs
But still I’ve had magpie attacks on turning out but only one death

Or this farmer who sent in the following report and (graphic) photos:

From 6/4/24-13/4/24 first week of lambing all outdoors. 2 lambs born dead, 2 lambs hypothermia and At cooker but did not survive the cold wet rain, 4 lambs and biggest of twins or big single lambs lost to crows and rooks. So, so scunnered. Question why we are doing this!!!!! Our only source of income. Surrounded by woods, yet our lambing fields are exposed. Images show the destruction.

There are plenty of videos of corvid attacks available online. Gareth has shown some of them on his Twitter feed.

With farmers already feeling attacked from all angles, the last thing they need is this crap.

The animal rights extremists who came up with the legislation to protect these birds in the first place have been repeatedly exposed as liars who, it is well known, have a detestation of landowners, the shooting industry and farmers. These activists are selfishly fighting a class war without a thought for farmers.