From ABC rural.
Wedge tails a threat for livestock
By Julia Holman Tuesday, 10/01/2012 A New South Wales farmer has lost 15 angora goats this summer to attacks from Wedge-tailed eagles. Ron Harris has 200 goats at his property in Burragate in south east NSW. He says he’s frustrated nothing can be done to stop the protected species from attacking his herd. “I was coming up from the shed here the other day to the house and I heard a kid scream and I thought, ‘Oh, it’s all right,’ and then it screamed again, I raced over to the edge of the bank and there was a Wedge-tailed eagle on top of it and another one coming in to help it,” he said. He says that farmers used to be able to shoot the birds, but that’s no longer allowed. “When they’re protected animals you don’t like to see anything happen to them, but when you lose 15 it’s getting a bit beyond a joke,” he said. “The old timers used to eliminate them, and they don’t talk about it, whereas I feel that I wish people would realise they do kill, but people try to tell you it’s foxes or it’s something else, but don’t say Wedge-tailed eagles.” ===============================
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I suppose that it’s possible with so many feral goats out there that the eagles have become habituated to hunting goat kids.
Hi Don’t folk have an Alpaca / Lama or two in with their sheep and lambs, as a deterrent to foxes?? Would that work against W-T Eagles?? (These birds normally are carrion eaters or go for weak and sick animals…are Angoras much smaller than, say, Merino lambs??). I just wonder if eagles were actually observed to be the guilty party for each of those 15 slaughters…? (how about a “lamb-cam” :-). Just worried about knee-jerk reactions to this sort of media publication.
Cheers Peter Madvig
Hi all, I forwarded this thread to a friend who is an Agricultural Scientist specialising in fibre animals, especially goats. He is also a serious bird watcher and conservationist. I have just returned from a few days visit with he and his family to their ‘Land for Wildlife’ property in western/central Victoria where we were thrilled to find Diamond Firetails with young, latest new record for the property’s extensive bird list which also includes WT Eagles. He said….
“Thanks Wendy, Yes I know Ron Harris very well. It is not so easy as the wits pretend. Goats graze 9 hours each day and are clearly outside in the open. A guard dog may be the way…….”
Wendy
Peter,
Anyone who runs goats should know about kid/goat shelters. Basic shelters are cheap to knock up. The value of the goats that this guy has lost would build a goat mansion.
Cheers,
Carl Clifford
Is that common practice, Alan? Perhaps it’s expensive to set up.
Peter Shute
Is that common practice, Alan? Perhaps it’s expensive to set up.
Peter Shute
Yes, it reminds me somewhat of Edmund Blackadder (see also Rowan Atkinson) who was told that on expedition the sun was going to beat down so hard it’d make his head bleed.
His reaction was “so, some sort of hat would be in order, then?”
The farmer might just be missing the obvious solution…
Bill
On Tue, Jan 10, 2012 at 11:37 AM, Alan Gillanders wrote: ===============================
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.. and he still has not decided to shelter his kidding goats!
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