Question:

Do you believe Bald Eagles would actually prey on lambs?

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All add an edit now that this question has been open for several days.

First I'm a small farmer. I live in Idaho now, and raise meat goats, and meat rabbits.

I use to live in Washington (state), for most of my life. I raised Cheviot sheep, and meats goats in Western Washington, just north of Bellingham. I was fairly close to the Canadian border.

I had three ewes give birth all within about 30 minutes of each other. I looked out my window, because I noticed a Bald Eagle on the ground, near the sheep. I saw something small bright white, wobbling around, with a Bald Eagle hopping after it, neck and beak extended, looking quiet vulture like, in the Bald Eagles movements.

I realized I had a newborn lamb, and there was an Eagle after it. Fortunatly the mother blundered between the lamb and the eagle (sheep are not smart).

I grabbed the binoculars and looked more closely at what was going on.

To my horror I saw SIX Bald Eagles on the ground hopping after lambs!

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  1. Bald Eagles are scavengers, but like any animal, if the opportunity presents it self, I can't see a reason why they wouldn't.  However, I'm not an expert on this and lambs, being the size they are it could also go the other way.

    Bald Eagles are very expert at catching fish.  I've seen this many times.  Would think they would rather go for something they can better handle.  I'd have to read up on that, to be sure.

    I will say this, don't leave your cat's outdoors.  If it isn't a fisher,  there is always the Bald Eagle.  Of course I'm talking about living in the north woods.  Bald Eagle's put on quite a show, when you see them soring with the wind.


  2. I just had a baby lamb born this week, and it's only a couple of lbs. at birth, but it stays real close to its mother!

    If it were to die, there's an open area that I toss dead livestock, and usually the vultures are the first and fastest to clean up the remains, but I have seen falcons, hawks and eagles in the area!

  3. They could. But probably not. I saw a video once that showed a Golden eagle taking a small mountain goat off a mountian. It ended up dropping it because it was to heavy. Needless to say the goat died.

  4. I doubt it.  Eagles tend to prey on birds, fish and small mammals.  They also scavange.  If the poor lil lamb is dead, and near where eagles habituate they may help you get rid of the carcass.

  5. like any predator/scavenger, they will go after what ever food source that fits their diet, and will minimize harm to themselves. this is why the sick and injured are the ones that get attacked, not the strong healthy ones.

  6. No they are primarily fish eaters, the story origionates from when scottish farmers kept no record of how many sheep were in their flock and when the lambs were docked the Golden eagles used to come and pick up the tails. All the farmers saw was an eagle flying away with something white and wooly in their talons and because they had no idea how small the eagles really were ( they thought they were enourmous creatures) thought they had a lamb.

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