Mexican Vultures Try to Kill Newborn Calf

[fitz]

Howdy,
They are problems with calving season. The problem is not just 1-2 around, its when there is 20 of them going after a newborn covered in afterbirth still. 2-4 hours after the calf is born and is cleaned up. It's not a problem.
The game warden here has stated you can get in trouble if a bird of prey is shot out of the sky. If its on the ground attacking your livestock, that's another story. shoot away. Just not like duck hunting when they are flying above.

Yes, in Northern Virginia the Buzzard's (Mexican white tip buzzard, black vulture, turkey vulture, buzzard, vulture and whatever else named ones) are a problem.

Glad to see you back on here Daybreak. I don't want to interfere with the thread topic. I will PM you about a Bull.

fitz

 

[Williamsv]

I thank all of you that posted suggestions for protecting newborn calves from Mexican vultures. We are in the pasture early every morning and several times during the day. They fly in early and check things out. After they see us, they soon fly off. I am just thankful that we were there last week to save a fine baby calf. Yes, if we see them on the ground trying to attack, they will be shot. We have the right to protect our livestock.
Again, thank you to everyone, and good luck with your cattle. I learn a lot from this post.

 

[cowgirl8]

Just in case someone doesnt know the difference between the two types of birds....Here is a picture of the two kinds. The one with the black head, bad, the one with the red good. I have never seen a red headed, Turkey Vulture, do anything to a live animal. They circle and wait. The black headed ones, Black Vulture, is bad..will eat live disabled animals and can do so by surrounding them in large numbers in a matter of a few minutes.

 

[shortybreeder]

A turkey vulture will never attack a living animal, because it has no way of actually killing the animal. They are considered raptors, but their beaks are not sharp enough to tear the flesh off an animal and their talons are not sharp enough to rip an animal open. They are scavengers that take advantage of already dead animals, and sometimes you will see them sitting by a dead carcass not doing anything to it... This is because they can't get into the carcass and feed yet. Turkey vultures have to wait until either 1. the body cavity pops open due to heat, gases, and etc. or 2. something else comes by with sharp teeth and rips it open for them like a coyote or a wolf or something similar.

 

[branguscowgirl]

Great picture cowgirl! Nice to see an up close comparison of the two.

 

[Williamsv]

Excellent pictures. I have seen several black vultures on the side of the road in the last two days eating road kill. That was the first close look that I have had. Their black head sort of looks like a duck's head to me. We are seeing more and more of these.
Went over to East GA today to look at some cattle and were told that they are having problems with them too. We still patrol the pastures every morning. Their arrival time is 9:50 every morning checking our herd.
I am sick and tired of them.
Again, I thank all of you for your comments and especially for these great pictures. We are also seeing fewer of what we call the good buzzards. I am afraid these black Mexican vultures are fast taking over.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Just in case someone doesnt know the difference between the two types of birds....Here is a picture of the two kinds. The one with the black head, bad, the one with the red good.

Excellent picture!!

This pic should be posted anytime this subject comes up. I say this because in this pic, you've got the two kinds, side by side.

Thanks for posting this pic cowgirl8.

Katherine