Tony Gregory
Question:123 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the statistics available to his Department on the percentage of lamb losses due to predation by foxes. [2457/94]
Written Answers. - Lamb Losses.
There are no official statistics available on the percentage of lamb losses due to predatory foxes. However, estimates generated within the Department would suggest that on average between 10 per cent and 15 per cent of lambs suffer mortality each year in Ireland due to various causes. The main causes of loss are: (i) weather conditions, (ii) birth difficulty, (iii) infection and disease and (iv) death due to marauding dogs, foxes and birds of prey. As a very rough estimate, each of these causes accounts for about a quarter of annual losses.