 | Home > Off Topic > Anyone involved in sheep farming? Animal welfare concern. |
 
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| Projectblue Member Since: 22 Nov 2011 Location: Devon Posts: 1096  
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I used to own a small flock - between 12 & 15. We took great, like koebe effin beef care of those sheep. They were always checked, hooves done, clipped, wormed, sprayed etc etc. Foot rot was a particular scare as it can rain a lot down here so we checked for that a lot. And still it seemed like there wasn't a day when one of them wasn't limping.
As our neighbour, a farmer of sixty years, said when he took us to market to buy our first sheep; "There be two things sheep like to do. Get out the field, and die. Sometimes they does it at the same time. Just to spite 'e"  New project and it's green: www.projectoverland.info |
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20th Jan 2017 10:25pm |
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| BuckBlu110 Member Since: 19 Apr 2014 Location: in the pub Posts: 719  
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A friend of mine once said he had a rambler knock on his door and say that there was a sheep in the field where the footpath runs through, that was limping. His reply was "oh, only the one? A good day then?!"
In all seriousness, if there's a high number of them that are limping, it may be that those in that felid, are already being treated for their bad feet, and by no means is there an over night cure to lameness. As said before, this part of the year is particularly difficult to treat such ailments as if they are ewes, they may well be in lamb, and sometimes the act of treating the feet will cause more harm that good. I would leave the rspca out of it, they can certainly be far more trouble than good, and without know the full story about the sheep, you may well cause an already stressed farmer more headaches (think husbandry x100!) That is of course if there are many dead and dying sheep and no one has seen or heard anything from the farmer for ages then that's probably cause enough! |
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21st Jan 2017 3:58pm |
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| BuckBlu110 Member Since: 19 Apr 2014 Location: in the pub Posts: 719
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There's never been a truer statement!  |
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21st Jan 2017 4:04pm |
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| mick Member Since: 08 Feb 2010 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 2109 
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Biggest waste of time ever the rspca |
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21st Jan 2017 5:18pm |
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| smb Member Since: 15 Jan 2013 Location: Cheshire Posts: 1232 
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If it continues, and there's a very clear situation where the sheep are stressed then don't bother with RSPCA, make a report through to DEFRA.
It doesn't matter whether you've got 10, 100, or 1000, no animal should be subjected to stress because of a particular farmers style of farming. If a farmer can't cope with them then he shouldn't have them. At the end of the day it doesn't give the best meat. It's no good trying to educate these people, if it's a regular occurance then the only way they'll take notice is to hurt them where they'll hurt most, and that is their 'pockets'! Get the evidence together then put a call into DEFRA. |
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22nd Jan 2017 1:10am |
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| rossy Member Since: 29 Nov 2010 Location: Co. Roscommon Posts: 1296  
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smb's right. Dept of Agriculture is the way to go. RSPCA is more orientated towards companion animals (dogs,cats etc).
The three main challenges facing lowland sheep farmers in UK and Ireland at the moment are: 1) Stresses on ewes approaching lambing. A decent supplementary feed and mineral bucket lick are needed as there is not enough nutrition in winter pasture or silage 2) Wet Winter land always leads to foot rot problems but a good footpath solution or spray e.g. Repiderma cures it. 3) The recent wet, warm Autumn has resulted in a huge increase in liver fluke in sheep. If not treated with a suitable drench they will simply drop dead. However, treatment is complicated because there are three stages of liver fluke and most drenches only work on adult and maybe late immature fluke with a threat of resistance with over use. I would have thought you might have seen evidence of at least the first point so if they look too neglected I'd report to DEFRA. BTW I'm not a sheep farmer but as manager of a farmers' co-op I sell all the above to farmers every day. Its also worth pointing out that 99.9 % of farmers are very attentive to their animals' welfare and nutritional needs against a backdrop of uncertain (usually tiny) margins and increasing costs/investment. Its not a job you take on to make money as most of the time you just about break even despite the rather glamorous image depicted on the likes of Countryfile ! . |
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22nd Jan 2017 10:46am |
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| Bluest Member Since: 23 Apr 2016 Location: Lancashire Posts: 4248 
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I am inclined to leave it for now. The chap may be a bit of a frosty character but I don't wish to make anyone's life unnecessarily difficult. He attends the sheep and regularly, probably daily, to fill up a big feed container, so I guess/hope the lame is something that he's on top of and just seems apparent to a layman due to current weather and ground conditions. 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS
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22nd Jan 2017 11:36pm |
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| Farmerben Member Since: 16 Jan 2017 Location: Herefordshire Posts: 605 
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If anyone has a welfare concern regarding livestock, you should call the DEFRA Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301 or search APHA on google.
I'm a farmer - just sold my dairy cows but have about 300 head of beef cattle and Dad had a bright idea to buy 500 store lambs back in the summer. We haven't farmed sheep for about 20 years (back when I were just a lad ooo arrrr) and I was dead against the idea because sheep are trouble. Half are constantly lame this time of year (mostly foul from the wet and mud) and are run through a formalin foot bath every week. We have spent so much time and money managing and treating them that any margin has been eroded (and we won't be getting sheep again). But hey, as long as everyone can buy cheap lamb in Aldi, everything's fine, right? https://instagram.com/bentheoandrews |
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25th Jan 2017 9:38am |
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| Bluest Member Since: 23 Apr 2016 Location: Lancashire Posts: 4248
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The thing is, I'm notsure whether its a concern or not. As a soft towny who spoils his dog, seeing sheep limping is a worry. But, from the comments above, seems that's normal especially for this time of year. 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS
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25th Jan 2017 9:42am |
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| Slideywindows Member Since: 09 Sep 2016 Location: North Essex Posts: 1295
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One of my jobs used to be a farmer, arable not livestock.
I have the utmost respect for any livestock farmer, as it must be one of the most thankless, under-appreciated jobs in the country. I used to say that people would scream if a penny was put on the price of bread, but they'd pay a fortune for some Nike branded trainers! The same probably applies to the cost of meat. There must be a reason for there being no word in the English language for a single sheep. Probably because there has never been a livelihood to be made in keeping just one! |
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25th Jan 2017 11:45am |
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| smb Member Since: 15 Jan 2013 Location: Cheshire Posts: 1232
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^^^Bluest,
I think a lot depends upon the individual farmer and the type of farming they are involved in. I had a flock circa 360 and on top of that I held a Full Time Job of circa 60+hours/week, but regardless if I saw limping it meant the animal is in pain which meant that hell or high water I was going to sort out(plus it was a good indicator of an impending job). If I didn't, then it would result in stress to the animal which in turn effects the flavour and tenderness of the meat and if in lamb has an effect on the impending birth. Granted, it was a hobby for me and my family, and I was breeding Rare Breed Hebrideans, and it is well known that those holders of Rare or Endangered flocks have a tendency to look after them better than some of these Industrial Scale flocks. Its very easy to blame the supermarkets, they are just in the chain of Supply & Demand. You see now in a lot of farming that animals are being bred to be bigger and so more assistance is required as a lot of these animals are not designed to give birth to bigger offspring so you can imagine the stress there. |
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25th Jan 2017 11:54am |
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| Bluest Member Since: 23 Apr 2016 Location: Lancashire Posts: 4248
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The chap is in the field looking at hooves right now. Maybe he's ok, he has a knackered old Defender after all. 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS
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25th Jan 2017 4:01pm |
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| Huttopia Member Since: 23 Feb 2016 Location: West Midlands Posts: 1978
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You wouldn't go into sheep farming in this country to make money, the margins are fine and the work back breaking. My neighbour has over a 1000 ewes on many (many) patches of rented land. He works all hours in all weather - his equivalent hourly 'pay' must be below the minimum wage. He loves it though. It takes all sorts!
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25th Jan 2017 4:32pm |
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| smb Member Since: 15 Jan 2013 Location: Cheshire Posts: 1232
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Maybe he's a member on here and been reading this thread  |
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26th Jan 2017 10:07am |
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