[luckylady]

Sadly, Cyril, one of our four pet lambs had to be put to sleep this evening - sudden onset bloat.  Vet saw him quickly and tried various emergency treatments but an hour later he had blown up again so took him back for the inevitable as he was obviously in considerable pain.  Really sad as he was the strongest, friendliest and most comical of the four and we'd become really fond of him even though he was only 5 weeks old.   
My question is who do I have to inform that he is no longer alive.  I will be phoning the fellmonger in the morning to collect but do I have to inform local animal health office?  (The vet quietly said to just bury him).  I have movement papers and tags from his arrival (though the tags hadn't been put on yet) so didn't know if his disposal would/could possibly be tracked by the officials at some point.

[Polished Arrow]

Sorry to hear that sad news 


Personally, I'd go through the approved channels for notification as you have other sheep still alive.  Call Trading Standards - they'll tell you what to do regarding notification beyond recording it in your livestock record book.

[jaykay]

You just record it in your flock book (there's a page for deaths) and have it picked up by the fellmonger. No more notification needed.

[suziequeue]

Agree with Jaykay. Keep it simple

[robert waddell]

as jay kay said     sudden deaths you are supposed to notify animal health through your vet as your vet is the first point of contact
this procedure is essential to prevent the spread of notifiable diseases and the spread of devastation within the livestock industry

[luckylady]

Thanks all, you've confirmed the direction for disposal that I was going to go in anyway, but as this is my first death I didn't know whether the vets 'quiet suggestion' was commonplace for pet sheep or not and I wasn't sure whether I had to notify anyone else.  The keep it simple principle works for me.
Robert - the vet already knows as it was him who put Cyril to sleep.
Also, should I have been sent a flock record book by animal health when I registered?  I'm writing every single detail in a diary at the moment even down to how much milk they took at each feed but I would prefer to use the correct paperwork.

[robert waddell]

yes lucky lady i did read that part 
 

[FiB]

Sorry to hear about your lamb.  A bad day .  Yes the animal welfare gave me my movement book when they came to inspect a year after we came here!  So you could ring them and ask for one - it does make recording a bit simpler in that you can see the information that they think is important.   
Personaly I think I would consider burying one untagged pet lamb with cause of death established (especially on the whisper of a vet).  Clearly you cant do this as a rule, or if you are in anyway in business but one? yes I possibly would.  Probably going to get my first forum BLAST for this

[in the hills]

A neighbour gave me a freebie diary for records that he had picked up from a local agri-store.
 
I wondered if there was anything more official so looked on the net. I am in Wales and for here there is a record that can be downloaded or as I did you can ring and they will send you a copy. It didnt include a medicines record so they sent me one for cattle and told me to use that!
 
I thought it was all very haphazard considering they are supposed to be so keen on paperwork. Did explain very clearly to them when I registered that I was a complete novice and wanted to know everything that I needed to do concerning records. All seemed very relaxed - their response was ... oh, ask the person you are buying them from ... 
 
Sorry about your lamb. No experience of this but a local farmer told me that they bury untagged lambs and if the vet advised this then maybe its fairly common practice??? 

[Hazelwood Flock]

   sorry for your loss. Just write it in the holding register and keep the ticket from the knacker man. I know many folk just chuck stillborns 'over the hedge' for foxes etc, or bury them, but a 5 week old lamb is a little more awkward to deal with. At least going the official route gives you a clear conscience!

[Fleecewife]

The fellmonger is the person who collects the skins from the abattoir; the knacker collects fallen stock and takes them to the incinerator.
 
Although having to have dead animals collected for disposal is a pain, there is a reason for it, which is the health of everyone else's livestock and ultimately the health of those who eat them, so I'm glad you will go the official route.
 
Very sad about your little bloated lamb - have you worked out what caused it so you can keep the others healthy? 

[suziequeue]

I know many folk just chuck stillborns 'over the hedge' for foxes etc

Yes - as FW says - not a great idea  . I don't want to give foxes any further reasons for hanging around the area.......
 
Fortunately our local knacker man is our neighbour so in the past I have just taken any fallen stock to his place in a barrow.

[bazzais]

Sorry to hear the news.

Personally when I phone the knackers yard to pick up stock I get him to stop in the car park down the road and take the stock down to him.

I think that having dead stock collected from the yard in a huge truck filled with other peoples dead stock completely destroys the point of not burrying them safly on your own farm by having everyones elses dead stock stench leaking onto my own yard.

I wouldnt tag it before going on the lorry as their is no need.

Its a bit expensive to have one lamb taken away - our yard charges by the 'bag of lambs' with no head count.

I doubt you will find a farmer who hasnt burried dead stock on farm or slung it over a hedge. 

For smallholders with 'pet' animals I do think it would be better to burry something - cos after you see whats in the back of that lorry you'll want to go home and throw up

Baz

[luckylady]

Apologies for getting my terminology wrong Fleecewife - I'll know in future.  Like I said its my first experience of fallen stock.
From various reliable sources we are led to believe it was bloat due to gorging and the very hot weather despite being on timed turnout and less than lush pasture.  The other three are fine but will be keeping an even closer eye on them now.  It just all happened so quickly - went to let them out for their timed grazing and he was like a balloon.  At vets within 10 minutes though so I don't feel there was anything more we could have done. 
Thanks for all the feedback re record keeping books etc.  I'll make a phone call to animal health.
Don't worry bazzais, I definitely won't be peering in the back of the lorry - I know what lurks within!  Was at a neighbouring farm when they had the knacker man last year.  Will pay me money, take the slip and let him get on with it.  £8 by the way, so in the bigger scheme that isn't a problem.

[lachlanandmarcus]

No sheep or lamb can ever qualify as a 'pet' in the eyes of the law, it is very clear on this. So to stay within the law, you need to get it taken away by the knacker/fallen stock. Really vet should not be encouraging breaking the law......
The only exception and then only for the UK is for pet horses (tho not working horses) who because they are essentially not in the UK food chain have a part derogation allowing burial where is is well away from water courses, well draining ground etc.
But lamb, no, that has to go to the fallen stock people. Lambs are a cheap fee too, so cost not really an issue.