The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: plt102 on April 06, 2012, 12:50:09 pm
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We got lucky last year and she was unlucky enough to get fly strike in october. We had been checking bums and armpits but she got it really badly in between her shoulder blades. We treated and saved her but she now has a hunch back (we think some nerves got damaged or something) and has a funny way of walking. We kept her away from the ram so she isn't in lamb but I wanted some advice about what to do with her. Ideally she could enjoy the summer as she seems happy enough but she should meet her maker before we start tupping. Would an abbatoir take a sheep who is deformed like she is or would we have to put her down and send her to the hunt kennel (would seem such a waste). The alternative is to separate her and use her as a lawn mower. Any advice appreciated.
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If she can stand on all four legs and walk on all four legs and isn't in pain then I can't see why an abbatoir wouldn't take her. I assume you would have the meat for your own freezer? I don't know whether there may be some issues in the meat where there is scarring and you might get some of the carcase condemned - but I can't see why the rest of it wouldn't be ok. We do send the odd recovered flystruck lamb off and have never had any of the meat from them condemned, so presumeably the healing had been sufficient within the muscle, or perhaps the problem had been caught early enough before the damage got beneath the skin.
You could ring your local abbatoir for advice.