Author Topic: What should I do with this animal? (Read 2321 times)

Ghdp · « **on:** October 29, 2022, 06:20:21 pm »

A small sheep ( welsh mountain?) with a dirty and bedraggled fleece and no ear tags or obvious markings has been wandering in the lanes and gateways around our house. I have steeled myself and ignored it for a couple of weeks but finally put it in a small (1/4 acre) empty grassed area - really to avoid it being in a collision with a vehicle. I am guessing it is from this years lambing although to my untrained eye the fleece is quite long. I have spoken to some of my immediate neighbours, who must have seen it too, but probably would just not have a free pocket of empty fenced grazing as we happen to have, but no one yet claims to own it (or owns up to owning it!) or has volunteered to take it from me!!!
I don’t want a lone sheep.
What can I do with it and what on earth should I give apart from grazing in the meantime ??

Ghdp · « **Reply #1 on:** October 29, 2022, 07:40:40 pm »

……and a water trough obviously!!

Womble · « **Reply #2 on:** October 29, 2022, 09:22:11 pm »

Do you have a freezer? (only half joking)

harmony · « **Reply #3 on:** October 30, 2022, 09:35:05 am »

You could keep it and get it a friend but it is going to need attention which equals cost.

Ring animal health tell them and ask them to sort it out.

Anke · « **Reply #4 on:** October 30, 2022, 09:36:58 am »

It may well have fallen off the back of a truck (almost literally), as in left in a field from a gather and now wandering around. Does it have holes from ear tags, or never been tagged? If never tagged, most likely a lamb from this year. If tags have been removed it may well be a bottle lamb (esp if quite tame and not afraid of humans) that has outgrown its cuteness factor...

If you want to keep it, first check what the sex is, and then get it a suitable companion - two companions (as in not female if you are dealing with an entire male or even a wethered male), worm/fluke/scab-treat it straight away (and any companions too on arrival).You will need to get ear tags sorted, and if you don't have a flock of your own that could entail a considerable amount of paperwork for a lost sheep that may just keel over any minute....

So, tbh, if you have the means for home slaughter I would seriously consider it (you cannot use an abattoir without a tag and all the paperwork that comes with it), or you become a sheep farmer...