[dreamer]

i heard today that a small holder in hatton who has several pigs  had one of his pigs not only stolen but slaughtered  before being stolen. what a terrible thing to find .

[Rosemary]

That's pretty grim.

[Crofter]

That is pretty low.  It makes me realize how lucky we are up here regarding theft etc.  We only have one car key, so we just leave it in the ignition!

With acts like this, you just have to believe in the law of Karma.

Dave

[sausagesandcash]

Sounds like recession fever......had a feeling such like would come to pass. The poor guy.

[carl]

There is an increase in such thefts. people are taking loads of pigs, sheep and poultry. It must be going somewhere, and entering the food chain. Possibley dodgy take aways and restuarants. we have to keep our eyes open and make it difficult for the rogues to tkae our stock.

[sandy]

The worry is the people who slaughtered  and stole the pig would have been to the smallholding and cased the place beforehand and one must have had an idea about butchery, the farmer should think about deliveries over the past weeks etc, if it was me I would be focused on finding them but, I doubt they will be caught, some local resturant will be selling some nice pork!!!!!

[pigsatlesrues]

It has been happening here in France to.  People are posting that their chickens are being stolen before their eyes.  Car stops and grabs.

Last Autumn we had a whole litter of old spots still suckling stolen over a period of eight days.  Someone came in the night, selected the colour since there were others in the enclosure and took five of them - all gone!  Suckling pig presumably.  Gendarmes were not interested at all.  Well we are English aren't we? Now had it been our neighbours calf another story!

I really sympathise with with anyone who this happens to.  It is devastating and I just hope the rest of you have better luck!

Kate  

[exmoorlady]

Thats really awful for those poor people. Alec is lambing for a local farmer who's lambs & ewes are going missing from the farm. it i such a large farm that it is hard to keep an eye on all of it. He  thinks he knows who it is but cant prove it.

[MiriMaran]

This problem has been really worrying me as my field has a busy bridle way running up the side of it.

The Times ran an article a few weeks ago about the increase in pig theft, but usually just before they are going to slaughter - presumably the thief knows their stuff.

I collected my weaners today and they were ear tagged.  I had been thinking of slap marking them straight away as a deterrant, but one of the weaners is all black with 2 white socks so I don't think I can.

I have also heard a story that for about the last 10-15 years in the Shirebrook (Derbyshire) area farmers keep finding the remains of sheep that have been slaughtered, butchered and stolen in the middle of the night!

I really feel for anyone who has had livestock stolen.

[sandy]

I have an erg to sit in a field with a gang of "thugs" and Waite.....to see if anyone comes to butcher the livestock, I would then set about them and give them the fright of their lives...that is just a dream...I am not that mad!!!!!!

[MiriMaran]

You're allowed to shoot dogs that worry your livestock are you allowed to shoot thieves as well?!

[kevkev57]

About two years back, I saw buzzards flying in circles on a bit of my land near the forest. Always a sign something is dead. I discovered a two year old deer minus its head.  Poachers had taken the head to sell for someones lounge wall , it happens a lot here. Sad or what ?

They left the meat, either they were disturbed by my arrival ( the old landrover can be heard at a distance ) or they did not want the meat. It was fresh and soft. So we had a superb New years meal, as did some of our friends.

Kevin
Belgian Ardennes

[IainW]

It has been happening here in France to.  People are posting that their chickens are being stolen before their eyes.  Car stops and grabs.

Last Autumn we had a whole litter of old spots still suckling stolen over a period of eight days.  Someone came in the night, selected the colour since there were others in the enclosure and took five of them - all gone!  Suckling pig presumably.  Gendarmes were not interested at all.  Well we are English aren't we? Now had it been our neighbours calf another story!

I really sympathise with with anyone who this happens to.  It is devastating and I just hope the rest of you have better luck!

Kate  

Yes, we live in Brittany and a few years back my Guinea fowl were ready to be killed on the Sunday, on Saturday night 20 were taken never to be seen again.
My car was open with the keys in the ignition and £100 in my wallet, that was all safe, it was the animals that they wanted.
Same with my rabbits, all gone one day.

This year we making it more secure but if they want to get in then they will.

Most times rearing your own animals is expensive so I was particularly angry as they were at the right time to kill and had cost me a pretty penny to grow.

Iain

[Juno]

I had three lambs taken back in november, they were newly wormed, as well, but no trace, police think they know who did it but are finding it difficult to prove, 16 lambs were also taken from two fields away in the same week, all were tagged but bet they didn't last too long, i have foalsthis year and have to have them chipped maybe they should also be fitted with a hidden location beeper so that we can track them 

[Hilarysmum]

We used to have our horses freeze marked as this was easily identifiable.  Wish I could have the pigs fitted with a tracker device, would make life much easier.