[SallyintNorth]

Hopefully no-one would laugh at your wanting a respectful end to your pet sheep, FCA.   

[Bramblecot]

We all feel differently about dead bodies - animals or people - and it is good to know the different options available, and to be prepared.

[Oopsiboughtasheep]

Thankyou all so much for all your helpful advice, experiences and suggestions. I have followed all of them up to see what's available in my area. My biggest problem (entirely psychological) has been that they will be 'pet sheep' and like FCA I thought that I would be laughed off the Forum when I mentioned a Pet Crematorium. Honeyend sent me a link about this sort of thing as well. Armed with their thoughts and SallyintNorth's  kind support of the wimpier (I am only describing myself here) of us who go down the 'pet' route with these farm animals, I have found a perfect solution for me quite close to home - www.dignitypetcrem.co.uk
It's a huge weight off my mind to be honest and something I felt I need to have a plan in place for.
The other good news is that I had thought that once I had a couple of sheep, I would want quite a few more. However, sending them all off to a Pet Crem will prove prohibitive as well as ridiculous (!!!) so that's cured me of that idea. If I do find that I want to get more, I will have to take a more 'professional', practical and sensible financial approach by considering some of these other recommended alteranatives at the end, just as so many of you do.
Thankyou you to everyone who has helped me look at all the options available to me. I really appreciate it.
I can now file all this info and just look forward to my sheep arriving (in about 2 weeks).
I feel ashamed to tell you that I was brought up on a cattle farm, grandparents were also farmers. I can hear them groaning now from up on their clouds! They always said I was too soft.

[Bionic]

Lots of us are soft although I do try to go down the praticle route. Next week my favourite ewe is going to the cull market. I didn't want to do it and was happy to keep her just as a pet but she keeps prolapsing and not just when she is lambing. We had a stitch put in, that fell out. We have had a harness on her and that caused sores so for her sake and ours she is going.
OH said he will take her on his own so I don't need to see her at the market (she is going with another ewe so has a friend)
I will just give her a big kiss before she goes 

[Dogwalker]

This is something I'm having to think about for an angora goat doe soon so thank you for bringing the topic up and opening the discussion.  Unfortunately I think finances are going to dictate the route I can take .

[Anke]

Given that the local hunt's hounds regularly end up in my fields and really scare the sheep (and the assembled cohort of riders just looks on with a cavalier attitude that makes my blood boil) I will not use them for disposal of my animals/carcasses. 

[pgkevet]

45yrs ago as a young student I helped a vet euthanase a pet sheep with barbiturates at the owners request. The owner then sent it to the hunt and we had a call later whe then whole pack were snoring. So there is an option for revenge so long as you don;t kill the hounds

[moprabbit]

I've found this a very interesting thread. I have 4 pet sheep which I hope I will have for many years to come. But have thought about what happens when they die. Does anyone know of anywhere in the north Nottinghamshire area that would take sheep for burial/cremation? As a matter of interest, how old are sheep likely to live to if just kept as pets?
Thank you

[Treud na Mara]

45yrs ago as a young student I helped a vet euthanase a pet sheep with barbiturates at the owners request. The owner then sent it to the hunt and we had a call later whe then whole pack were snoring. So there is an option for revenge so long as you don;t kill the hounds

 

[Treud na Mara]

On a more serious note....north of Inverness we are lucky enough to be able to bury on our own land and so far still born lambs are providing good organic fertiliser for a clump of trees so there's no danger of accidental exhumation as the trees are all within enclosures to protect them till they are at least ten years old. Sort of like a green burial but without the wicker coffin.

[Melmarsh]

To answer moprabbits question, I had working sheep that retired for various reasons at the ages of 7yrs or there abouts  and they lived till they were  12-14yrs . They were put down as had liver problems. I should think that pet she baaa ing health problems would live longer !!! 

[SallyintNorth]

As a matter of interest, how old are sheep likely to live to if just kept as pets?

Working Herdwicks frequently make it into their teens, and that's on the fells of Cumbria and producing and rearing a lamb most years!

[plumseverywhere]

Get recommendations for a good knackerman now if you can. We waited up to 6 days on two occasions for carcasses to be removed - first was my gorgeous nanny goat, second was my daughters pet lamb who had been fatally attacked by dogs.  If you are keeping your stock as pets this is particularly distressing for your family, if like me you have children especially. Long waits are never pleasant (especially in hot weather!) but I've now found a man who comes out same day and is quite compassionate in his approach too. I think he might be coming to take away a wether goat we have here and after hearing testimonials of his professionalism, I have no qualms.

perhaps we could have a 'sticky' for recommended slaughtermen across the uk like we do the abbatoirs? would this be possible?

[Marches Farmer]

As a matter of interest, how old are sheep likely to live to if just kept as pets?

Our neighbour bought two ewes cast from the mountains, lambed them for five years, put them in lamb and gave them to my children as a Christmas present (we'd said we'd have them anyway as his wife had got very fond of them and they would otherwise have gone to cull) and we kept them as "Nanny" sheep to look after our newly-weaned ewe lambs.  One died of bloat at around 13 years (she'd eaten a lot of very wet grass and died overnight) and the other of a heart attack - we think she was at least 18 years old.

[JulieWall]

45yrs ago as a young student I helped a vet euthanase a pet sheep with barbiturates at the owners request. The owner then sent it to the hunt and we had a call later whe then whole pack were snoring. So there is an option for revenge so long as you don;t kill the hounds

A friend of mine has a similar story involving castrating a bolshy donkey. The animals testicles were injected with anaesthetic before popping them out but next doors dog jumped over the fence and ate them. He slept for 3 days apparently, lol