[devonlad]

Hi all. We have had a "lodger", a ewe in with our own flock for several weeks and despite checking with the usual suspects locally no-one seems to be claiming her (wrong breed). We planned some time ago to catch her and take note of the eartag so we could then hopefully track her owner down. Easier said than done. she has been extremely feral and on one occasion when we managed to get her into our smallest field, the orchard, she leapt our stock fence like a deer, without touching it- since then we decided the best option was to run her with our girls who are very tame and just give her time to get used to having us about. today for the first time she came near enough and if i'd been a bit more awake I could have grabbed her. assuming we get another go who do I actually ring and would they be able to give me details from the tag ( data protection blah blah blah etc,) having already driven round several farmers asking if they had lost one I don't want to now drive all over the place with a tag number. if we ever catch  her we have considered cutting out the tags and sticking ours in and having a bit of mutton, but not before we've tried rehoming her. cheers

[MKay]

You could find the breeder easy enough, call animal health with the flock number. They are not necessarilly the owner though. If they are not... Into the freezer she go.

[SallyintNorth]

If you do decide to eat her, don't forget to allow withdrawal periods for any medicines she may have had - at least 8 weeks for many flukicides

[devonlady]

If you can get her ear tag details 'phone Trading Standards in Exeter. They should have details of who bred her and who she was sold to etc.