Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Escaped Sheep  (Read 11885 times)

Cuddles

  • Joined Feb 2014
Escaped Sheep
« on: December 22, 2014, 07:28:26 pm »
So a couple of my ram lambs decided to escape from their field yesterday and we're found by a neighbour close to his house.  He didn't know where they were from so put them back into a field beside his house.  It turns out that this field was owned by by a different farmer who is now making noises about sending me a bill for the ram lambs "spoiling" his pedigree flock of ewe lambs!  Still with me??

As a newbie to keeping live stock and to the area I think he is at it but I'm not sure what the actual laws are?  Am I actually liable for anything??

The lambs haven't been castrated as they were meant to go to the abattoir earlier this year but we're too small.

Thanks in advance
Cuddles

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Escaped Sheep
« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2014, 12:57:36 pm »
Well the farmer is probably right - I would be livid if a tup (lamb or fully grown) would get into a field with my pedigree girls. Although, given that yours were in less than 24 hours and depending how many girls were there, I should think you can ask to wait and see if any lamb 146 days from now.

For the future it is always better to castrate any ram lamb UNLESS you are 100% sure they are gone from your fields by late September.... the growth difference you get by leaving them entire does usually not justify the risk of them not getting to size and then becoming a nuisance if needing to be kept over winter...

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Escaped Sheep
« Reply #2 on: December 23, 2014, 01:06:49 pm »
I completely agree with Anke on all counts. 

And yes, the farmer could be at you for compensation if any of his ewes are in lamb to your tup lambs.  However, as Anke says, it's unlikely to be a huge number, as they wouldn't all have been cycling on the day it happened.  Hopefully you have some insurance, so you would only be liable for any excess.

It's a risk keeping lambs entire; anything could happen to prevent getting them away - illness, a disease outbreak, a host of things.  So unless one has a very secure area to keep them in once tupping time arrives, it's a better plan to ring all the male lambs, or at least sell any entires as stores in the summer if they don't look like they'll make it to the abattoir before tupping time.

Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

shygirl

  • Joined May 2013
Re: Escaped Sheep
« Reply #3 on: December 23, 2014, 01:14:08 pm »
unless your lambs were excellent terminal sire type tupps that will give fantastic meat lambs?
its a worry for anyone with traditional type beasts, that they may escape to a commercial herd, there will be no thanks, and a loss to the commercial farmer as he sells either by kg or by pedigree.
you could compensate by offering to buy the lambs from your tupps at his usual selling rate. bear in mind some sheep go for thousands  :innocent:
but at this time of year, are his not already pregnant?

mowhaugh

  • Joined Jul 2013
  • Scottish Borders
    • Facebook
Re: Escaped Sheep
« Reply #4 on: December 23, 2014, 01:29:03 pm »
If they are pedigree ewe lambs, I would imagine (for most breeds) they will not be in lamb for next (almost this) year, but he would be planning on putting them in lamb Autumn 2015, and will not want them in lamb as lambs themselves.

I think you will probably need to be prepared to pay for him to have them injected to make sure they are not in lamb.


shotblastuk

  • Joined May 2013
  • Proper Gloucestershire !!
Re: Escaped Sheep
« Reply #5 on: December 23, 2014, 01:59:46 pm »
Have to agree I'm afraid. He's probably got along term breeding plan in place, and if he has a closed flock I can understand why he's pissed off. Basically if you want advice get your fencing sorted out properly!!

Me

  • Joined Feb 2014
  • Wild West
Re: Escaped Sheep
« Reply #6 on: December 23, 2014, 03:15:58 pm »
Good fences make good neighbours!

Foobar

  • Joined Mar 2012
  • South Wales
Re: Escaped Sheep
« Reply #7 on: December 23, 2014, 03:37:49 pm »
Be a good neighbour and go see the farmer and apologise in person. Come to some amicable agreement - you will need to compensate him in some way as he may have been intending to sell them guaranteed empty, or not breed from them this year as they were ewe lambs, and he could have lost income from having non-pedigree offspring.
Be *nice* - it will go a long way to help smooth things over with the guy.  Remember that you are the one at fault :).
Then promise to fix your fences - all of them.  And make sure you do so, promptly.


Next time it could be worse, your sheep could cause an accident on the road etc.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Escaped Sheep
« Reply #8 on: December 23, 2014, 06:42:34 pm »
unless your lambs were excellent terminal sire type tupps that will give fantastic meat lambs?
its a worry for anyone with traditional type beasts, that they may escape to a commercial herd, there will be no thanks, and a loss to the commercial farmer as he sells either by kg or by pedigree.
you could compensate by offering to buy the lambs from your tupps at his usual selling rate. bear in mind some sheep go for thousands  :innocent:
but at this time of year, are his not already pregnant?

Lambs from a terminal sire on a non-meat ewe lamb will do her considerable damage; mowhaugh's probably right and he'll want to get them injected.

At the main Swaledale breeding female sales, there are separate classes for Crossed and Uncrossed draft ewes.  Uncrossed (only ever been bred to a Swale tup) fetch more money as they haven't been worn out to the extent that a Crossed ewe of the same age would be.

And yes, the problem is that any breeding females meantto be in lamb this year will already be in lamb; any not in lamb already were not intended to lamb as hoggs. 

I agree, it's probably a very good idea to pay a visit, be apologetic, build bridges and mend fences.

And if you don't have insurance, get some.  Aren't we all supposed to have public liability insurance at the very least, in case of livestock getting on the road and causing an accident?
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

shygirl

  • Joined May 2013
Re: Escaped Sheep
« Reply #9 on: December 23, 2014, 06:56:24 pm »
I missed that they were only lambs.
take round some whisky sharpish.

MarvinH

  • Joined Oct 2011
  • England
Re: Escaped Sheep
« Reply #10 on: December 23, 2014, 06:58:00 pm »
This is a good reason to padlock your gates - keep unwanted out.
Sheep

Coximus

  • Joined Aug 2014
Re: Escaped Sheep
« Reply #11 on: December 23, 2014, 08:33:26 pm »
If their pedigree anything you are basically stuck with falling out with him and having ALOT of problems - hes within his rights to bill and sue / send debt collectors after any loss - Just imagine a pedigree texel flock owners face when a soay x texel cross pops out - Apoplectic may be an understatement..........

Id offer to buy any lambs born of your cross for the average rate for his breed..... Its the only fair thing to do.

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Escaped Sheep
« Reply #12 on: December 23, 2014, 08:39:51 pm »
But weren't they ewe lambs, and thus not intended for breeding this year?  If so, the honourable thing is to apologize profusely and pay to put them on the morning after pill. If not, then yes, something along the lines of Coximus' suggestion has to be the right response.

I'm off to re-check all my fences first thing in the morning  :innocent: .
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

paddy1200

  • Joined Dec 2013
Re: Escaped Sheep
« Reply #13 on: December 23, 2014, 11:19:29 pm »
Not sure of the finer points of this, don't think any 'law' has been broken, would be a small claims damages issue.
But......... someone else put them in to the field with the ewes so you would have a defence.

Even though de fence was broken :innocent:

farmvet

  • Joined Feb 2014
Re: Escaped Sheep
« Reply #14 on: December 24, 2014, 12:14:27 am »
prostaglandin injection 5 to 14d after the tup is removed is effective in 98% of cases. The usual dose is 0.5ml  this is off licence for sheep but used under the medicine cascade. Some vets will dispense this but other practices like to inject it themselves as it can cause abortion & bronchospasm in people. cost usually under£1/head plus vet fees

 

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