[juliem]

Ive been renting 12 acres of land to elderly local for past 4 years.Relationship between us has worked out very well...my land is very well fenced/auto water/ I have tried to help out as he has struggled at times physically to cope and lost more to fly strike than he really should.have done.He only use to come and see them about once a fortnight.I was then quite relieved when his son started to take over since last Oct.Up to today his son has supervised lambing and now has 35 lambs/25 ewes/2 tups (in another field)
But today...they had a big...big arguement and his son handed back to father responsibility for all the stock (also 16 hoggets at another location)
Now a grazing licence needs to be agreed and rent paid for 12 acres of pasture up to this Sept.I have no doubt his father will come and see me in the next few days and agree a grazing licence up to Sept/Oct....but I am seriously worried about him physically being able to cope with this flock of pregnant ewes/hoggets through the next winter.So do I make it clear now that I don't want to rent any land during next winter to give him time to make plans about disposal of stock....ie selling as lambs or is this going to make situation more stressful.
No hope of a reconciliation.I believe ewes still registered in his name.
Who would be a landowner?

[landroverroy]

I would agree the grazing licence till September, express your concerns over next winter, and then assess the situation again in September. Gives him time to rethink his situation and possibly sell up or get some more help.

[pharnorth]

Nice tactful response from Landroverroy. Really tough to give up keeping livestock due to old age/ infirmity. It is a decision we all have to make eventually and sadly some otherwise very diligent people leave it too late and let standards slip. Quite possibly the row was about just that. As a concerned individual you have a role, and as a landowner you have a role, other people will make the assumption they are your sheep after all. The only thing I would add to Landroverroy's comment is to mention fly strike was an issue last year- it is looking like a damp and warm summer and can he arrange for them to be checked daily as you won't be around every day/ as much as last year?

[juliem]

Yes he came down and saw me today and signed a grazing licence until Sept and he acknowledged he needed to downsize( even said he would give the lambing a miss next winter which is a big step for him) I introduced him to his ewes and lambs (all numbered)
Just wait for the fly strike now and get use to the mucky bums again.

[landroverroy]

Having reread your post, I do agree with Pharnorth that the flystrike issue is pretty important. (Particularly to the sheep that died as a result of it.) Perhaps you could insist that he gets them shorn earlier earlier this year and keeps a closer eye on them. The fact that he only comes to see them once a fortnight does not suggest to me that he really cares about his sheep or that they are a particularly important part of his life, or surely he would want to be more involved.
But having said that, I don't envy you your situation juliem. It's difficult trying to tactfully tell someone how they should do things, but at the same time you have to take the welfare of the animals into account as well  [size=78%]  [/size]

[juliem]

Yes he found the crovect from last year....but cast doubt on itt's quality as it had been left in the barn.....and it might have froze .Can this happen?